About Calaveras County
CalaverasCounty is home to a wide variety of distinct communities, each with itsown personality and wonderfully rich history. Below you will find ashort historical writing about the communities in Calaveras County.
| .Mokelumne Hill | West Point | San Andreas | Valley Springs | Copperopolis | Angels Camp |
Mokelumne Hill - Boom, Bawdy & Busted [top]
Foundedin
1848, "Moke Hill", as the locals call it, was among the richest ofthe
digs. Claims in some areas were confined to sixteen square feet andmany
fortunes were made. It was the county seat in the early days
and,although it held no exclusive rights, it was known as one of the
mostviolent, bawdy towns in the Mother Lode.
As the
goldplayed out, Mokelumne Hill shrunk from a wild and woolly 15,000 to
themuch less populated, quiet historic village that it is today.
MainStreet Mokelumne Hill is directly adjacent to Highway 49
betweenJackson and San Andreas and is well worth a stop. Many of the
originalbuildings are still in place and an air of Gold Rush
authenticityexists. Ask at the historic Hotel Leger for stories about
the ghostlycattle stampede in the middle of the night and the
heart-wrenching sobsthat sometimes emanate from one of the hotel rooms.
West Point - Worth the Trip [top]
ACalifornia
Historical Landmark on Highway 26 near Main Street in WestPoint
declares that the area was named by Kit Carson as he traveledwith
Captain John Fremont searching for a pass over the Sierra
NevadaMountain Range.
West Point was started when a group
ofadventurers showed up in the 1850's looking for gold. One writer
says"West Point was, and still is, isolated and on the road to
nowhere;...asomewhat rough-and ready window into life as it was before
World WarII".
Hunting and fishing (there is even a
trouthatchery) are good in the area and it is a great place to
wanderbackroads for a bit of quiet.
San Andreas - It's Not Our Fault [top]
SanAndreas
(pictured in the top left corner of this page circa 1900) wassettled by
Mexican Gold Miners in 1848. By 1850 over 1000 tents dottedthe
hillsides. The first church, built in 1852 was a canvas structurewith a
simple cross over the door designating it a church of the RomanCatholic
faith. It was named for St. Andrew (San Andreas) and the nameof the
town was taken from this church.
In August 1852the large
San Andreas Nugget was found in a claim just north of wherethe town is
located and sold to the Wells Fargo company for $12,000. In1859 over
$500,000 in gold dust was shipped. The channels wereproducing gold,
although lack of water hampered the efforts of theminers until the
miner's ditches were completed.
Twoinfamous names from
the Gold Rush often tied to San Andreas, are BlackBart and Joaquin
Murieta (pictured above - possibly). Handsome anddebonair, Black Bart
was a gentleman bandit who never harmed drivers orpassengers and left
bits of original verse behind signed "P08". BlackBart held up the
Milton-Sonora stage at Funk Hill on November 3, 1883,leaving several
articles behind in his hurried flight. One of which wasa handkerchief
with a laundry mark traced back to a San FranciscoLaundry where the
mark was identified as belonging to C.E. Bolton oneof the city's
leading citizens. He was arrested and brought back to SanAndreas where
he confessed to the robbery. His trial was held in thecourt room in San
Andreas and he was sentenced to six years in SanQuentin Prison. The
jail where he was held still stands and is a partof the Calaveras
County Historical Museum Complex.
In1866, the County Seat
was moved to San Andreas from Mokelumne Hill andin 1869, a county
hospital was moved to the Gold Hill house. Today, SanAndreas is a
progressive community with several organizations workingto improve,
promote and enhance the climate and growth in the SanAndreas area.
Valley Springs - Railroad to Recreation [top]
In1885,
Valley Springs was the eastern terminus for the San Joaquin andSierra
Nevada Narrow Gauge Railroad, which carried freight andpassengers from
the Valley and beyond. Upon arrival in Valley Springs,travelers found
horses and wagons their means of transportation. Butonce the Southern
Pacific Railroad bought the line in 1888, rail travelwas extended to
somewhat farther than the County Seat in San Andreas.
Therail
lines have been closed for many years, but the population ofValley
Springs and the businesses in the vicinity continue to grow. Thearea is
also a well known recreational destination. Within a few milesof each
other are New Hogan, Pardee, and Camanche Reservoirs wheregreat
fishing, boating, and camping are year round activities.
Copperopolis - A Lucky Penny [top]
Thehistory
of Copperopolis is closely tied to the Civil War. The 19million pounds
of copper mined in the 1860's made Calaveras Countysecond in national
production of this ore. Mining, workshop sites, andother historical
artifacts from this era remain alongside buildingsthat have been
restored by the perseverance and ingenuity of sometownspeople.
"Copper's"
population at its historicalheight was between 2,000 and 4,000, which
is where the currentpopulation stands. Always a pioneer spirit,
Copperopolis no longerholds claim to any working mines, but visitors
and residents are drawnby the recreational attractions which include a
beautiful 18 hole golfcourse winding through the old oaks and rolling
hills, and LakeTulloch, a year round water wonderland.
Angels Camp - Angels & Amphibians [top]
AngelsCamp
(pictured above circa 1920), aka the "real" City of Angels and theonly
incorporated city in all of Calaveras County, was named aftershopkeeper
Henry Angel of Rhode Island who started a trading post herein 1848.
