Gold Country

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Map of Sierra Nevada gold country Sierra Gold Rush map.jpg
Map of Sierra Nevada gold country

The Gold Country (also known as Mother Lode Country) is a historic region in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, that is primarily on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. It is famed for the mineral deposits and gold mines that attracted waves of immigrants, known as the 49ers, during the 1849 California Gold Rush.

Contents

History

When gold was first discovered in 1848, many people came from all over the world to find gold. The migration into California also brought diseases and violence. [1] There were 500 mining camps of which 300 are still undocumented. There was $400 million in gold mined between 1849 and 1855. [2] In 1942 most of the mines shut down due to World War II. [3] The transportation in Gold Country grew rapidly due to the Gold Rush. The first railroad in California ran through Gold Country. [4] There were 250 different stage coach companies formed by 1860. [4]

Major events by county

Looking down into the Empire Mine shaft in Grass Valley, California Looking down into mine at Empire Mine.jpg
Looking down into the Empire Mine shaft in Grass Valley, California
A hole in the mountain in La Porte, California, once used to divert water from Slate Creek Hole in moutain in La Porte,California.jpg
A hole in the mountain in La Porte, California, once used to divert water from Slate Creek

Geology

The Gold Country lies on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, reaching down to the Sacramento Valley. The oldest geology can be found along the easternmost portions of this region, closer to the Sierra Nevada summits, which formed 100 million years ago. [4] It consists of ancient sea floor and portions of islands which were added onto the western edge of North America during the late Paleozoic, about 275 million years ago. The western sections of the Mother Lode are significantly younger, from the mid-Mesozoic about 150 million years ago, and also consist of material that was solidified on the ocean floor to the continental edge. Massive intrusions of granite forced their way into these formations. After ten miles of overlying material was eroded over the last 70 million years, these intrusions became visible throughout the Sierra Nevada. Over the last 50 million years, rivers and volcanoes deposited materials; these built up in thick layers found atop many of the high ridges of the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Climate

This part of California has a Mediterranean climate like much of Italy and Spain, making wine grapes and vineyards one of the region's primary crops and industry.[ citation needed ] Over 100 wineries are found throughout the Gold Country. Winters are cool and wet with occasional snowfall, especially in the higher elevations of the eastern reaches up the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Winter temperatures range from the upper twenties to mid-fifties. Summers are dry and hot, with long stretches that reach triple digits. The average annual precipitation is around 30 inches (760 mm). Many dams were built in the Sierra Nevada to hold water. People in California depend on the water that comes from the Sierra Nevada mountains. [4]

Transportation

California State Route 49 is the primary north–south highway through the region, passing through many historic mining communities. Major east–west highways include Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 50.

Two Amtrak routes run through the area. The eastern terminus of the Capitol Corridor is in Auburn. The California Zephyr stops in Colfax. [12]

Counties and towns

Counties and the towns that are part of Gold Country:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nevada County, California</span> County in California, United States

Nevada County is a county located in the U.S. state of California, in the Sierra Nevada. As of the 2020 census, its population was 102,241. The county seat is Nevada City. Nevada County comprises the Truckee-Grass Valley micropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Sacramento-Roseville combined statistical area, part of the Mother Lode Country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydraulic mining</span> Mining technique using high-pressure water jets to carve away minerals

Hydraulic mining is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. It is also used in mining kaolin and coal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park</span> State Historic Park

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park is a state park unit preserving Malakoff Diggins, the largest hydraulic mining site in California, United States. The mine was one of several hydraulic mining sites at the center of the 1882 landmark case Woodruff v. North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Company. The mine pit and several Gold Rush-era buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Malakoff Diggins-North Bloomfield Historic District. The "canyon" is 7,000 feet (2,100 m) long, as much as 3,000 feet (910 m) wide, and nearly 600 feet (180 m) deep in places. Visitors can see huge cliffs carved by mighty streams of water, results of the mining technique of washing away entire mountains of gravel to wash out the gold. The park is 26 miles (42 km) north-east of Nevada City, California, in the Gold Rush country. The 3,143-acre (1,272 ha) park was established in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 49</span> Highway in California

State Route 49 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California that passes through many historic mining communities of the 1849 California gold rush and it is known as the Golden Chain Highway. The highway's creation was lobbied by the Mother Lode Highway Association, a group of locals and historians seeking a single highway to connect many relevant locations along the Gold Rush to honor the 49ers. One of the bridges along SR 49 is named for the leader of the association, Archie Stevenot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuba River</span> Waterway in Northern California

The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sierra Nevada and eastern Sacramento Valley, in the U.S. state of California. The main stem of the river is about 40 miles (64 km) long, and its headwaters are split into three major forks. The Yuba River proper is formed at the North Yuba and Middle Yuba rivers' confluence, with the South Yuba joining a short distance downstream. Measured to the head of the North Yuba River, the Yuba River is just over 100 miles (160 km) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area code 530</span> Area code in northern California

Area code 530 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in northeastern and Northern California. It was created in 1997 in an area code split of 916.

The Spenceville Wildlife Area is an 11,448-acre (46.33 km2) wildlife preserve managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is located in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, within Nevada County and Yuba County of northern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Corral, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

French Corral is an unincorporated community approximately five miles west of California State Highway 49 in Nevada County, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Company</span> Historic site in North Bloomfield, California

The North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Company of North Bloomfield, California, was established in 1866 and operated a hydraulic gold-mining operation at the Malakoff Mine subsequent to the California Gold Rush. In its day, no other company's operations matched North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Company in size or expense. The company operated until 1910. In the years prior, its profits and procedures had been reduced due to the landmark ruling of Woodruff v. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company.

