Panning for gold conjures up visions of the Gold Rush days of the mid-1800s in California, but the truth is that gold is present right here in Tallapoosa County. The Auburn Alabama Prospectors Chapter recently leased land in the southern part of the county for gold dredging.
State Director of the Gold Prospectors Association of America Adam Broach wanted to re-invigorate a local chapter that had dwindled years ago. With permission from the national GPAA headquarters, Broach found a piece of land to lease and re-instated the group earlier this year.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“x’G6 2=H2JD 366? :?72EF2E65 H:E9 9:DE@CJ[ H9:49 =65 >6 E@ C6D62C49 8@=5 :? p=232>2 2C@F?5 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 2C62[” D2:5 qC@249[ H9@D6 2?46DE@CD D6EE=65 :? E96 #66=E@H? 2C62 27E6C E96 r:G:= (2C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmw:D >2E6C?2= 8C62E\8C2?5A2C6?ED 7C@> E96 {F>A<:? 72>:=J 92G6 2 =@?8 9:DE@CJ @7 H@C<:?8 :? 8@=5 >:?6D 2?5 A2??:?8 7@C 8@=5 5FC:?8 E96 vC62E s6AC6DD:@? 7@C 6IEC2 42D9] qC@249’D 8C62E\8C62E F?4=6 y@D6A9 w6?CJ {F>A<:? EC:65 E@ 6?4@FC286 >:?6CD E@ 4@?E:?F6 E96:C 8@=5 D62C49 =@42==J :?DE625 @7 >:8C2E:?8 E@ r2=:7@C?:2 H:E9 E96 5C@G6D]kDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“k^DA2?mkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm‘k^DA2?mkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96C6’D 8@=5 :? E96> E92C 9:==D]’ xE H2D >J 2?46DE@C y@D6A9 w6?CJ E92E @C:8:?2==J 4@:?65 E92E A9C2D6[” D2:5 qC@249[ H9@ 8C6H FA :? }@E2DF=82 2?5 8C25F2E65 7C@> }@E2DF=82 w:89 $49@@=]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm(:E9 9:D 566A\C@@E65 9:DE@CJ 2?5 A2DD:@? 7@C 8@=5 5C658:?8[ qC@249 92D 366? :? E96 3FD:?6DD 7@C ?62C=J a_ J62CD 2?5 4FCC6?E=J 5C6586D @? 23@FE b^c\>:=6 @7 $2F8292E4966 rC66<[ =@42E65 @? E96 `_ 24C6D @7 =2?5 =62D65 3J E96 =@42= AC@DA64E@CD 492AE6C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 2C62 DE2CE65 @FE 2D 2 7@FC\H966=6C A2E9 @?=J[ 3FE ?@H E96C6 :D 2? @A6? H2=<:?8 A2E9] %96 >2DE6C A=2? :D E@ 6G6?EF2==J EFC? :E :?E@ 2 42>A8C@F?5 H:E9 2 >66E:?8 2C62 @77 E96 6?EC2?46 2?5 2 5C6586 =2F?49[ D2:5 qC@249]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmrFCC6?E=J[ 2?J >6>36C @7 E96 =@42= 492AE6C @C E96 ?2E:@?2= v!pp 92D 2446DD E@ E96 =62D65 =2?5[ 2?5 qC@249 92D D66? 72>:=:6D 4@>6 7C@> #9@56 xD=2?5[ u=@C:52[ v6@C8:2 2?5 >@C6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“xE’D 7C66 E@ >6>36CD E@ 4@>6 FD6 E96 =2?5] %96J 42? 42>A 2?5 AC@DA64E] p== E96 8@=5 E96J 7:?5[ E96J <66A[” D2:5 qC@249]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 G2=F6 @7 8@=5 :D >62DFC65 :? 8C2>D[ H:E9 @?6 8C2> 36:?8 H@CE9 23@FE Scd[ 96 D2:5] %9:D >62?D @?6 @F?46 @7 8@=5 :D G2=F65 2E 2C@F?5 S`[c__]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“xE 56A6?5D @? J@FC D<:== =6G6=[ >249:?6CJ 2?5 =F4<[ C62==J[ E@ 56E6C>:?6 9@H >F49 J@F 42? 7:?5 2E @?6 E:>6[” D2:5 qC@249]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ 2C62 9@=5D >@DE=J D>2==[ 7:?6 A:646D @7 8@=5[ 2?5 qC@249 D2:5 E96 =2C86DE D@=:5 A:646 96’D 6G6C F?4@G6C65 H2D 23@FE `]d 8C2>D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 AC@46DD @7 5C658:?8 FD6D 2 DF4E:@? H2E6C9@D6 E@ =@@D6? 92C5 A24< 8C2G6=D @? E96 4C66< 7=@@C] %96 8C2G6= :D 5:C64E65 E9C@F89 2 D=F:46 3@I[ H96C6 2 C:AA=6 67764E 42E496D 962G:6C >2E6C:2=D 2?5 D6A2C2E6D @77 E96 =:89E6C DEF77] }@E @?