Patrick Dantressangle
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Calaveras August 2000Before the gold rush, the area was inhabited by the Indians Semi Wuk. The town of Jamestown, was the site of the 1st gold discovering in 1848. It was initially named Woods Crossing. The rail arrived there in 1897. The town of Angel was founded in 1849. In addition to gold, one found quartz. Every year occurs a frog race. The town of San Andrea was built in 1848, gold found in the neighbourhoods contributed to the success of the Union during the civil war. The 1st newspaper was published here in 1846. The town of Sonora, very cosmopolitan (immigrants of all countries came during the gold rush) had for resident the famous writer Mark Twain, author of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He wrote also a book entitled: The Jumping Frog Race of Calaveras County. Columbia State Park is an old town of gold diggers, restored, having kept the old shops, banks, schools, original blacksmiths. The forests of this park have beautiful specimens of redwood and sequoias trees. The redwoods have sometimes the characteristic of having an absolutely hollow trunk from their base to their top (that can be obviously seen only from above : a man can go inside.Back to Picture Index |