Tuolumne City, CA and Westside Lumber Company; Gold Rush and lumber capital

Tuolumne City preserves remnants of the old Gold Rush town of Summersville, as well as lots of pieces of its longer-lasting hay-day as a logging and lumber center of the Mother Lode. Just six miles from Highway 49 and regional center Sonora, it offers history, and fun at nearby Black Oak Casino, for all ages, from one to 100!

Huge old Steam Donkey awaits bygone lumbering operations next to Tuolumne Fire Station

Eves of the Westside Lumber main mill reflect its closure some 50 years ago

The old Westside Lumber Mill building is in a stage of accelerated disrepair, having closed in the early 60s

Tuolumne City's Memorial Auditorium is in use as a town gathering hall

Massive old lumber equipment dots the fields around the Toulumne City boundaries

Westside Lumber's Engine #2 is preserved in the city's park

Westside Lumber at height of its operations (photo courtesy of Tuolumne Museum)

Early history: Tuolumne began in 1854 when Franklin Summers and family settled nearby and built a cabin and began to grow crops. In 1856 James Blakely arrived and discovered the first quartz outcropping, which would become his “Eureka” quartz and gold mine. Soon the initial town of Summersville had taken shape, with shops, restaurants and service providers.

Other nearby mining towns would spring up (and then disappear), Lone Gulch, two miles south, and Cherokee, two miles north. Later named Cartersville, then Tuolumne City, the placer gold would quickly be mined out, and the area became both an agricultural center and the heart of logging and lumber production for cities in the valley like Modesto and Stockton.

Of several logging operations, the Westside Lumber Company became the main player, building a narrow gauge railroad into varied portions of the Sierra forest, buying and uniteg several other narrow-gauge Sierra railways and developing a major lumber mill with regional innovations. It would continue to expand its railroad, the size and complexity of its mill, and develop Tuolumne City into a lumber town of major proportions in the first sixty years of the 20th century. The mill closed in the early 1960s, after a major fire during a labor dispute - the town has struggled to maintain its viability since.

More recent history: Today, portions of the lumber empire of the Westside Lumber Company take center stage. Several of the company’s buildings remain, though in states of disrepair. Remnants of logging equipment dot the town, from a huge Steam Donkey next to the fire station, to pieces of lumbering equipment in varied fields on the edge of town, the lumber company’s Steam Engine #2 in the city park, to the city’s Municipal Auditorium and the local museum. There is much to explore in a short walk of a few to a dozen blocks. A mile to the north east is the huge, new Black Oak Casino, which is bringing new vitality and visitors to the area, and pumping investment into the town as well.

What to do while there: Walk the historic streets, see the old lumber company remnants, tour the city’s museum (open Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 PM excluding holidays, at 18663 Carter Street, (209) 928-3516; http://tuolumnemuseum.wordpress.com/), and visit the Tuolumne-band of the Miwuk Indian’s Black Oak Casino (www.BlackOakCasino.com; just a mile from the city center).

How to get there: Tuolumne City is located just off historic Highway 49, six miles southeast of the regional city of Sonora by following Tuolumne Road. It is just two hours from Sacramento and one hour from Stockton and Modesto.

Nearby attractions: Nearby Gold Rush towns like Sonora, Twain Hart, Columbia and Jamestown make for a nifty collection of historic towns in the Mother Lode; many will make their trip several days to take in the rich history and scenic beauty of the Sierra foothills. And the Black Oak Casino is worth a visit, with fun for all.

Lodging, camping, dining options: While Toulumne City offers no hotels or motels, nearby Black Oak Casino offers hotel accommodations, several cafes and a fine restaurant, the Seven Sisters. Sonora, just six miles away, offers a wealth of motels, hotels, bed and breakfasts and a number of good to fine restaurants. Campgrounds can also be found along Highway 49, and up Highway 108 in the Sierras.

For additional weekend getaway ideas in California and the west, go to http//LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.

Columbia, CA, gem of the Mother Lode and living history park!

Today, Columbia State Park preserves the old Gold Rush town of Columbia as a museum of living history! Open seven days a week, all year, the park offers activities and history for all ages, from one to 100!



