In 1824, a farmer named Andrew Troutman put Gold Hill on the map when he found a nugget on his land. By the mid-1830s, prospectors flocked to the tiny town in Rowan County to find their gold. At one time, the town's population swelled to 8,000. By 1845, Gold Hill had 23 mines, a post office, a jail, 26 saloons, and six brothels.Web