Chinese Builders of Gold Mountain / See This Documentary

Gold Mountain is the name the Chinese gave California during the Gold Rush days. The documentary, Chinese Builders of Gold Mountain, traces the path of Chinese immigrants who came to California in the 1850s. This documentary was filmed in Sacramento, Auburn, Marysville, Locke, Fiddletown, Oroville, St. Helena, Monterey and Donner Summit.

About the Documentary

Chinese dwelling near Dutch Flat

The documentary takes viewers to places where the Chinese lived and worked. In the Sierra Nevada, viewers will see the tunnels the Chinese blasted through solid granite to help build the transcontinental railroad through the mountains.

The documentary shows how Chinese built the levees in the San Francisco Bay Delta that reclaimed thousands of acres for agriculture. Chinese were also involved in the creation of California's wine industry, and the film takes viewers inside the wine caves built at Schramsberg Vineyards in Calistoga.

 "Through hard work, determination and knowledge, the Chinese made an incredible and lasting mark on California. Chinese Builders of Gold Mountain takes viewers to the places where the Chinese built levees, temples, stores and homes," said film producer Bill George. The Chinese came to California to find gold.

The film explores Fiddletown in Amador County to visit the largest collection of Gold Rush-era Chinese building Marysville and Oroville were two of the most important towns for Chinese in the 1850s and 1860s.

Today, the Bok Kai Temple in Marysville is still operated by the local community, and gives rare insight into the lives of the Chinese who lived and worshipped during the height of the Gold Rush. Also in Marysville is the Chinese American Museum of Northern California, run by Brian Tom. The museum is full of artifacts from the Chinese, and Mr. Tom explains how his grandfather came to Marysville in 1851,mined gold for several years, struck it rich and opened a store which stands to this day. Mr. Tom explains how the Chinese were able to work cooperatively to create wealth in America.

Bok Kai Temple

In Oroville, the documentary visits the Chinese Temple and Museum Complex, and interviews  Thill Chan Wilcox. Her family has been involved with the complex since the 1850s. Visitors today will find fascinating vestiges of Chinese life, including a replica of a store run by Chinese merchants. The museum contains huge, floor-to-ceiling tapestries, and every corner is full of rare artifacts from California and China, some left by Chinese travelling troupes that entertained Chinese and American audiences.

"The Oroville and Marysville temples are incredible places to visit," film producer George said. "My hope is that after people see the film they will head to these towns and see the wondrous works of Chinese art and culture. These sacred spots need to be supported and appreciated." The film also explores cultural, legal and political issues, as well as tensions between the Chinese and Anglo communities. Historical perspective and commentary are provided by Brian Tom and Dr. Elizabeth Sinn of Hong Kong University. Dr. Sinn's book, Pacific Crossing, detailed the rise of trade between Hong Kong and California spurred by the Gold Rush.

For more information and to order the documentary, Chinese Builders of Gold Mountain, go to website...http://www.transcoshow.com/

The film was produced by Nimbus Films of Granite Bay, California.

Photo from Bok Kai Festival

The film was written and produced by Bill George. Principal photography was from Brendan Compton of BA Productions in Auburn, California. The film is sponsored by ACC Community services. About Nimbus Films Nimbus Films produces, distributes and markets historical documentary films, focusing on California historical topics. Previous films include "The Hidden Wonder of the World, the Transcontinental Railroad from Sacramento to Donner Summit," which visited the remaining tunnels and construction sites of the original railroad built across the Sierra Nevada. That film won an

Award of Excellence from the Sacramento County Historical Society, and an award from the American Society of Civil Engineers for documentary film making. The company's films are designed to bring history to life by visiting historic sites and showing viewers where history happened.  


About ACC

ACC Senior Services (formerly known as The Asian Community Center of Sacramento Valley) is dedicated to enriching the lives of seniors and caregivers. ACC promotes the general welfare and enhances the quality of life of the community by offering specially designed, culturally sensitive services, programs and classes for older adults.

About Bill George

Bill George has more than 35 years' experience in journalism and filmmaking. He produced dozens of broadcast news reports, special reports and documentaries. His reports have aired on CNN, ESPN, NBC and other networks. He is the author of the book "Rails, Tales and Trails" about the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. Bill has spoken and shown his films to numerous historical, civic and educational groups. To request Bill as a speaker, please send an email to BillG@transcoshow.com 

(Article and photos copyright Nimbus Films)

They Called It Hangtown For Good Reason

A town called Hangtown and also Old Dry Diggings is all about the California Gold Rush, the prospectors it attracted from around the world and the colorful and often times questionable characters that followed those prospectors.

Placerville, California

Hangtown, now the beautiful town of Placerville California, was part of about thirty mining camps that sprung up around Coloma. What made Coloma so important was the fact that it was the site of the sawmill built by James Marshall for John Sutter.

The sawmill was being built on the South Fork of the American River however the events that happened here in 1848 had nothing to do with sawing wood. Marshall noticed several flakes of metal in the water and recognized them to be gold.The story is that Sutter tried to keep the gold discovery a secret but word of course eventually got out and Sutter's life and this branch of the American River would never be the same again.

As a side note, those that visit the town of Coloma today can visit the site of Sutter’s Mill and view an operational replica of the Mill. 

Visit Placerville California

Placerville was named after the placer gold deposits found in it's riverbeds and hills. Located about 47 miles east of Sacramento on historic U.S. Highway 50, Placerville is a must stop if your travels take you to California's Gold Country. Reaching  Placerville is via State Highway 49 and U.S. Highway 50, along one of the most traveled corridors in California. 

The red brick Cary House Hotel

Placerville's Cary House Hotel

During your self guided walking tour of Placerville you'll come across the historic Cary House Hotel. The original hotel was constructed by William Cary in 1847. The first hotel burned down in 1856 and a new one with three floors was built on the same spot of the original hotel. Interestingly enough, fires were not uncommon in gold rush towns of the 1850's. Construction was mostly wood and fire precautions were not a top priority.

It was said that the rich and famous of the 1800's who traveled through the area often added the 77 room Cary House Hotel to their travel plans. Just a few of the notables were Mark Twain who wrote for a period for Placerville's Mountain Democrat newspaper. Another on the list was Ulysses S. Grant. This was considered a luxurious hotel with a bathroom on every floor. The hotel was three stories high with the fourth floor you see today added in the 1900's.