The Wells Farge stage still serves up fun rides to Columbia visitors




Columbia's main street is lined with historic buildings and staffed by friendly guides and docents to recreate life in Gold Rush mining town of the 1850s



Columbia's Fire House was built to prevent future fires that all but destroyed
the town in 1854 and 1857, before most structures were rebuilt in brick with fire-safety in mind

Two young prospectors learn to pan for gold, or, at least, agates!

The Wilson-McConnell House dates to the 1870s, and was used in the film 'High Noon'

On sunny afternoons, lots of families with kids line up to try their hand panning for gold!

History: Columbia took root in March, 1850, when Dr. Thaddeous Hildreth, his brother and others settled here and began prospecting for precious gold. Soon, Hildreth Diggin’s was prospering and in weeks more than a 1,000 miners had turned out into the area. The gold camp was initially named American Camp, and, eventually, Columbia.

The immediate challenge was a steady water supply, used to both wash down gold out of hillsides and to sluice gold out of gravel deposits. Because no steady streams were nearby, by 1851 the locals had formed the Tuolumne County Water Company, to bring water to the town. Since its rates were deemed too high, in 1854 another company was formed, the Columbia and Stanislaus River Water Company, to bring water from 60 miles distant.

By the late 1850s, the two had merged, and use of the water began to change the landscape. It is estimated that the current park parking lot, and area where kids pan for gold was once 25-30 feet higher, before water was used to wash the gold out of the soil and gravel!  All told, approximately $87 million (at 1860's prices) came out of the mines around Columbia!

Within years of its founding, the prosperous town had streets well laid-out, and well over 100 shops, saloons, bakeries, blacksmith shops and restaurants were catering to thousands of miners and townsfolk. Columbia would add churches, the Sons of Temperance, a Masonic Lodge, hotels and a concert hall; the town's population would swell to almost 6,000 towns people. 

Originally, almost all the buildings were made of wood, and a huge fire swept the city in 1854, destroying most of the wooden buildings in the business district. Most of these were rebuilt in 1855, but a second fire in 1857 destroyed more framed buildings and some of the brick ones; the town again rebuilt and further emphasized state-of-the-art fire suppression and fire-fighting.

By the early 1860s, most of the easiest placer gold had been tapped out, and the town began a slow decline. In the following 20-some years, many of the vacated buildings were torn down, and their sites were mined for gold. By the late 19th century and into the 20th, the town was in visible and steady decay - residents had dropped to just 500.

Recent history: An idea born in the Roaring 20s took hold, to establish and renovate Columbia as a State Park, an idea that was finally made reality in 1945! Today, Columbia’s business district is closed to all but foot traffic, and a host of businesses, shops and volunteers bring the town to life, much as it appeared in 1855!

What to do while there: Take a stage coach ride, pan for gold, tour blacksmith and livery shops, get a free tour led by period-dressed docents, grab lunch or an ice cream, and take in life as it was more than 150 years ago! Best of all, admission, parking and guided tours are free, so a day spent here is easy on the wallet!

How to get there: Columbia is located just off historic Highway 49, and is just two hours from Sacramento and 1.5 hours from Stockton.

Nearby: Gold Rush towns like Angels Camp, Amador City, Sutter Creek, Sonora, Tuolumne City and Jamestown make for a nifty collection of historic towns in the Mother Lode; many will make their trip several days to take in the rich history and scenic beauty of the Sierra foothills.

To plan your visit, go to www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com or call the State Park at (209)-588-9128. For additional weekend getaway ideas in California and the west, go to http//LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.

Fiddletown and Plymouth, CA are interesting Gold Rush stops on historic Highway 49

Travelers on historic California Highway 49 will be familiar with Plymouth, CA, but less so with Fiddletown, just eight miles east off 49 following the Fiddletown Road.

The Fiddletown Community Center, with giant fiddle over the entrance, is a backdrop to thousands of photos; last time we were there, the center was hopping with a pancake breakfast for area residents!

The Chew Kee Chinese Apothecary is an example of a rammed-earth building dating to the 1850s

Old Chinese General Store and other Chinese-established businesses line a portion of the old Fiddletown Road that passes through the historic downtown area (easily walkable; only three blocks long)

The C. Schallhorn Blacksmith and Wagon Store has stood along Fiddletown Road for well over 150 years

Stately, and broken, Valley Oaks line a host of scenic backroads throughout the Fiddletown and Shenandoah Valley area, and offer homes for wild turkey, deer, racoons, skunks and more!

