TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF JAMESTOWN
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In June of 1848, Benjamin Wood and party camped beside the small creek. The next day, they found some gold nuggets. A short time later a 150-pound gold mass was discovered. According to the Bureau of Mines, this mass resulted in 75 pounds of gold. The encampment was called Wood's Diggings and later, Wood's Crossing. The creek was also named for the man from Oregon who discovered the first gold in Tuolumne County. The camp was moved about a mile away from the creek because of flooding during the rainy season.
The next spring, Col. George James, a San Francisco lawyer, arrived in the camp and treated all the miners to champagne. The miners were most appreciative and re-named the camp in his honor. Additionally, James was named the camp's alcade (chief judicial officer). He lost some favor when he let off a proven killer with simple banishment from Jamestown. But, there was more. Col. James had hired local miners to work his claims and paid them in scrip. He soon realized that he couldn't possibly find enough gold to make good on the scrip. He left town in the wee hours with his Mexican concubine. The miners were quite angry. