Most people think America’s gold rush began in California, but the Carolinas were mining gold decades earlier. From early discoveries that led to mint shipments, to the Haile Gold Mine becoming the most productive operation east of the Mississippi, South Carolina’s gold history is bigger than most textbooks admit and even drew famous visitors like Thomas Edison. #SouthCarolinaHistory #GoldRush #HaileGoldMine #HiddenHistory #CarolinaCrossroads