Both towns, approximately 45 miles east of Sacramento and 60 miles northeast of Stockton, are rich in Gold Rush history and offer explorers a wealth of interesting historic sites, shops, restaurants and wineries ripe for the touring! And, at 1,000 to 1,500 feet elevation, both are generally well below the Sierra foothills snowline, making sunny winter days the perfect time to tour!
Fiddletown traces its Gold Rush history back further than Plymouth (though Plymouth, located on Highway 49, is larger and better known). Fiddletown was established by prospectors from Missouri in 1849, and quickly grew in the 1850s and 1860s as a center of trade for many mines located nearby.

Miners were known, during the dry season when water for their hydraulic mining ran low, to just “fiddle around”, hence the town’s name. A wealthy resident, Columbus Purinton, embarrassed to say he was from the city of Fiddletown, petitioned the state legislature to rename the town Oleta (after a woman he knew) in 1878, but on his demise 50 years later, it reverted to the Fiddletown name.

During the city’s boom years, it numbered almost two dozen businesses, a handful of taverns, blacksmith shops, bakeries and restaurants. With a post office, church and school, it was a full-fledged city. The town soon grew to over 2,000 residents, with over half Chinese, who worked the mines and established many of the early businesses (some of these still stand, though in a state of disrepair, the local Fiddletown Preservation Society is working to refurbish several structures).

While touring the several remaining blocks of old Fiddletown, be sure to check out the Chew Kee Apothecary (a rare “rammed earth” building dating to the 1850s), the other old Chinese merchant buildings, C. Schallhorn’s Blacksmith and Wagon Store and the Fiddletown Community Center with the giant fiddle over the door! While exploring the historic main drag, don’t miss Brown’s English Toffee, a candy-store extraordinaire (they also sell cute “I’m on Fiddletown Time” t-shirts)!

Nearby Plymouth traces its history to the 1870s, when prospectors stopped there in search of quartz and gold. For gourmet travelers, the new Taste Restaurant in Plymouth is a must-stop, drawing rave reviews from around the region. The city has a cute public park with bandstand, the old Plymouth Hotel and other eateries, all grouped along several old-town blocks. Nice motels also call Plymouth home, and several bed and breakfasts cater to travelers and wine aficionados. For info on restaurants and lodging, go to: http://www.historichwy49.com/amador/plymouth.html.

Both Fiddletown and Plymouth are known as “Gateways to the Shenandoah Valley”, home to over 30 wineries and fast-becoming known as the scenic home to very skillful wine-makers.  While touring a variety of scenic backroads through the Shenandoah, watch for wild turkeys and deer, both found in abundance in this bucolic setting!

Take a weekend to explore both towns and enrich your Gold Rush history! For additional weekend getaway destinations, see http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.

Mission San Antonio/Jolon/Fort Hunter Liggett, CA

Should you be the visiting the incredibly scenic Pinnacles National Park (just south of Hollister, CA), and decide you want to get over to the rugged Big Sur California coastline, an interesting and wildly scenic 90 mile drive will get you there.

Pictured, from top down: remains of the old Dutton House on edge of Jolon; Jolon's old general store; St. Luke's Church, founded in 1863; Mission San Antonio main chapel; interior of Mission San Antonio; and, remains of the mission's water system, that supplied water to the grist mill (remains seen in distance).

This drive takes you past the historic remnants of Jolon on the old El Camino Real, through Fort Hunter Liggett and the nearby historic Mission San Antonio. From there, it’s 25 more miles up over the rugged coastal mountains, dropping you in the middle of Big Sur on the California coast.

It's not a drive for big motorhomes, though cars and trucks do fine. We journeyed from Pinnacle's east entrance, south on Highway 25, to the intersection of Bitterwater, followed G 13 to King City, then G 14, passing Jolon, then west on G 18, stopping at Mission San Antonio, one of the original 21 California missions established almost 250 years ago. Then, 24 scenic miles to the Big Sur coast, dropping us near John Little State Beach and just south of Julia Pfeiffer State Park.