Today, the Cary House Hotel is an operating hotel with 40 rooms which have their own bathrooms. Sixty percent of the rooms are suites with kitchenettes. This charming, comfortable and historic hotel still has it's  original 1850s woodwork and bricks. For more information and to book a reservation see website www.caryhouse.com

Why Hangtown?

Today's Placerville California picked up the name of Hangtown in 1849. As you can imagine, the name came from the overly large use of that form of justice. Like most stories from the mid 1800's, how the name Hangtown came to be has a few versions.

Gold mining camps everywhere attracted plenty of dubious characters. Gamblers, swindlers and outlaws always follow the money and the money was where the gold was. Trying to take the prospectors gold was an industry in itself. Today's Placerville was in the center of this activity and it was growing fast. With the type of population found in the gold camps it wasn't long before capital punishment was applied, and applied plenty. Hangtown was the place for the hangings.

Masonic Temple Bldg, built in 1893

If you're looking for the most accepted version of how the town became known as Hangtown, here's the story...

A gambler named Lopez won a lot of money at a local saloon. This of course brought him to the attention of the criminal element. After Lopez retired for the evening, several men tried to overpower him. Lopez resisted, and with the help of others, the would be robbers were captured. During their "flogging",three of the robbers were also accused of being wanted for a murder and robbery.  Followed was a 30 minute trial where the men were pronounced guilty. The crowd around the court demanded that the men be hanged and they were in short order. 

A note about the tree that was used for the hanging. Today only the stump remains. This stump from the old tree is now in the cellar of "The Hangman’s Tree" tavern on Historic Main Street. The spot where the tavern is once was the location of  Elstner's Hay Yard where the hangings took place. The address is 305 Main Street.

See these Western Trips articles on the links below... 

 A Visit to Historic Sutter's Fort

 Old Town Truckee California

Two interesting books regarding Hangtown and the California Gold Rush include...Wagons to Hangtown: A Story of the California Goldrush by author Diana M. Johnson and Hangtown Creek: A Tale of the California Gold Rush by author John Putnam.



See Placerville's Bell Tower

Historic Placerville Bell Tower

On Placerville's Main Street is the historic Bell Tower. The Bell Tower is a monument to the city’s volunteer firemen. The Bell, placed in the tower in the plaza in 1865, was used as an alarm system to call out the firefighters. 

The Tower served it's purpose  for well over 100 years. In 1911 the Bell Tower was moved to Cannon Hill. One year later due to electrical problems ringing the bell on it's Cannon Hill site the tower was moved back to the plaza. In the meantime the wooden tower was replaced with a steel one. In 1965 a car hit the tower and almost knocked off the bell.

Rather than getting rid of this historic bell tower which some people had desired, it was instead remodeled, relocated,and renovated. Today it proudly stands as a monument to honor Placerville's city's volunteer firemen.

Add Placerville to Your Vacation Planner

If your travels take you to the Sacramento California area and in particular the beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills, you'll enjoy a visit to Placerville, once the hub of Gold Rush activity and old west history. There's a good many historic sites in and around Placerville including a full calendar of fun events for the entire family. 

For a list of Main Street Events in Placerville see website http://www.placerville-downtown.org/Events.html

(Article and photos copyright 2014 Western Trips)

Driving California Route 49

 Explore Gold Rush History Along California's Highway 49

California’s Gold Country is famous for making some 1849 miners very rich. Travel on California Route 49 offers one of the most scenic and historic drives you'll find in California.

National Hotel, Nevada City CA

In the spring the Sierra Nevada foothills shine with a different kind of wealth that isn't necessarily gold. Colorful wildflowers pop into brilliant bloom and the the sun warms newly green hillsides. A drive along the winding and beautiful Highway 49 shows you first hand the history of the California Gold Rush.   All along this historic highway are historic plaques. While you'll enjoy the historic sites along the way you'll also explore nineteenth-century towns that today offer cutting-edge restaurants and nearby wineries.

From north to south, California Highway 49 winds for over 300 miles and offers the northern California tourist one of the most spectacular and unique scenic drives in all of the west. Below are a list of towns that you'll pass through on California Route 49. These are stops you'll be glad to add to your California trip planner. 

The towns and sites detailed below follow CA State Rte 49 from north to south.

Nevada City

Nevada City is among the most interesting of California Gold Rush towns. Visitors from all over the world have traveled to Nevada City. This is a town where the entire downtown district is a National Historic Landmark. Aside from the many historic landmarks that take you back to the Gold Rush days you'll find unique restaurants, comfortable lodgings and fine shops, boutiques, galleries and museums that are all there for your explorations.

Old Nevada Theater Building, Nevada City CA

Nevada City borders the Tahoe National Forest and located nearby to many Sierra lakes and rivers. The town of Nevada City itself is ringed by deep green pine covered hills.

Today, the town has a population is just 2,800 but that is quite different than the years of the great Gold Rush. In 1850, there were 10,000 people living there. During the election of 1856 the 2,082 ballots from Nevada City were exceeded in California by only Sacramento and San Francisco.

When you visit Nevada City make sure to explore the famous National Hotel and the1861 Firehouse Number 1 Museum.

Grass Valley

The famous mining district of Grass Valley is located  in western Nevada County California. The Nevada City district adjoins it on the northeast and the Rough-and-Ready district is to the west.

Placer gold was first found in Wolf Creek in 1848 not long after shortly after Marshall's discovery at Coloma. The earliest mining was done by David Stump and two others who arrived from Oregon. The shallow placers were rich but were mined fast.

Holbrooke Hotel, Grass Valley CA

Gold-bearing quartz was discovered at Gold Hill in 1850 and soon afterward at Ophir, Rich, and Massachusetts Hills. Quartz mining soon developed into a major industry that extended for another 100 years. The Gold Hill and Allison Ranch were the leading lode mines during the 1850s. Mining here was decreased to a degree during the Virginia City Nevada Comstock Rush of 1859-65, but the Grass Valley mines were again busy in the late 1860s. The Grass Valley camp declined in the 1870s, and by 1880 the only mines that were active were the Empire and Idaho.

