[2] It has been designated a National Historic Landmark because of its importance and listed on the National Register of Historic Places In 1799, Conrad Reed, the son of farmer and former Hessian soldier John Reed (né Johannes Reidt) born June 6, 1757, found a 17-pound yellow "rock" in Little Meadow Creek on the family farm in Cabarrus County, North Carolina.

Reed, not understanding the true value of gold, asked for what he thought was the hefty price of $3.50, or a week's worth of wages.

[2][4] Today, the Reed Mine is a state historic site that belongs to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and open to the public.

Visitors can tour a museum with extensive displays about North Carolina gold mining.

He left the British army and came to settle in the lower part of North Carolina.