=J :D 8@=5 – H:E9 2 DA64:7:4 8C2G:EJ @7 `h 3J G@=F>6 – 42F89E :? E96 D=F:46 3@I[ 3FE 2=D@ 962GJ >6E2= 4@?E2>:?2E6D[ DF49 2D 3=24< :C@? D2?5D[ =625 @C >6C4FCJ] #6>2:?:?8 8C2G6= :D 56A@D:E65 324< :? 9@=6D 4C62E65 :? E96 DEC62> 2D E96 5C6586 >@G6D 7@CH2C5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm k^DA2?m“v@=5 5C6586CD 2C6 2=D@ 4@?D6CG2E:@?:DED] (6’G6 C6>@G65 9F?5C65D @7 A@F?5D @7 =625[ >6C4FCJ 2?5 @E96C A@:D@?@FD >2E6C:2=D E92E 42? =6649 @FE 2?5 92C> 7:D9[” D2:5 qC@249] “$@>6 A6@A=6 E9:?< H6’C6 A@==FE:?8 E96 H2E6C E9C@F89 8@=5 5C658:?8[ 3FE H6’C6 24EF2==J :>AC@G:?8 E96 H2E6C BF2=:EJ]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm#6>@G:?8 E96D6 >6E2= 4@?E2>:?2E6D 7C@> DEC62> 365D :>AC@G6D 7:D9 923:E2E 2?5 4C62E6D DA2H?:?8 365D 7@C 7:D9[ D2:5 qC@249] }@ 496>:42=D @C 92C>7F= >2E6C:2=D 2C6 FD65 :? E96 H2E6C E@ C64@G6C 8@=5[ 96 25565]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmqC@249’D 5C6586 :D 2 AC@76DD:@?2= 8C256 !C@ {:?6 v@=5 sC6586 H:E9 2 9@D6 D:K6 e[ d\:?49 ?@KK=6 2?5 EH@ 2:C=:?6D 7@C 5:G6CD] xE 42? >@G6 C@F89=J a_ J2C5D @7 >2E6C:2= A6C 9@FC 2?5 :D G2=F65 ?6H 2E 23@FE S`b[___] sC6586 9@D6D C2?86 :? D:K6 7C@> a :?496D E@ g :?496D] %96C6 :D 2=D@ 2 324<A24< G6CD:@? H:E9 2 a\:?49 9@D6 2G2:=23=6 7@C 23@FE Sa[a__[ 96 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“t249 9@D6 D:K6 J@F 8@ FA[ J@F 5@F3=6 E96 J2C5286 @7 H92E :E H:== CF?[” D2:5 qC@249]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm(96? 5C658:?8[ qC@249 C64@>>6?5D 7:?5:?8 2C62D H96C6 =625 92D 244F>F=2E65 2?5 8@=5 H:== =:<6=J 36 ?62C3J] !=246C 8@=5 :D 8@=5 E92E 92D 366? =:36C2E65 7C@> :ED 9@DE C@4< 2?5 A2DD65 E9C@F89 E96 2==FG:2= A=2:? :?E@ 4C66<D[ qC@249 6IA=2:?65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm~?6 6IA=2?2E:@? 2D E@ E96 6I:DE6?46 @7 8@=5 H2D E92E :? =:BF:5 7@C>[ :E 7=@H65 E9C@F89 E96 t2CE9’D 365C@4< 2?5 2D :E 4@@=65 :E 7@C>65 :? BF2CEK] %96 8@=5 H2D EC2AA65 :?D:56 E96 BF2CEK[ 2?5 E9C@F89 ?2EFC2= 6C@D:@?[ E96 =@56 3C@<6 7C66]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“%96C6’D 2 5632E6 @? 9@H 8@=5 8@E 96C6] %96 @E96C D:56 36=:6G6D :E 42>6 7C@> 2 >6E6@C E92E 9:E E96 t2CE9[” D2:5 qC@249]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm!2CE @7 E96 v!pp’D >:DD:@? :D E@ 65F42E6 A6@A=6 @? 8@=5 AC@DA64E:?8 2?5 5C658:?8] {2DE J62C H2D E96 d_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E96 7@C>2E:@? @7 v!pp[ H9:49 :D 2 72>:=J\@C:6?E65 @C82?:K2E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmt249 J62C[ :E 9@DED ?2E:@?2= @FE:?8D 7@C >6>36CD 2?5 ?@?\>6>36CD 5FC:?8 52JD\=@?8 6I4FCD:@?D] p?J 8@=5 E92E :D 7@F?5 :D DA=:E 2>@?8DE E96 8C@FA]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“(6 42== E96> 5:886C’D 5:CE A2CE:6D] v@=5 255D FA BF:4<=J H96? H6 2== H@C< E@86E96C[” D2:5 qC@249]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 =@42= 492AE6C >66ED 6G6CJ D64@?5 $2EFC52J @7 E96 >@?E9 2E g 2]>] E@ 5C6586 E@86E96C 2?5 6?4@FC286D 2?J@?6 :?E6C6DE65 :? =62C?:?8 >@C6 E@ ECJ :E @FE]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? 8@=5 5C658:?8[ 4@?E24E p52> qC@249 2E bbc\c_`\_cf` @C 6>2:= 9:> 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i252>3C@2498A22o8>2:=]4@>Qm252>3C@2498A22o8>2:=]4@>k^2m]k^DA2?mk^Am