In 1884 the North Star mine was reopened and activities increased; the North Star, Empire, Idaho-Maryland, Pennsylvania, and W.Y.O.D. all were highly productive. The Idaho-Maryland mine had yielded a total of $12.5 million. From 1900 to 1925, the North Star and Empire mines were the largest producers, the Idaho-Maryland having been idle during the first two decades of the twentieth century. By 1928, the North Star had had a total output valued at $33 million.

In Grass Valley you'll want to be sure to explore the historic Holbrooke Hotel. The hotel was first built in 1852 and completely renovated in 1862 after a fire at the then Exchange Hotel. The Holbrooke took it's current name in 1879 and claims to be the oldest continuously operated hotel in California's gold country.

See the Western Trips articles on the links below...

A Visit to Nevada City California

A Visit to Grass Valley California

Virginia City Nevada and the Comstock Lode

Drive the 13 Mile Long Route 66 in Kansas

Old Auburn Hook and Ladder No. 2 Firehouse

Auburn

Auburn California is located where CA State Hwy 49 meets Interstate 80. This of course makes Auburn very accessible from the Sacramento area. Auburn is located in Placer County which took it's name from the early placer mining of the late 1840's. Placer is the Spanish word surface mining.

The first name for this mining settlement was called “North Fork Dry Diggings". The name was changed to Auburn in 1849 and Placer County was created in 1851 just after California statehood.

With the American River Canyon at its border, Auburn sits nestled in the foothills of the Sierra at elevations that range between 1,000 and 1,400 feet.


The Historic Placer County Courthouse is easily seen traveling either east or west along Interstate 80. The courthouse is located right next to the Historic Old Town. The old Hook and Ladder No. 2 Firehouse is located within this historic district. A free guided tour of Old Town Auburn begins at the Placer County Courthouse at 101 Maple Street every Saturday at 10 am. For more information call (530) 889-6500.

Being situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the temperatures offer opportunities for colorful, scenic views during seasonal changes each year.

Old Angels Hotel

Angels Camp 

The town of Angels Camp was named after Henry Angel in 1848  who was the town's first store keeper.

During the year 1849, nearly 4,000 miners camped in the one mile area from Angels Creek to Utica Park.

The cry of "gold" of course brought the miners but as with some other areas the placer gold was worked out in just a few years. The story after that is that a man by the name of  Bennegar Rasberry had his  muzzle loader rifle jam. Rasberrythen fired the rifle into the ground where the ramrod split a stone to reveal the glittering gold inside. This reportedly was the beginning of Quartz Mining in Angels Camp.

As mentioned above, easy to find placer gold brought prosperity to many gold rush camps. In and around Angels Camp placer gold was found in China Gulch, Six Mile Creek, Cherokee Creek, Greenhorn Creek.  Angels Camp became a trading center for the neighboring mines. Angels Camp had a population of over 300 by the spring of 1849.

Angels Camp mining continued for a great while however all the mines in the town closed during World War I and were never to reopen. In addition to the Angels Camp Museum you'll want to stop at the Angels Hotel. The Angels Hotel was constructed with one story in 1852 and a second story was added in 1857. This is the historic hotel where Mark Twain reportedly heard a story that he later turned into the famous The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.If you have the opportunity of visiting the Angels Camp area during May you'll want to consider attending the world-renowned Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee. The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee is held each year during the third weekend in May. This “County Fair” features exhibits, entertainment, rodeo, horse events, livestock exhibits and a carnival.

CA State Route 49 along the American River

Sonora

Sonora California is called the "Queen of the Southern Mines".

Many of the first miners to reach California's Tuolumne County were discharged Mexican War veterans and miners from the state of Sonora, Mexico known as Sonoranians. During 1848 there weren't yet the multitude of gold seekers and the relatively easy placer gold was quite abundant.

Animosity between Americans and Spanish speaking gold  miners increased at the end of the Mexican War. This was a period when Americans considered California their territory giving them the right to grab its riches.  As more miners came to the area the Mexican Sonoranians were forced from their diggings and moved along the gold laden creeks.

On March 17, 1849, Sonoranians vacated their camp and moved to a new camp on Wood’s Creek. Today this is the site of Sonora High School. When the Americans realized the Sonoranians had moved to a new camp, they began to follow and prospect for gold nearby.  In the area of today’s Coffill Park, Americans found rich diggings.  The camp was engulfed by Sonoranians and others and became known as Sonoranian Camp.  Later this settlement took on the name of Sonora.  The old Indian trail which extended from the Wood’s Creek diggings down to the American diggings later became today’s Washington Street.  This was the center of commerce for the miners and later for the City of Sonora.

Among the sites in Sonora to add to your trip planner is the Sonora Inn at 160 S. Washington Street. Built in 1895 the hotel was first named the Hotel Victoria. Add to that the Tuolumne County Museum at 58 W. Bradford Street and the Railtown 1897 Historic Park located just about five miles south of Sonora along California Hwy 49 in Jamestown.

Main Street, Jackson CA

Jackson

The Kennedy Gold Mine is named for Andrew Kennedy, an Irish immigrant, who reportedly discovered a quartz outcropping in the late 1850's near what is now Highway 49.  The Kennedy Mining Company was formed in 1860 when he and three partners began digging shafts near today's mine property entrance. 

Today visitors can walk up the well marked trails to get a good look at the huge tailing wheels erected in 1913 that carried vast amounts of gravels up and over the hills into a settling pond. Only two of the original wheels are still standing, one on each side of Jackson Gate Road.  The others lie in ruins, victims of the elements and age. Picnic areas and restrooms are available. 

The Kennedy Mine operated on and off until it finally closed in 1878.  Eight years later in 1886 fifteen people invested $97,600 to reopen the mine under the corporate entity of the Kennedy Mining and Milling Company. In 1898 the company began sinking a new shaft 1950 feet east of the original shafts.  This East Shaft would eventually reach a vertical depth of 5912 feet, the deepest vertical depth gold mine in North America at the time.  In 1928 a surface fire burned all the structures except the Mine Office and the Stamp Mill.  All other buildings and foundations were built after 1928.  The company operated the mine until 1942 when the U.S. Government closed gold mines because of the war effort.

Historic Firehouse, Jackson CA

 In addition to a short hike to the old Kennedy Mine you'll want to explore historic Court Street in Jackson with it's historic churches and courthouse.

