MERICA’S LEGACY RISM Long before California’s famous gold rush captured the nation’s imagination, a deer hunter named Benjamin Parks stumbled over a glittering rock in the Georgia mountains that would change American history. That 1828 discovery sparked the nation’s first major gold rush, drawing 15,000 prospectors to what would become Dahlonega, a Cherokee word meaning “yellow” or “gold.” Today, this mountain town an hour north of Atlanta has transformed its golden legacy into a thriving tourism economy that supports a unique blend of small-town charm and modern ambition. 56 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10
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