![]() From the first day's work he made two pounds and a half of gold dust. Advent was the next white settler on the gulch. Placer miner at Columbia, California 1860sĬapt. Water being scarce and in pools, they were obliged to carry their dirt some distance in sacks and "cradle" it and by that process they made from six to eight ounces a day to the man. They then fixed their camp on what they called Kennebec Hill. They worked upwards of two hours with pick and pan, and as the result, obtained one ounce. The first pan yielded a fine prospect, and the company decided to remain all day to give the gulch a thorough examination. While so employed, Walker thought he would try to raise the "color" in a little gulch which empties into Main gulch from the east. Rain falling after dark, they were obliged to stop the next day to dry their blankets, etc. They reached the place about nightfall and decided to encamp for the night at the foot of what is now Main street. and George Hildreth, William Jones, Alex Carson, and John Walker, who were returning from a prospecting tour in Calaveras county. The following account appeared in a February, 1859 edition of the Daily Alta California.Ĭolumbia was settled on the 7th day of March, 1850, by Dr. Historical Sketch of the City of Columbia Today Columbia is one of the most remarkable and well-preserved examples of a gold rush town in America. Remarkably, much of the town survived for decades until the 1940s when the remaining buildings were stabilized and included in the newly formed Columbia State Historic Park. Between 1850 and the early 1900s, $150 million in gold was recovered here.Ĭolumbia started declining in the 1860s and by the 1870s most of the miners had moved on to fresh ground. An October 1858 edition of the Daily Alta California describes mines "as rich in gold as any known placer mines in the world." According to that same newspaper, in 1854 a 27 pound gold nugget was discovered at a Columbia mine. Placer mines at Columbia, California 1860s (colorized)Ĭolumbia was one of the state's richest gold districts. The bricks from the destroyed buildings of Columbia were sold to the nearby town of Copperopolis for construction of buildings there. Miners dug under buildings and tore down houses to get at the gold beneath the city. The mining operations of the 1860s began eating up some of the town itself. ![]() In 1859 Columbia was California's third largest city. Numerous photos of the extensive and elaborate placer operations were taken during this time.Ĭolumbia, California placer mines ca. While the aquaduct was not a financial success for the company that built it, it did allow for more extensive mining that kept Columbia active into the 1860s. The project was not completed until 1858. In 1854 the Columbia and Stanislaus River Water Company was formed to build a new 60 mile aqueduct to supply water for the mines. In 1857, another fire burned down much of the town, but most of the newer brick buildings survived. The town was rebuilt, this time with "fireproof" buildings constructed of brick and iron. In 1854 a major fire destroyed 6 city blocks. 1860sīy 1852 Columbia had 8 hotels, 4 banks, 17 general stores, 2 firehouses, 2 bookstores, 1 newspaper, 3 churches, and over 40 saloons and gambling halls. Late that year, the Columbia post office was established.Ĭolumbia, California placer miners ca. The first ditches and flumes were built in 1851, the mines were once again active, and miners flocked back to the area. During this time the original settlement was almost completely abandoned. The easily accessible gold was largely worked out in the first year, and a source of water was needed to drive the mines deeper into the ancient river gravels. "Hildreth's Diggings" was the name of the original camp, and by mid-year thousands of miners were working the gold placers here. When word of the discovery spread, hundreds of miners started arriving at the scene. Thaddeus Hildreth led a prospecting party that discovered gold at this location.
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