Also consider making a stop at the Amador County Museum located at  225 Church Street. See their Gold History exhibit and their Native American and Chinese American exhibits. The Amador County Museum was built as a home in 1859 by Armstead C. Brown, one of Jackson's earliest settlers.

Driving State Route 49 through the old California Gold Country offers the traveler great photo opportunities, historic state and national landmarks, unique historic hotels and B & B's and a wide array of specialty shops. Whether your Ca Rte 49 vacation includes the entire route or just a portion of it you're certain have a scenic and fun western trip.

(Article and photos copyright 2014 Western Trips. Angels Camp, American River and Jackson photos in the public domain)

Auburn California and the Great Gold Rush

Ken Fox Miner statue in Old Town Auburn

Beautiful Auburn California is one of those towns where you just might drive right past it on Interstate 80 as you travel between Sacramento California and Reno Nevada.

Auburn, at an elevation of 1,300 feet, like so many California towns in the Sierra Nevada foothills, has a rich history stemming from the wild Gold Rush days.

Auburn was one of California's very first mining towns. It's a must stop when vacationing in the northern California gold country.


A Tour of Auburn California

The photo at left is a 45 ton concrete statue of a Gold Rush era miner. You can't miss it since it stands at the entrance to Old Town Auburn. This statue is one of several created by an Auburn dentist by the name of Ken Fox during the 1970's. The method of constructing this statue is interesting since it was made of a rebar and wire mesh framework covered in concrete.While driving around Auburn you will no doubt happen upon more of Fox's creations including a statue named "The Chinese Coolie".

One of the most interesting things about the towns that sprang up from the 1849 gold rush, and Auburn was one of them, was that they started as mere camps. In many instances, camps with totally different names from what they're called today. In the case of Auburn, in 1848 it's very first name was North Fork Dry Diggings. The next name of this camp was Woods Dry Diggings. These 'diggings" were small camps which evolved into full scale mining camps. The next step after that was to become a town. In August of 1849, the name Auburn was officially proclaimed for this site.

As the years progressed, Auburn happened to be in the right place at the right time during the great California Gold Rush. Auburn was a very important community for several reasons. The Central Pacific Railroad, which ended up later as the westernmost segment of the transcontinental railroad passed right through the town beginning in 1865. The transcontinental route became connected in 1869. In addition to this, Auburn was selected as the county seat of Placer County California, was an active trading post and was a stop on the California Stagecoach route.

Auburn Historic Sites

Historic Auburn post office

The very first Auburn California post office is shown at right. The Post Office, known as Station A, is the oldest post office in California still in its original building. Original post office boxes are still in use inside this building. This particular post office is also considered the oldest continuously operated post office west of the Mississippi River.

The post office in this photo is located in Old Town Auburn. A man by the name of William Gwynn, who was running a general store at this site in Auburn, opened the first Post Office at his store in 1852.  The structure was built directly over a branch of the Auburn Ravine which was a very active area for placer mining prior to the town being established.

Old Auburn California firehouse

This Old Town Auburn Firehouse, pictured at left, was constructed in 1891 and once stood where the freeway runs now. It was built in 1891.

The firehouse was home for the Auburn Hook and Ladder Company which started as far back as 1852. The original bell used to sound the alarm and bring volunteers is still in this building. The firehouse was originally located right where Interstate 80 now runs and was moved to the Old Town site.

 The firehouse was in operation all the way to 1954. The old Queen Ann design firehouse has been included on the National Register of Historic Places and is a part of California Gold Rush history.


Continuing a tour through Old Town Auburn, one of the most recognized historic buildings is the Auburn Courthouse. The courthouse was built between 1894 and 1898. There was some concern about the building's future in the 1980's because of deterioration from age but thankfully the funds were raised to restore it. Today, the first floor of the Auburn Courthouse is the home of the Placer County Museum. As you can see from the photo, the courthouse is a very impressive structure.

The History of Old Town Auburn

Auburn Courthouse

A visit to Old town Auburn  takes you back in time and I think as you stroll through the streets you'll get a feeling of what it may been like when horses were the means of transportation and the gold mining was the talk of the town.

Mining continued to be Auburn's major industry through most of the 1880's. After that, work on the Southern Pacific Railroad, farming and timber harvesting were the economic drivers.

Today, in Old Town you'll find some unique Auburn dining choices, interesting shops and plenty of historic markers. Be sure to bring your camera. Plenty of unique photo ops.

California State Route 49 passes through Auburn as well as numerous other historic old California mining towns and is a route you do want to add to your vacation itinerary if at all possible. In many ways it was the old gold rush trail.

Highway 49 is aptly numbered after the "49ers". These were the thousands of immigrants who swarmed into the area searching for gold. A portion of State Route 49 is named the Gold Country Highway. When you drive Highway 49 north out of Auburn you will want to stop at both Grass Valley California and Nevada City California, both significant old gold mining communities and both very interesting and scenic tourist stops.

As a historic side note, Nevada City California was the town used to film the popular 2006 TV film, The Christmas Card, written by Joany Kane.

The Central Pacific Railroad was important to Auburn

Along State Route 49 you'll find several historic markers, old restored hotels and B and B's as well as a variety of unique dining establishments both in Grass Valley and Nevada City. This area is so historically interesting that you can make it either a weekend or week long trip.

 For those traveling from the Bay Area to Reno Nevada, Route 49 will intersect with route 20 which will return you to Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap. The Route 49 option which includes Grass Valley and Nevada City is well worth the extra time.

Emigrant Gap itself is quite historic since it received it's name by being a low gap on a ridge where the emigrants' wagons crossed from the American River drainage to the Bear River drainage. This was a part of the Truckee Route which was part of the famous California Trail. This was the major route of pioneers heading west to California off of the Oregon Trail. Emigrant Gap is just a short way west of Donner Pass. You'll be certain to get some great pictures on this drive.

