Historic Downtowns of Calaveras County

Walking Tours of Historic Calaveras County Downtowns

If you are interested in taking a self-guided walking tour of any of these downtowns, download a Calaveras Visitors Guide here for historical information on the old buildings in each area. Or, come visit us at the Calaveras Visitors Bureau/Angels Camp Museum at 753 S. Main Street, Angels Camp to get some local tips and additional history about these fabulous Gold Rush towns.

Angels Camp

The history of Angels Camp is like that of many other such Gold Rush Era communities in the California foothills, with their booms and busts, colorful characters, and almost century-long dependence on mining. Angels Camp is named after Henry Angell of Rhode Island. He was a soldier under John C. Fremont during the Mexican-American War. When the California Gold Rush started, he prospected for a short time. Like so many would-be miners, he discovered he could make more money serving the miners with services and goods, thus setting up a shop he operated as a trading post. It soon became a camp, and then a town.

The placers around their camp were productive and attracted up to 4,000 miners. After several years, the population began to dwindle along with the gold, until gold-bearing quartz veins were discovered in the town, which brought the people back. Those mines operated for the next few decades, producing over 20 million dollars worth of gold processed by stamp mills in town.

The first post office in 1851 was called Carson’s Creek. It was renamed along with the town in 1853, and the city was incorporated at “Angels” in 1912.

Angels Camp’s greatest prosperity came with the deep gold mines between 1880 and 1920. Many of the Gold Rush buildings still line Main Street. Angels Camp is the only incorporated city in Calaveras County, and today’s population is slightly short of the town’s residents that lived in the “camp” during the height of the Gold Rush.

Angels Camp is also known for the place where Mark Twain “found his voice”. Learn more about “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County“ and why it’s so important and beloved by this community. Visit downtown’s Hop of Fame – brass plaques in the sidewalk of each Frog Jump Champion and their jockey. Remember the Jumping Frog Jubilee is the third weekend in May every year Thursday through Sunday, so make your lodging plans early if you plan on coming up to stay.

Mokelumne Hill

French trappers are said to be the first European settlers along the Mokelumne River, and a French community was established in nearby Happy Valley by the 1830s. Native Miwuk lived on both sides of the river; their family groups moved seasonally through the elevations of the watershed. The name Muquelumnes is thought to be a native Central Valley Yokut word Mokelumni for “people of the Mokel.”

With discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, the land was quickly overrun by prospectors. Mexicans from Sonora and other provinces brought well-honed mining skills. Sitting astride rich deposits, Mokelumne Hill soon became the economic and social center of the mining district: “mokelumne diggings on the hill.” Devastated by fire in 1854, reconstruction used a distinctive volcanic stone, rhyolite, that was quarried close by.

The cosmopolitan population of the early days included French, Germans, Chinese, Irish, Mexicans, Jews, and Chileans, besides American Yankees. A unique microclimate (inspiring the modern nickname, “Miami of the Sierra”) brought a steady stream of immigrants from Genoa resulting in the prosperous Upper and Lower Italian Gardens that sent product to other towns. The Upper Garden is now Marredda Park. Commercial winemaking has its remains in the stone walls along West Center Street; the barred windows suggesting the misnomer: “The Jail”.

Mokelumne Hill was the first county seat for Calaveras until it was moved to San Andreas in 1866. As gold gave out, the town experienced a significant decline in population. Cattle ranching became the most important activity and grazing lands still dominate the surrounding landscape.

Murphys

It was in August of 1848 that brothers Dan and John Murphy first came to Murphys with a trading post and diggings area being their first priorities. Rapid growth soon followed, and by fall of 1849, there were about 50 tents, several lean-to’s, and two block houses. The miners had organized a government and elected an alcalde, sheriff, and constable. Some of the tents housed businesses, two doctor’s shops, four French dining rooms, twenty gambling tables and as many bars.

From all reports, John Murphy knew how to work with the Indigenous People: “The camp of Mr. Murphy is in the midst of a small tribe of wild Indians who gather gold for him and receive in return provisions and blankets. He knocks down two bullocks a day to furnish meat. They respect his person and property in part due to the fact that he has married the daughter of the chief.” Murphy also kept liquor away from the tribe, and with their help, carried out as much gold as six mules could carry in December of 1849. He never returned.

By 1850, the camp had a population of 1200. A stage line and post office were established, and a carrier appointed to travel to San Francisco once a month for mail. A considerable amount of gold was shipped by this carrier until he absconded with it on one of his trips. By 1852, Murphys’ population had reached 3,000 which included fifteen families. Although the softening influence of women and children had its effect on the coarse natures of the gold camp’s male citizens, Murphys could hardly have been described as “tame”.

Gradually, the wild days of the gold camp became a thing of the past, replaced by a more orderly society. Families started gardens and dairies, and a temperance society was formed to combat the “evil brew”. Hundreds of wood frame structures were built, including an opera house, hotel, churches, and schoolhouse.

The heyday of mining passed, but the townspeople stayed. As they worked in sawmills and stores, and built farms and ranches, they added their own chapters to the history of the community and became a vital part of its heritage. Today, Murphys proudly invites visitors to share this legacy and hopes that with a richer appreciation of the past will come a better understanding of the present and the future to come.

San Andreas

One of the most common misconceptions about San Andreas is that it is named after the San Andreas earthquake fault. In fact, the San Andreas fault was named after the San Andreas Lake, a man-modified sag pond in San Mateo County, through which the earthquake fault runs.

In 1848, a few Mexicans encamped at the “Gulch” as San Andreas was known then. One of the first things that they did was to build a tent structure for a church, which they called San Andreas, or St. Andrew.

Originally, the miners camped on the hillsides in small tents, and in the spring of 1851, the Bella Union was erected as the first frame building in San Andreas. This building served as the court room, saloon, gambling house, miners’ meeting hall, and dance hall.

San Andreas became the county seat in 1866, and it remains the county seat today. The Calaveras County Historical Museum is located downtown on Main Street right off of Highway 49 (West St. Charles Street while driving through town), and The Red Barn Museum is located at the Government Center on Mountain Ranch Road. The Red Barn was a dairy barn that serviced the County Hospital once located on those grounds, and the historic downtown museum is housed in the Hall of Records and Court House buildings that includes the the upstairs portion of the Odd Fellows and Mason Hall built in 1856.