California s Famous Gold Country
California’s Famous Gold Country
Odds are that there is still some gold in the “Gold Country” of California, but it pales in value to the history and culture that can be mined there. Gold Country consists of the whole land or parts of 12 territories in California located in the north central region. Nearly all of these counties can be found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and are scattered with old fashioned towns possessing a charm that has lasted since the Gold Rush era.
In 1848 on January 24, James W. Marshall noticed metal shining in a drained area of Sutter’s sawmill which is currently known as Coloma, California. This started the famous Gold Rush. California was a new United States territory and in 1849 its population grew by 90,000 people. Prospectors basically traveled from everywhere in the world with the goal of becoming wealthy by picking pieces of gold from the earth. The truth is that only a small group realized their fantasies of becoming wealthy by finding gold. The ones who truly profited from the Gold Rush were the businesses that sold supplies and services to the prospectors.
Mining towns sprung up like weeds in a freshly plowed yard and ended up becoming ghost towns very quickly as the mines were exhausted. A few of the towns that had more going for them than gold mining still exist today, more than one and a half centuries later. A lot of these towns stretch from Sierra City to the south side of Madera County in Oakhurst. The highway was called “49″ in the same way that prospectors were known as “forty-niners,” which referred to the year when the Gold Rush started.
According to Mapquest, the distance from Sierra City to Oakhurst is around 260 miles, and it will take you about 6 hours when you drive. This would be terribly unfair to the gorgeous countryside as well as the communities that are steeped in history. The Gold Country is an ideal place to go for a weekend retreat.
Look at the beautiful architecture in areas like Nevada City, a destination that is only 52 miles northeast of Sacramento. There are 93 buildings in historic towns that are noted in the
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National Register of Historic Places. A lot of people believe that Nevada City is the best preserved of the Gold Rush Towns. Grass Valley is close by, which is another town that is left over from the Gold Rush period, and the Empire Mine State Historic Park is located there. This is a state park with 784 acres, and you can pass the entire day there looking around at the mining relics and finding information about hard rock mining in California.
Grand Victorian houses are located in nearly every Gold Rush town and a lot of them have been remodeled to become beautiful Bed and Breakfast establishments. There are historical markers throughout the area and there are many interesting museums. The history is important but, in addition to this, the scenery will take your breath away. Outdoor recreation opportunities abound with hiking and fishing in the summer and snow sports during the winter in the higher elevations.
California’s Gold Country is a wonderful place to visit whether you stay for a week or only a weekend. Certainly there is something available for everybody.
About the Author:
As a Nevada County real estate owner, Skyah Jamsen knows quite a bit about the local history. When purchasing her home, Skyah looked at Penn Valley homes for sale, Lake Wildwood homes for sale, and Nevada County lake front property real estate. Eventually, she chose her dream home, which was close to the state park.
California’s Famous Gold Country / Author: Skyah