(Article and photos copyright Western Trips)


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California Mining / The Argonaut Disaster

Vacationing in northern California offers you the opportunity to visit some of the historic landmarks that comprised much of the California Gold Rush region. Jackson California, the county seat of Amador county was an active California mining center right into the 20th century. Where is Jackson California? It's located about 45 miles east of Stockton and Sacramento in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of between 1,200 and 1,600 feet. The foothills include the  picturesque old gold mining towns of Angels Camp, Murphys, Sonora and Sutters Fort. There are also great places to stay during your extended vacation or perhaps just a weekend getaway to explore California mining history. Great B and B's and some very unique restaurants. Amador County is an excellent addition for your trip to California.
(Downtown Jackson photo courtesy of Bobak Ha'Eri. Creative Commons 3.0)

The Argonaut Gold Mine
 

The Argonaut Gold Mine was discovered in Jackson California in 1850  back in the heyday of the California Gold Rush. The gold craze was on and miners and prospectors were flooding into the region by the thousands. Jackson was one of those many settlements that grew from a simple mining camp to a full fledged town in next to no time.

Working in the mine was popular for recently arrived immigrants. Jackson's growth however was a bit different than some other mining camps. A group of miners in Jackson determined that there was money to be made by selling supplies and mining tools to the prospectors passing through the camp heading to the gold fields further south. Their idea was correct and Jackson California became known as a good place to stock up on just about anything a miner would need.The California mining boom made towns out of small camps. This same type of ultra-rapid growth occurred with many mining strikes such as in Virginia City Nevada in later years.


California mining was on a roll and gold panning was popular but after the easy gold pickings dried up by the 1860's, Jackson's mines were engaged in hard rock mining. The easy method involved gold panning. That was where the prospector gathered river silt in a pan and through a method of swishing water through the silt often gold nuggets large and sometimes very small would be left in the pan. It was time consuming but proved successful particularly during the early years. Hard rock mining was something totally different. It involved digging and blasting underground tunnels. Not only was this very hard work but it was also very dangerous. As tunnels were bored underground, sturdy timber would have to be placed inside the tunnels to prevent the earth from caving back in. The passageways would have to be constantly shored up. Blasting more rock away was also inherently dangerous and certain precautions would have to be in place before any detonation. In hard rock mining there would be drifts (levels) created from the main shaft that would be dug following veins of ore. Often horizontal shafts would also be dug between the drifts so that workers could move from one drift to another.


The Argonaut's main shafts were tunneled horizontally making use of a tram on tracks to bring the ore to the surface. The work conditions were harsh in as much as the temperature would rise one degree for every 100 feet in depth. The miners were mostly European immigrants from Italy, Spain, Serbia and the Baltic countries. Like most immigrants of the day, much of their earnings were sent back to relatives in Europe to help pay for their eventual travel to America. Pay for this type of work was not terrific..about $4.00 per day nevertheless jobs in the mine were coveted.

There were procedures in place in many mines which were meant to stop the theft of ore by working miners. Basically the men had to strip naked in one room and redress in another room so that ore could not be hidden in clothing. Another California mining rule in place was that lunch pails were left above ground and then brought down to the miners at mealtime. After lunch the pails were collected and brought back above and reclaimed by the workers after their shift ended. It was thought that ore could be hidden in pails or in their false bottoms. This procedure was suppose to stop that. Generally 75 men worked 8 hour shifts and the mines operated 24 hours, 7 days per week.


Mining gold was lucrative for mine owners. The two largest mines in the Jackson California area were the Kennedy Mine and the Argonaut Mine. They were located about a mile outside town and as you can expect there was much competition between the two. The Argonaut Mine was owned by a group of absentee investors and was located a bit uphill from the Kennedy. The competition was intense. Conflicts erupted where one mine was accused of tunneling into the property of the other. This was not uncommon when you had operating mines in such close proximity.

The Disaster Unfolds


On Sunday evening August 27, 1922 one of the worst mining disasters in California history took place at the Argonaut Mine. On a very warm night some 47 miners were trapped almost one mile underground when a fire erupted. Toxic gas and smoke filled the mine. Probably the first knowledge the miners had that something was wrong was when they noticed that their lunch buckets hadn't been picked up. Rats were usually scurrying around the empty lunch buckets but on this Sunday night there were none. Another indication that something wasn't right. One of the miners called to the surface on the mine telephone and learned that there was a fire. They were also told that no plans were in place for a rescue so they needed to protect themselves. In other words they were on their own. They tried to move to the Muldoon shaft. The abandoned Muldoon mine was used as a ventilation shaft complete with a fan. The Muldoon shaft was also to serve as a second escape route which was mandated by state and federal mine regulations. The Muldoon shaft however was already contaminated with smoke and gas. The trapped men eventually did make it up to the 4,350 foot level and made a stand there. They built one bulkhead then another.


Argonaut Mine management then made a series of decisions that would prove to be controversial. The primary question was...do we put out the fire or rescue the miners? Would it be possible to bore a hole from the lower Kennedy Mine into one of the Argonaut's shafts? After much debate the decision was made to try put out the fire. On the morning of August 28th the public was informed of the fire and of the trapped men. The press including newsreel cameras flooded Jackson and the trapped miners families and friends converged on the mine to learn the latest news and hold vigil.


Finally a committee decided on a two pronged effort. While work was being done to put out the Argonaut fire another group began digging from the Kennedy Mine, whose management offered to help in any way, through to the Argonaut. The Argonaut was being flooded with water to fight the fire which was the universal method used. The fire was put out in about 2 1/2 days. The miners digging from the Kennedy were told that their rescue effort was probably going to take three weeks at those deep levels. These rescue miners finally did reach to Argonaut shaft but it did take them 21 days. When the rescue workers reached the 4,350 foot drift they could immediately tell that there were no survivors. Breaking through the bulkheads they found 46 dead bodies most naked because they removed their clothes due to the heat. They did find writing on the wall from one of the victims that indicated that they probably died from the gas and lack of oxygen. In some ways this brought a degree of comfort to the victim's families for it seemed to show that the end came quickly and their loved ones didn't suffer for long. One missing victim, the 47th miner, was not found among the others. Forty-seven caskets were interred on Friday September 22nd. One casket was empty and was in tribute to William Fessel the unaccounted for miner.



