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Why the Miner for Concord?
In 1799, gold was first discovered in the United States here in Cabarrus County on land that would later become a North Carolina historic site in Reed’s Gold Mine. This event and the discovery of gold in Cabarrus County began the Gold Rush. This led to a huge spurt of growth in population for our county. The Gold Rush in North Carolina lasted until 1848 when gold was discovered in California and most of the workers went to California to mine for gold there.
So why are we the Miners? The Miner led a challenging life as he was working hard to find those rare pieces of gold available in the land. Nature often had the advantage over humans. Miners were in constant fear of physical danger, illness from the bad food or harsh environment and difficult living conditions. Miners also had to deal with loneliness as they were traveling away from home to find gold to help their families. It was a hard life in pursuit of the most valuable metal found on earth.
We are the Miners because we show Perseverance and Determination. We work hard to find the GOLD in our own lives and others’ lives. We are not afraid of what hits us in Miner Country, and we will push ahead and achieve. Anyone can find the dirt in something; we are the ones to find the gold.
History surrounding Concord Middle School
In the school year 1967/1968, the 9th-grade class housed in the old CMS (downtown) voted that the mascot would be the Gold Miners. At this time, the school was called Concord Junior High. This group of students became the CHS class of 1971. During the 1967/1968 school year, this 9th-grade class was the only group of students housed in the school. Concord Junior High was officially established in 1970. The 10th-12th graders attended the new CHS on Burrage Road. This group of students had attended Claire Harris for grades 7-8 and there were no athletics there. So when they came to Concord Junior High in 1967, they had sports facilities, and they needed a mascot! Concord Junior High became Concord Middle School in 1976. The current location of CMS opened in 1999 school year. The “claim to fame” for this current facility is hosting President George Bush in 2001.