A week ago, we took off for the foothills and a visit to some of the historic towns along the “GoldenState’s” Highway 49. (Since I’ve been neglecting my two regular readers [correction: that number has risen to three], I wanted to make amends by sharing the following thoughts with them.)
As one travels through the various Gold Rush towns of El Dorado and AmadorCounties, many of the buildings and surrounding landscape look pretty much as it did back then in the 1850s. As most California 4th graders know, James Marshall discovered golden flakes of gold in the trailrace of Capt. John Sutter’s sawmill by the AmericanRiver on January 24, 1848. That discovery launched the great California Gold Rush. By 1849, thousands of miners all along the “Golden Chain” (Highway 49), were hoping to strike it rich.
As we stopped here and there to visit historic museums, cemeteries, and landmarks, I couldn’t help but remember that it was this discovery of gold that brought thousands of people to “them thar hills,” through San Francisco. It was this influx of gold seekers that eventually changed the face of our favorite historic river town – Petaluma, forever.
Food was needed by these new arrivals, so hunters and trappers came up Petaluma Creek to hunt for fresh meat. The early 1850s saw the establishment of a trading post and a little bit later, log cabins and hotels. On January 3, 1852, a 40-acre plat for the town was laid out by a survey team. By then, 49ers had spread all along the foothill towns of the Sierra Nevada. The “MarshallGoldDiscoverySiteStateHistoricPark” in Coloma contains many exhibits and examples illustrating the various ways in which the miners dug gold ore from the earth, crush it, and extract the golden nuggets. Coloma is the most significant historical spot because it was where Marshall reached into a shallow pool of water and scooped up several handfuls of sand, gravel, and mud. The rest is history. Unfortunately, the water was so dirty and murky, I did not try my luck.
BTW, I couldn’t help but think about how Petaluma’s “William Howard Pepper” came to the Sierra via the tip of South America and through San Francisco on his way to Bullards Bar; but, that’s another story for another time.
Getting back to the Sierra foothills, it was interesting to focus on the “now” – particularly the Sutter Creek area. Last weekend was also the 126th Italian dinner and festival on Saturday. On Sunday, Main Street was closed for almost two hours so that the annual parade could be held. Just like Petaluma’s “Butter & Egg Days” parade, spectators came from all over and placed their chairs by the curb as early as 6:30 a.m. Fortunately, a new Highway 49 was completed recently so that local traffic could bypass both Sutter Creek and AmadorCity. Another recent change was the construction of large shopping centers with national box store names – just like Petaluma is beginning to experience.
Hmmm, now that’s some thing to think about – these Sierra Nevada gold rush towns are becoming “look-alikes” to their flatland counterparts along the Highway 101 corridor. So long to “then” of the 19th-Century; here comes the”now” of the 21st-Century, where you can’t tell one town from another as you drive along wider and faster highways. Pretty soon, there may not be a reason to stop and explore these historic areas because they will all look the same.But, there just might be some gold left in “them thar hills.” Let’s go find it!