Along the way, the remnants of the old town of Jolon can be found, established in the 1860s to meet the needs of miners traveling to the Los Burros Mining District.  Of particular interest are the remains of the old Dutton House, which thrived from 1849 through 1886 as a tavern and hotel for miners and travelers on the El Camino Real. Jolon would become the social and agribusiness center in South Monterrey County. When the railroad came to King City, that town prospered and Jolon slowly faded away.  Today, you can find the ruins of the Dutton House, Jolon's old general store, St. Luke's Church and faded dreams! 

Jolon was acquired by William Randolph Hearst in the 1920s, and sold to its current owner, the US Army, in 1940. Ft. Hunger Liggett (http://www.liggett.army.mil) would then become an active Army training base for World War II, and continues today as headquarters for the U.S. Army Combat Support Training Center, serving multi-service active and reserve components. The military outpost encompasses approximately 165,000 acres, home to deer, mountain lions, wild hogs and occasional bears!

Mission San Antonio (http://missionsanantonio.net) is the historic prize of this trip; founded by Padre Junipero Serra in 1771, when he hung a bell in an ancient oak tree. Due to need for a better water supply, the mission was later moved ¼ mile away to its current site. The Native Americans of the mission were the Salinan Tribe, part of the Hokan family.

Before the founding of the mission, the native population thrived on a diet of acorns, seeds, berries and wild game. They would move into the mission’s buildings and build a very productive mission town, home to hundreds of Salinan members who set to work to further expand the mission and its infrastructure. Today, remnants of the first mission buildings, its water-powered mill, ovens and more have been uncovered, the old water system remains evident, and the current mission sanctuary is home to a thriving Catholic flock.

West of the Mission and Ft. Hunter Liggett, its a scenic, switch-backed road up and over the Santa Lucia Mountains to Big Sur. Plan a weekend or longer and bring your binoculars to see this historic and stunningly scenic part of “wild California”! For additional inspiring California destinations, see http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.

Sutter Creek, CA; rich in Gold Rush history

Two years before gold was discovered at Coloma in 1848, John Sutter sent out a party from Sacramento in search of timber. They found a grove rich in sugar pine and named one of the nearby streams Sutter’s Creek. Soon placer mining was in full swing, quite a village had sprung up and deep rock mining of rich ore deposits soon followed.

Photos, from top down: Hotel Sutter/Bellotti Hotel, Knight's Foundry, Methodist Church, one of many old homes surrounding downtown Sutter Creek, and Main Street looking southeast.

Incorporated in 1854, Sutter Creek was home to several hotels, saloons, dry-goods shops and churches. Today, just off Highway 49 and north of Jackson, Sutter Creek is one of the best-preserved of the California Gold Rush towns. Quaint Main Street (part of Highway 49 until a bypass skirted traffic around the city five years ago) offers a walkable stretch with a wealth of historic buildings dating from the 1850s.

Some of the more impressive include the Hotel Sutter/Bellotti Inn. Opened in 1860, it is one of the oldest hotels still in continuous operation in the state. The American Exchange Hotel preceded the Bellotti on this site, opening in 1858 and soon replaced by the Bellotti.

Two blocks south, Sutter Creek Methodist Church was constructed 1861, under leadership of Rev. I. B. Fish, and incorporated in 1862; the steeple was added in 1976 (church located at the corner of Main and Church). Main Street offers scores of historic edifices, many of them marked by plaques offering historical anecdotes – all of them home to busy shops, restaurants and wine-tasting rooms.

Just three blocks east of Main on Eureka is the old Knight Foundry. It was the only water-powered foundry in the US, that, until a few years ago, was in continuous operation since 1873. Sam Knight designed the water wheel which was used world-wide, often powering early hydroelectric plants throughout California, Utah and Oregon.

Seven-foot versions of the Knight water wheel powered the big stamp mills in gold mining days. The 42 inch model, used on Sutter Creek on the south side of the foundry, helped in manufacture of the heavy dredge buckets used on the San Francisco Bay, San Joaquin Delta and Seattle harbors, then hauled by freight wagon and mule teams to the railroad and shipped to their destination.