Pictured at left is the clock tower memorial erected to honor those victims of the 1922 disaster. As with all disasters of this sort an investigation was begun. While the mine owners were found to be guilty of ignoring some safety regulations, ignoring safety regulations was not unique to the Argonaut as the same was accused of many mining operations around the country such as with a coal mine in Ludlow Colorado which resulted in warfare. In the end nothing substantive resulted from the investigation. The exact cause was never determined. Some thought the I.W.W. union was involved. Others thought the fire may have resulted from the many legal fights between the Kennedy and Argonaut mines. The most likely story was that it resulted from a spark from the electrical wires in the mine which could have ignited supporting timbers.

Along with the clock tower memorial there are three sites in Jackson that are on the National Register of Historic Places. You will be very pleased by adding Jackson CA to your California trip planner. Another must stop if you already haven't experienced it is nearby Yosemite National Park. The story of John Muir and Yosemite may be of interest to you.

Map of Jackson California.

Rhyolite and Goldfield Nevada / The Gold Mining Boom Towns Of The 20th Century

Locating and visiting the sites of old ghost towns can be a lot of fun when your western trips take you to Nevada. Nevada mining was at one time what the state was all about.

Anytime you try to learn more about Nevada history, the subject of mining is front and center. Today, vacations to Nevada usually are centered around the gambling meccas of Las Vegas and Reno. Back in the time that gold and silver mining had their heyday those two cities barely existed.
Mining and Gambling

Take a road trip on Route 95 north from Las Vegas and you'll see an area that at one time was one of the hottest, both weather wise (the weather in Nevada can be real hot) and prospecting wise, in all of the state. In a twist of irony the modern gambling casinos of modern Nevada have much in common with how the state initially grew. To a prospector, mining was a big gamble. It wasn't a sure thing. It was like throwing your chips on the table and hoping that luck was with you. For the lucky few who hit a rich ore vein and became fabulously wealthy, there were thousands upon thousands who found nothing. Thousands who left the mining region broke.


Old West Mining Towns


Most of our knowledge of western mining starts with the 1849 California Gold Rush. The first discovery of gold dust at a sawmill near Sutters Fort in the Sierra Nevada foothills. After that the great rush took place in and around Virginia City Nevada where the Comstock lode became one of history's richest.

After that, in the latter part of the 1800's was the gold discovery in the Black Hills of South Dakota and the founding of a camp named Deadwood which became a wild west legend. The last great Gold Rush was in the very beginning of the 20th century. Much of the activity was in the camps, later to become full fledged towns, of Goldfield (shown in the picture above circa 1905) and Rhyolite (Cook Bank in Rhyolite shown below right). Both mining towns were located east and northeast of Death Valley, not exactly on one the overland trade routes.


In many ways the mining camps were quite similar to the camps fifty years prior with the exception that automobiles were mixed in with horses and mules. It's interesting to note that back in the Census of 1890, the government declared that the frontier was a thing of the past. The Indian Wars were officially viewed as over after the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890.

The Army of the West was dismantling many of their forts and the automobile was becoming popular for those who could afford one.

In the case of the southwestern Nevada mining camps, the frontier was alive and well regardless of what the U.S. Census Bureau had to say. All accounts of the time seem to list the same cast of mining camp characters as you would have run into decades previous.  There were the honest independent prospector who bet the family farm on the big strike to come. There was also the dishonest independent miner in whose ranks included the sellers of stock in nonexistent mines and just like in Las Vegas and Reno today, the gamblers flocked to these thriving camps in droves. Add to all this the tenderfoot eastern money men who wanted to buy up claims to help make their next million.

You'll also have to add saloons by the dozen, banks, general stores (but not as many as the saloons)  and red light districts. Goldfield and Rhyolite possessed all of these.

Another interesting attribute of a thriving mining town was the entertainment available. Miners not only wanted to be entertained after a hard days digging but equally important they had the money to buy a ticket. As a result it wasn't rare for entertainers from big cities like San Francisco to make their way to the mining camps and the money. A circus, a dance troupe, musicians..all of these performances could be available to a hard working miner in a prosperous mining town. There were also local newspapers available such as the Rhyolite Bullfrog Miner, a copy shown below left. The paper's name came from the fact that the town was located in the Bullfrog Hills.

Gold and Nevada



There was probably no better way for someone to quickly amass a fortune or go totally broke than mining for gold or silver with your life savings. This held true back to the California Gold Rush and right up and into the 20th century.

By and large all of the towns in Nevada were connected with mining in almost every way. Even when farming was undertaken in this arid region, the farmers counted on the miners and mining operations to pay the bills. Nevada gold ran the economy. Those who had the most gold seemed to also run the camps.

A fact that some might not realize is that there were a good many prospectors who after discovering a promising site and digging just a little to uncover some high grade ore would turn right around and try to find a buyer for the claim. The work and capital required to get the ore up from the ground and then transporting it to a rail head could be overwhelming therefore many just simply wanted to sell their claim to someone else.

The type of mining going on outside Goldfield and Rhyolite was "hard rock" mining. This involved drilling through rock to great depths underground. This was much more costly and dangerous than "placer" mining which involves sifting through surface dirt. Often  moneyed easterners would be sought out to invest in claims. Some claims offered for sale had value..often times they did not. The trick was to sell the claim hopefully sight unseen.

Gold in Nevada was king. The downside of course is when you had a camp or town that relied solely on one economy, when the mines played out then the camp vanished. If a camp grew to become a town, it too disappeared when the mines played out. Such was the case for both Rhyolite and Goldfield.

Because Goldfield and Rhyolite were producing a great amount of high grade ore and the population was increasing to such a degree that the railroad came to town. There was the Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad which ran between Goldfield and Rhyolite and the Tonapah and Goldfield Railroad. Most historians put Rhyolite's peak boom time population between 1907-1908 at about 4,500-5,000 however I've read some estimates that put it as high as 10,000. Goldfield had a peak population estimated at 30,000 in 1906. This is a tremendous amount of people in such a desolate area of southwestern Nevada. Rhyolite had telephones, electricity, a school, an opera house and a hospital. All of this however in Rhyolite pretty much played out by 1908 after the Montgomery Shoshone Mine (shown below in 1907) suffered financial problems due to the financial panic gripping the country in 1907. Capital couldn't be raised and on top of that the mine's value was downgraded by geologists. Rhyolite declined about as fast as it appeared.

