From 1852-1857, Beechworth was an important gold area. Thousands of people moved to the area to dig for gold. One group of miners found 14 lb (about 7 kg) of gold in one gold pan (a small metal dish used separate gold from the soil). Another group found 50 lb (approx. 25 kg) of gold in a week. In the first election in 1855, one candidate, Daniel Cameron, rode a horse with solid gold horse shoes through the main street. This event is the reason the logo for Beechworth is a golden horse shoe, and the ride is remembered every year with the Golden Horseshoe Festival.