Discovery of Copper

Discovery of Copper is a Tennessee historical marker in Polk County.

Polk Co, TN 40 (US 64), at junction w/TN 40 & TN 68

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In August, 1843, a prospector named Lemmons, in fruitless search of gold along a branch of Potato Creek not far to the northeast, found a substance which turned out, to his disappointment, to be red oxide of copper. He abandoned it and continued his search for gold, which was never found. The site of his discovery turned out later to be that of the Hiwassee Copper Mine.

TodayHistorical map

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1829 · Tennessee (A. Finley, 1829) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1832 · Kentucky (Finley, 1832) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1836 · Georgia Pocket Map (Mitchell, 1836) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1838 · Tennessee. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1844 · Kentucky (H. S. Tanner, 1844) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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Marker text and location from the Tennessee Historical Commission, as the Commission publishes them on its marker map.

Discovery of Copper

Historical maps covering this location

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