In regards to the much larger Goldfield, not only did the entertainers head there but also Wyatt and Virgil Earp arrived in 1904. Virgil ended up being hired as Deputy Sheriff but after about six months on the job contracted pneumonia in 1905 and died. Wyatt left Goldfield shortly thereafter. Just like many other big mining towns Goldfield eventually started to decline and by 1910 had a population estimated at only 4,800. That's down from 30,000 in just four short years. Again, the reason was that it's largest mine closed down and ore output was steadily declining each year. When the ore disappears so do the people. Gold in Nevada was everything. In 1923 a fire destroyed most of the town.

Visiting Goldfield Nevada


What's there today for the adventurous visitor to see? In Goldfield there is the high school which somehow survived the 1923 fire. There are also remnants of the popular old Goldfield Hotel and you will also see an interesting monument commemorating the Light Weight World Title fight held in Goldfield during it's heyday on September 3, 1906 between Joe Gans and Oscar "Battling" Nelson (pictured below right). It was called The Fight Of The Century. Singers, actors, actresses, musicians and prize fighters..the entertainment was in Goldfield to be had. The 2000 census listed 440 residents in Goldfield which now is home to many artists and most likely people wishing to escape the crowds.

The Ruins of Rhyolite


Regarding Rhyolite, most everything lies in ruins. There is the shell of the Bottle House Saloon and an old caboose that was once used as a gas station. There is also the remaining shell of the Cook Bank Building shown in the 1907 picture above. There is also a sculpture park which is part of the Goldwell Open Air Museum at the southern entrance to the ghost town.

I think the history of some Nevada ghost towns is absolutely amazing. In an old mining town like Rhyolite, you have just a few relics existing today at the site of  what once was a town with perhaps as much as 10,000 inhabitants. Towns like Rhyolite and Goldfield offered their citizenry all of the cultural and commercial venues you might have in a modern city or town today.

Knowing exactly what transpired one hundred years ago  in this southwestern Nevada desert land is what makes a visit there so interesting. Make sure to take your camera because you'll have photos that could  become interesting conversation pieces.I would highly recommend you add Nevada ghost towns to your trip planner. A fun educational and low cost Nevada side trip. Another very interesting story concerning Rhyolite, Goldfield and Death Valley is the amazing story of Death Valley Scotty.


What is Rhyolite today?  It is now a Nevada ghost town situated in the Bullfrog Hills,  located about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas Nevada in Nye County and on the eastern edge of Death Valley. Goldfield is located about 240 miles southeast of Carson City Nevada on U.S. Hwy-95.

(Article copyright Western Trips. Photos and images from the public domain)
 

John Sutter's New Helvetia And How It Ended With The California Gold Rush

If you're exploring early California history and the 1849 Gold Rush in particular there is no other way to do it than to learn about a remarkable man by the name of John Sutter. For Californians Sutter's name is directly connected with the fabulous Gold Rush years and that connection couldn't be any more direct because the Gold Rush first began at John Sutter's new sawmill in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The Sierra Nevada Foothills

The area where this story occurred is in the Sierra Nevada foothills along the American River. This is east of present day Sacramento California.

The Sierra foothills region is a beautiful area with gradually rolling hills extending eastward all the way to the top of the mountain chain. The trail at the summit in this part of the Sierra's is called Donner Pass and was the area involved in the Donner Party tragedy that happened in the mid 1840's. Any California vacation itinerary should include this history rich area including Sutter's Fort, Pollock Pines and to the south Angels Camp and Sonora which were bustling gold mining towns.

It's a magnificent area to tour and you'll learn much about California's gold mining era and the people who took part in it. Another fun educational and low cost family road trip.

John Sutter

John Sutter was a Swiss-American who migrated to California in 1840 with a 12 league land grant from the Mexican government. Alta California was originally ruled by Spain with their building of twenty-one missions. During the 1820's Spain was ejected by the Mexicans and Mexico offered land grants to settlers.

Sutter's intentions were simple. He wanted to cultivate his land to the highest degree and at the same time add to his holdings when the opportunity arose. Eventually he acquired the area of Bodega Bay, just north of San Francisco and also Fort Ross, built by the Russians during their fur trapping explorations. The Russians having tired of their North American exploits seemed more than willing to sell their parcels especially in light of both the Mexicans and newly arriving Americans approaching their doorstep.

The result of all this was that John Sutter virtually created a country within a country. He named his vast holdings New Helvetia. An interesting fact about John Sutter is that with his vast accumulation of land and his extensive enterprises on that land including agriculture and cattle raising, his desire for accumulating money in itself was not a top priority. History books point out that Sutter was just as happy with achieving success working the land to it's potential as he was with the resultant accumulation of wealth. A money hoarder he was not. The fact stands out because in that era most pioneers were obsessed with wealth. Sutter was ambitious in a way that other Californians were not. He was always looking for opportunities to get more land and to employ more Indians and add to the tremendous municipality that was his.


On a small rise of land on the American River he built a fort. The fort served as the center for all activities related to his holdings. While Sutter employed Indians to work his land holdings there were also a number of hostiles in the area so the fort served as protection as well.

Inside the fort was a blacksmith shop, his granaries, his store rooms and his arsenals. Everyone knew where Sutter's Fort was and travelers used it as a stopping off point and immigrants aimed for it. Sutter named his empire New Helvetia in honor of the ancient Roman title of his fatherland. John Sutter did not exaggerate. His crude stockade became the heart of the entire region. Down by the river was a small pier where boats from San Francisco discharged and stowed their cargoes.


Sutters next plan for expansion involved lumber. He wanted good pine and cedar. The plains of the Sacramento Valley were great for growing wheat and peas and for cattle pastures but they didn't grow the kind of timber he so badly needed. The foothills had the type of trees required and Sutter decided to send his best carpenter, John Marshall, up into the hills to find the ideal spot to erect his sawmill.

A sawmill needed water for power and Marshall finally found just the right place on the American Fork. Up to this point, everything appears to be going Sutter's way once again, but who would ever expect that the very spot that John Marshall chose to build the sawmill that would expand Sutter's grand empire, would in reality mark the beginning of John Sutter's eventual downfall. Ironic but true.



While Marshall was supervising the sawmill construction he just happened to spot gleaming yellow flakes in the nearby water. Not entirely sure whether this was gold he was looking at or perhaps merely fools gold, Marshall decided to keep his discovery silent until he could ascertain what it was he found.