Sutter Creek is home to a baker’s dozen of bed and breakfasts and motels, with scores of quaint shops and restaurants.  For a great resource, go to www.suttercreek.org; the site also offers a host of annual events, such as the November 9 Winefest on historic Main Street! Take a day or weekend trip to Sutter Creek soon and revel in Gold Rush history!  For other quaint California and western getaways, go to http://littleplacesiknow.blogspot.com/.

Copperopolis, CA offers glimpse of old copper and gold mining in Sierra foothills!

While Copperopolis, CA, just 30 miles east of Stockton on Highway 4 in the Sierra foothills, is best known as a copper producer, gold was discovered here in 1858 - two years before the copper discovery.

By 1974, the Madame Felix Mining District, just north of town, had produced over 200,000 ounces of gold. In the 1980s, the Meridian Gold Company re-started the mining operation, and produced another 300,000 ounces of gold; all told, gold worth $800 million at today’s prices!

Start your tour at Copperopolis Park on the O’Brynes Ferry Road in the heart of old town, with a wealth of old mining machinery from the late 1880s to the early 20th century and outdoor displays that explain the history of the copper and gold mining days. You’ll see old photos and history of the Old Corner Saloon, the Congregational Church, old Armory (now home to Copperopolis Olive Oil), Copperopolis Hotel and other Gold Rush-era buildings, all of them still standing.

At the south end of town (O’Brynes and Telegraph intersection), see massive tailings, the remnants of the huge copper smelter that operated here until 1929. Then take Telegraph Road 3/4s of a mile west to the new Town Center, where a new Town Square commercial center was built five years ago. In the heart of the center is a cute bandstand, surrounded by interesting shops and good food options such as Panini’s Italian, Griff’s BBQ, Cruisers Ice Cream and Snaps Coffee and Wine Bar. This is a great place for kids to play on the village green and adults to window shop!

From town, scenic Lake Tulloch is just six miles south and Saddle Creek Golf Course just four miles for those golfers seeking challenge. For a scenic route back to the San Joaquin Valley, take the Rock Creek Road north to Salt Springs Reservoir, with nice park and picnic area on the west shore, and continue on the road, where a one-lane, bumpy but scenic road drive brings you out at Milton in the low foothills. Watch for wild turkey sightings on this drive, and, maybe bobcats or coyotes if you are vigilant!

For more insights into N. and Central California, go to my blog: LittlePlacesIKnow@blogspot.com.

Copperopolis historic park tells tales of the mines and features old mining equipment, picnic area

Huge old winch once worked in the copper mines around the city

Copperopolis's new Town Center offers quaint shops, fine restaurants and weekend activities in pretty city park in front of the new Town Hall; it's just a half-mile from old Copperopolis!



Gold Rush history; Jackson and Mokelumne Hill, CA

Looking for a nearby dose of 49er’s history and the Gold Rush?  Take the 1.5 hour drive to Valley Springs, Jackson and south to Mokelumne Hill!

The most scenic way to get there from Stockton: take Hwy 26 east to Valley Springs, then go north on Paloma Road to Watertown Road and turn onto Pardee Dam Road. This takes you right across Pardee Dam, with stunning views of the lake and past a wonderful EBMUD campground (if you are into camping and/or fishing, make a note to return).

Continue on Stony Creek Road, up a beautiful valley and right to the south edge of Jackson. Jackson is county seat and a very vibrant old and new town. Check out old Main Street, deep in Sierra gold history for a variety of cute shops, and stop at the National Hotel at the south end of Main. Built in 1852 and visited by many noteworthy guests over its history, this Gold Rush Hotel was extensively renovated a few years ago; stop in Stanley’s Steakhouse in the hotel’s lower level for libation or lunch. Once refreshed, visit the old Kennedy Mine and the historic Kennedy Mine Tailing Wheel #4, for a short dose of early mining history. And, if you like the casino scene, the Jackson Rancheria Casino is a big part of “new Jackson”. 

