Marshall McClung
Stories about lost gold and silver mines continue today in Graham County, with some dating as far back as the 1800s.
There seems to be more evidence that they existed than not, but yet no one has ever found them.
Perhaps two of the most famous tales are about Ropetwister’s gold and Delozier’s silver mine.
Ropetwister’s gold story begins sometime around 1838 when the Cherokee removal began. He and several other Cherokees hid out in the Slickrock Creek section of the county, which is still a remote area today. They were successful in evading capture by U.S. Army troops.
Ropetwister allegedly discovered gold while hiding out – as when he came out of Slickrock, he seemed to be a very rich man. He traded gold at the George Walker Trading Post in Valleytown (now known as Andrews).
He later got into the cattle business, dealt in the fur and ginseng trade, and was said to have as much as $10,000 in gold coins stashed away somewhere – but never on him or in sight.
The story moves to near my childhood homeplace on Atoah Creek, where he supposedly hid gold in a cave near Goat Knob. After he moved out of a cabin there, a perfectly round hole in the ground was found under a loose hearthstone, which was thought to have been a hiding place for gold.
Ropetwister apparently made more trips into Slickrock for gold and was followed by some who lost track of him, got lost themselves and spent days finding their way out. Some of the Cherokees say that the location of the gold is guarded by the “Little People” – and no white person will ever find it.
Another famous legend is about the Delozier Silver Mine. Edward “Neddy” Delozier is said to be the one who discovered this silver lode and never revealed the location to anyone, not even relatives.
Born in 1803, his mother was Alsey Fields – who was ¼ Cherokee. Some said this gave him the ability to move through the woods unseen and unheard, as well as a keen ability to hide his tracks by watching where he stepped.
Several men tried to follow him, but were never able see where he went. One man was said to have been successful in following him to the silver’s location, but he disappeared. Years later, a human skeleton thought to be his remains were found in the woods.
Some thought that the silver mine was on Twenty Mile Creek, in what is now part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In one version of the story, the Little Tennessee River was visible in seven places; another says in three places. Other people thought they had found the mine, but could not find their way back to it on a return trip.
Delozier’s skill for secrecy seems to have carried on to his death, as no one seems to know where he was buried.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He is retired from the U.S. Forest Service and can be reached via email, mcclungs@email.com.