Moore's Flat was a historic mining town located on the San Juan Ridge about 19 miles northeast of Nevada City, California and about 5 miles northeast of North Bloomfield, California. The town was about 1 mile south of the Middle Yuba at an elevation of about 4200 ft. On either side of it, lay the mining towns of Orleans Flat and Woolsey's Flat, each about I mile apart. All three were settled around 1851 and their histories frequently intertwine. Collectively, they are sometimes referred to as "The Flats." All three were part of Eureka Township.

Orleans Flat was a historic mining town located on the San Juan Ridge about 20 miles northeast of Nevada City, California and about 5 miles northeast of North Bloomfield, California. The town was about 1 mile south of the Middle Yuba River at an elevation of about 4200 ft. To the west lay the mining towns of Moore's Flat and Woolsey's Flat, each about I mile apart. All three were settled around 1851 and their histories frequently intertwine. Collectively, they are sometimes referred to as "The Flats." All three were part of Eureka Township.

Woolsey Flat or Woolsey's Flat was a historic mining town located on the San Juan Ridge, located about 17 miles northeast of Nevada City and about 3 miles northeast of North Bloomfield. The town was about 1 mile south of the Middle Yuba at an elevation of about 4200 ft. To the east lay the mining towns of Moore's Flat and Orleans Flat, each about I mile apart. All three were settled in 1851 and their histories frequently intertwine. Collectively, they are sometimes referred to as "The Flats. All three were part of Eureka Township.

Snow Point was a historic mining town in Nevada County, California on the San Juan Ridge about 2 miles east of Moores Flat and about 6 miles west of Graniteville. It was located at an elevation of 4321 ft just off present day German Bar Road about midway between that road's intersections with present day Moore's Flat Road and Hagerty Road.

Alpha was a gold mining town in Nevada County, located about 2 miles southeast of the town of Washington, California and about 15 miles northeast of Nevada City, California. It lay at an elevation of 4120 feet, about 2 miles below the South Yuba River and just west of Scotchman Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Tent, California</span> Mining community in California, United States

Blue Tent is a historic 19th century gold mining community located about six miles northeast of Nevada City, California.

Little York is the name of one of the first gold mining towns established in Nevada County, California as well as the name of the township in which it was situated. The town was located on the Lowell Ridge between Steephollow Creek and the Bear River, about 13 miles east of Nevada City, California and about 1 mile southwest of Dutch Flat, California at an elevation of about 2800 feet.

Remington Hill is a historic mining camp in Nevada County, California which prospered in the second half of the 19th century. It was named for Caleb Remington, a prominent local miner who lived mostly in neighboring Little York, where he died in 1865. It lay at an elevation of 4052 feet. It was situated around present Chalk Bluff Road about one mile south of Highway 20 and about 5.5 miles southeast of the town of Washington and 6 miles northeast of Dutch Flat, as the crow flies.

Henness Pass, elevation 6,916 ft (2,108 m), is a mountain pass northwest of Reno on the crest of the Sierra Nevada range in Sierra County, California. The pass is traversed by Henness Pass Road, a mostly unpaved road not generally passable by automobiles in winter. Portions of the road are recommended for high clearance vehicles only.

<i>Woodruff v. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company</i>

The case of Woodruff v. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company was a lawsuit brought to California courts in 1882 where a group of local farmers sued North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Company over damages caused to farmland in the Central Valley. The farmers who brought the suit claimed that the company's hydraulic mining operations resulted in the disposal of excess sediment, debris, and chemicals in local rivers. Prosecutors argued that the debris raised river beds and restricted flow in the rivers leading to heavy man-made flooding. In the years prior, flooding of debris and chemicals had destroyed a large portion of the valley's agriculture.

Jackson Pioneer Jewish Cemetery, also known as Givoth Olam, is a no longer active Jewish cemetery founded in 1857 by the Congregation B'nai Israel, and is located in Jackson, Amador County, California. By 1921, the cemetery was closed.

References

  1. 1 2 García, Justin (2013), "California Gold Rush", Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, SAGE Publications, Inc., doi:10.4135/9781452276274.n150, ISBN   9781452216836
  2. Robert, Gabler-Hover, Janet Sattelmeyer (2006). American history through literature 1820 - 1870. Thomson Gale. ISBN   978-0684314624. OCLC   255149412.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Frank, Lorey (2017-11-23). A guide to the gold rush country of California. [Charleston, SC]. ISBN   978-1634990257. OCLC   995304792.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 L., Gall, Timothy (2012). Worldmark encyclopedia of the nations. Gale Cengage Learning. ISBN   9781414433905. OCLC   808772826.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Carson Hill landmark California State Parks
  6. California State Mining and Mineral Museum California State Parks
  7. Hill, Mary (1999). Gold the California Story. University of California Press.
  8. 1 2 Rosemarie., Mossinger (2006). Yuba Feather Hills. Yuba Feather Museum (Forbestown, Calif.). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub. ISBN   978-0738531021. OCLC   70220469.
  9. Florin, Lambert (1971) Ghost Towns of The West NY: Promontory Press ISBN   9780883940136 p199
  10. Clampitt, John Wesley (1888) Echoes from the Rocky Mountains Chicago: National Book Concern OCLC   33959185 p626
  11. L., Hopkins, Tammy (2007). Marysville. Delamere, Henry. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub. ISBN   9780738547374. OCLC   144226492.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. "Don't Miss Out: Why You Should Take Amtrak to Reno". TripSavvy. Retrieved 2018-10-19.

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