Marshall unexpectedly paid a visit to John Sutter back at the fort and asked to meet with him privately. Sutter was filled in on what Marshall found and the two men tested the samples brought in by Marshall. By all available tests they determined that what Marshall had found in the river truly was gold.

Gold was the last thing on Sutter's mind. His goals involved agriculture, livestock and lumbering...not gold mining. He never tried to accumulate gold. In fact, the gold he did own, mostly old Spanish pieces, he often times gave out to needy travelers who stopped by Sutter's Fort. California gold was not a preoccupation for John Sutter


At this point Sutter envisioned what would happen to his New Helvetia empire if word got out that vast amounts of gold were to be found in the Sierras. There would be no practical way to keep the gold seekers out of the area. His agricultural business would be ruined by the onslaught of outsiders as well as by the desertion of his workers in their quest for riches in the mountains. There would be nobody left to harvest the grain or cut down the timber. How do you keep something like this a secret? The answer is simply that you can't. The other question was..who's gold was this?

Who Had the Rights to Sutters Gold?

Sutter built a sawmill in the hills but that didn't give him legal claim to the land and it's gold deposits. Keep in mind that the year all of this drama played out was a transition time for California. The U.S. acquired the territory as spoils of the Mexican-American War. Nobody was giving out free land grants at the time and the territory was administered by a military governor in Monterey California. Sutter made an attempt to have the military governor grant him this land in the foothills but he was denied. There would be no further granting of land without proper surveys.  Sutter clearly understood that this denial from the military authorities meant the eventual downfall of his New Helvetia. There was no way that he could keep things together once word of the gold discovery got out.

Word of Gold Slips Out

At first word did get out slowly but it did get out. After a very short while it got out rapidly. The California Gold Rush was on. But what was the California Gold Rush? At first it was Californians who dropped what they were doing and rushed to the foothills. The San Francisco Californian newspaper shut down after both readers and advertisers dashed off to find their riches. Sailors deserted their ships in San Francisco Bay. Of course word eventually reached the east coast of America and then another California stampede began. Some went by ship which meant either around Cape Horn or through the Panama Isthmus and others traveled overland either along the Platte Road and Oregon Trail or if in winter most likely along the Santa Fe Trail. Emigrants to California didn't just include Americans. Upon receiving word of the gold finds, people from all over the world descended upon northern California. The gold hysteria was on.

The gold rush of California was now in full swing. When prospectors reached California they wasted no time. With tremendous energy they pushed their way up the rivers and creeks and dug into every nook and cranny of the hills. This same scenario played out some years later when silver was discovered near Virginia City Nevada. Some of the early diggings were amazingly rich. One prospector reported that one spoonful of the red earth at his particular find yielded about $8.00 worth of gold. Further south on the Stanislaus River a miner took out a whopping $26,000 of gold from his small claim before he moved on to other areas.

 This was typical about the California Gold Rush. Many prospectors would take in a bit of gold in one area and then move on. They never knew if just around the next bend lay a much larger lode. The key was to arrive there before others did. The photo below left were the ruins of Sutter Fort circa 1900 before it's restoration.

John Sutter's Downfall Begins

All of the concerns and fears that John Sutter had about the influx of thousands upon thousands of gold seekers can best be described in an editorial published by the editor of San Francisco's Alta newspaper in the early 1850's.

 He wrote, "Men come to California in the hope of speedily becoming rich. Bright visions of big lumps of gold and large quantities of them, to be gathered without any severe labor, haunt them night and day before they reach here. Here they hope to find a land where the inevitable law of God that man shall earn his bread by the sweat of his brow has been repealed, or at least for a time suspended. They come here with this hope, and it takes but a few short weeks to dispel it. They are disappointed; their impatient desire for the attainment of speedy wealth seems to have no prospect of gratification. Temptations are about them on every hand. They drink and they gamble. They associate with men who, in their eastern homes, would be shunned by them as the worst of their kind. They forget the admonitions of their mothers and sisters, given them at parting. They forget the purity of their early youth, the hopes of their riper manhood. They sink lower and lower, until they become thieves, robbers and desperadoes". This bit of editorializing describes fairly well what John Sutter's New Helvetia turned into.

As for John Sutter...through all this craze he tried to continue his ranching. His diary entries at that time were filled with comments about loaning livestock and saddles to those heading to the hills in search of gold. Nothing from that point onward would be the same for John Sutter. There was no bucking the tide and his New Helvetia was disappearing rapidly.

While his attempts to legitimize his land holdings continued, they were not successful and they were further challenged by the Squatters Rights laws at the time. In 1858 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the squatters which of course was another blow to Sutter's campaign for reimbursement. Sutter and his wife relocated to Pennsylvania and he was able to acquire a $250 per month pension but not the $50,000 lump sum reimbursement he was seeking. His struggle for payment from the U.S. Government continued up until 1880 when Congress adjourned again without taking any action. The same year John Sutter died in Washington D.C. His wife died months later and both are buried in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

You'll also enjoy our Western Trips article about a self guided tour of the old Central Pacific Railroad sites between Auburn California and Donner Pass. This was part of the western link of the first transcontinental railroad. See Rails, Tails and Trails. 

John Sutter's Fortune Was Lost Due to the California Gold Rush


One of the things of course that makes the story of John Sutter so unique is that he almost appears to be the only man who lost a fortune because of the gold rush in California. Certainly many others failed to find their El Dorado but they didn't start out with a fortune in the first place. In Sutters case he amassed a fortune by working the land to it's fullest potential and other men's quest for sudden wealth caused him to lose his.

You will be quite pleased by adding this region to your California vacation itinerary. Sutters Fort is now a state historic park and visits to such nearby towns as Placerville, Angels Camp, Murphys and Sonora offer the tourist many ways to learn more about California's gold mining era.

 In all of these towns you will find excellent museums, restored structures from the 1800's as well as opportunities to pan for gold yourself. There is still gold to be found along the rivers and streams of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Another related story is the Argonaut Mine Disaster in Jackson California. The websites below will give you much more information to help plan your California vacation.

Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is located in midtown Sacramento between K and L Streets and 26th and 28th Streets, Sacramento, CA.

Sutters Fort State Historic Park 

Angels Camp 

Murphys California 

Sonora California