Continue south on Hwy 49 to the wonderful old town of Mokelumne Hill. Along the way to “Moke Hill” you cross the Mokelumne River; just across the bridge is a lovely waterfront park where you can get an up-close view of the river. At the top of the hill is the old town, with a variety of well-preserved Gold Rush buildings. Check out the Leger Hotel; a portion of the building served as Calaveras County Courthouse from 1852 to 1866.

When the courthouse was moved to San Andreas, George Leger made it part of his hotel; and when fire damaged the building it was restored in 1879 and renamed the Leger Hotel. Today the Leger offers quaint rooms and delicious meals in its Whitewater Grill. Take the time to walk the four blocks of old Mokey Hill and you will feel the ghosts of Gold Rush days!

Pictured below are diners in Stanley’s Steakhouse, a part of the National Hotel in Jackson, the scenic Mokelumne River off Hwy 49, the historic Leger Hotel in Mokelumne Hill, and the east end of the city, still rich in Gold Rush architecture!

Diners gather at the bar in Stanley's Steakhouse in Jackson's National Hotel

The historic Leger Hotel in Mokey Hill is a gem, dating to the Gold Rush



Mokelumne River is scenic and offers rafting, swimming in season

Historic east Mokelumne Hill retains much of its history, dating to heart of 49ers Gold Rush

Mokelumne Hill's downtown area offers a shady park with activities for the kids!

Virginia City, NV, town built by, and on, the Comstock Lode



Gould and Curry Mining offices, now Mackay House, with St. Mary's Church in distance

Fourth Ward School dates to 1875

C Street is Virginia City's main drag, with quaint shops and restaurants

Silver Terrace Cemeteries, just north of town, are a collection of 11 cemeteries

After silver and gold was discovered in 1859, Virginia City, NV (just 30 miles south of Reno) boomed for over 20 years and was vital in bringing Nevada into the Union. The storied Comstock Lode produced gold and silver valued at $400 million in today’s values; its riches also helped build San Francisco through miners who began their fortunes here like George Hearst.

Seven major mines worked the ore deposits during the boom, from both ends of the lode. Today, mining continues, tied to the vacillating price of gold and silver. Virginia City offers a veritable “living history of mining”. The Comstock Keystone Mine Head Frame, once located on Gold Hill, is now part of a Comstock Lode Park on the city’s C Street (Hwy 341). Between 1933 and 1939, the Keystone Mine produced gold and silver valued at $67 and $7 million in today’s prices, respectively. Then the mine was used by Dayton Consolidated to produce millions more, ceasing production in 1942.

Just south on C Street are blocks lined with quaint shops, restaurants and several more museums celebrating the town’s booming and bawdy history! Established 1859, the Gould and Curry Mining Company would produce over $15 million between 1860 and 1881 (Curry relocated to Carson City, where he is considered founding father). The beautiful mining office, built in 1860, was home to the mining superintendant - the first was George Hearst, who soon moved on to other mining interests – the vast Hearst fortune began here! In 1875, Bonanza King John Mackay moved into the building when his home was destroyed in the great fire of 1875. Today the Gould and Curry Mining Company offices, later called the Mackay House, are a museum with tours of the mining offices.

To educate its burgeoning youth, the Fourth Ward School was finished in 1875; with four stories and 14 classrooms it was both a grammar/high-school combination. The stately school graduated its last class in 1936 after educating thousands!

Vast riches brought the appreciation of God to the population and Virginia City blossomed with churches in its boom years. St. Mary’s in the Mountains, known as the “mother church” of the Comstock Lode, traces its history to 1858 when Rev. Gallagher celebrated the first Catholic mass; his brother opened the first Roman Catholic Church nearby in 1860. This stunning church was finished in 1868, damaged in the great 1875 fire and rebuilt in 1876. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was established 1861, destroyed by fire in 1875 and rebuilt and rededicated in 1876. It was the first congregation in the diocese of Nevada and stands today as a marvelous architectural treasure.

Of course, the miners venerated their dead. Silver Terrace Cemeteries, just north of the city, is a combination of 11 old cemeteries grouped together. The 30 acre grounds were irrigated and sustained a variety of native and imported plants; a walk through the grounds was meant to be a contemplative experience. Today a local foundation works to reestablish the cemeteries’ grandeur.

For more “Weekend Getaways”, see my blog; LittlePlacesIKnow@blogspot.com!