Several
good strikes were made by early minersand within the year over 4,000
miners were working the surface gold ofAngels. The source of gold
played out quickly but hardrock mining keptthe gold industry
flourishing in Angels until recently. The town ishoneycombed with
tunnels from the many successful mines.
In1864, Mark
Twain wrote his first successful short story, "TheCelebrated Jumping
Frog of Calaveras County" and Angels Camp becamelinked with frogs
apparently for all time. The Jumping Frog Jubilee andCalaveras County
Fair is held annually the third week in May.
AngelsCamp's
population today is about 3,000. Its main industry is tourismwhich
boasts such attractions as caverns for public viewing,challenging golf,
a beautiful lake and marina with houseboat andfishing boat rentals,
historic buildings and monuments, interestingshops and great eateries.
The
Angels Camp Museum isfilled with lovingly preserved artifacts from the
Gold Rush era andseveral fascinating outdoor exhibits, including a
collection of miningequipment, a blacksmith's shop and a unique
carriage house.
Angels Camp is also the home of World Class Ski Racer and two time World Cup Champion Kyle Rasmussen of the U.S. Ski Team.
Murphys- Queen of the Sierra [top]
Thepicturesque
village of Murphys (shown above circa 1861) is known todayfor its many
natural attractions including caverns for public viewing,a charming
Main Street with friendly merchants and unique shops,spectacular
wineries, art galleries, gold panning, and world class golf.
Danieland
John Murphy settled in the area in 1848. From a small tent, theMurphy
brothers did some very shrewd trading and sold supplies atinflated
prices, while using the local Indians for labor on theirclaims. Rumor
has it that both brothers were millionaires before theyturned twenty
five.
Fifteen miles up the mountain, A.T.Dowd put
Calaveras on the international map when he discovered the hugegroves of
Giant Sequoia Redwoods. Because their fame grew so quickly,by 1855 the
Sperry & Perry Hotel-now known as Murphys HistoricHotel &
Lodge-had been built to accommodate the multitude oftravelers. The old
hotel register contains names such as Mark Twain,Horatio Alger, Ulysses
S. Grant, and Charles Bolton, aka Black Bart.
Murphyshas
a climate that closely imitates that of some superb wine regions
inFrance. There are now seven wineries that have staked their
claimwithin a four mile radius of Main Street, six of which have
uniquetasting rooms and other facilities that are open to the general
public.
Ninemiles east of Angels Camp off Highway 4 and
offering amenities for yourentire family, Murphys remains a favorite
place to get away from it all.
Astopping
off place for nearly one hundred and fifty years, Avery istoday a
picturesque moment on Scenic Highway 4, just eight miles eastof Murphys
Wine Country and twenty six miles west of great downhill andcross
country skiing at Bear Valley.
The focal point ofthis
town is the Historic Avery Hotel Restaurant & Saloon. Built in1853,
it is the oldest continually operating hotel in Calaveras. It wasknown
as the "Half Way House" because of its location between the goldfields
of Murphys and the giant Sequoia groves now known as CalaverasBig Trees
State Park.
Visit the historic saloon foryour share of
goosebumps as old-timers share tales of the Captain, MissHazel Fischer,
and other ghostly guests.
Arnold - A Nature Enthusiast's Dream [top]
Duringthe
Gold Rush era, the Arnold community was comprised of two largeranches
where logging was the main and very lucrative industry. In1927, Bob and
Bernice Arnold arrived and built the Ebbetts Pass Inn anda restaurant.
Their accommodations offered services to the thousands ofvisitors
traveling from all over the world to Murphys and Angels Camp,and on to
the intriguing giant redwood Sequoia groves at what is nowCalaveras Big
Trees State Park. Many were drawn even further up themountain to the
snow country beyond.
The town ofArnold, always holding
its own, built up slowly to a current populationof over 7,000. Nature
is at its very finest in this area. The town issurrounded by the
Stanislaus National Forest with its awe-inspiringscenery. Year round
outdoor activities such as hiking, bicycling, offroad adventures,
challenging golf, great fishing on spectacular lakes,and world class
winter recreation have become its life blood.
Arnoldis
also home to fine eateries and interesting shops. It has a
localcalendar filled with special events for the entire family; live
musicconcerts, arts and crafts festivals, and recreational sporting
events.The Sierra Nevada Logging Museum was recently opened to the
public andis another exciting addition to the wonders of the Arnold
area.
Dorrington - Stage Coach Stop [top]
Locatedabout
20 miles east of Murphys and 20 miles west of Bear Valley,Dorrington
has long been a place to spend the night on your waythrough. The
Dorrington Hotel & Restaurant which is now a bed &breakfast,
was built in 1860. It was a stage coach stop on the BigTrees-Carson
Valley Toll Road and served as a depot for stockmen and asa summer
resort for international guests visiting the giant Sequoiaredwoods at
Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Noted forits ice cold
spring, it was called Cold Spring Ranch until theestablishment of a
post office in 1902. Dorrington continues to be abeautiful place during
all seasons. Reasons to stop include enjoying acold beer or hot toddy
at the saloon, or a Northern Italian meal at theHotel. Ask about the
persistent legend of Rebecca's ghost who is stillknown to haunt the
restored hostelry. Take note of the second largestSugar Pine in the
world, measuring 32 feet in circumference and 220feet tall. Scenic
Highway 4 junctions with Board's Crossing atDorrington. Board's
Crossing Road will take you down to campgrounds onthe Stanislaus River.
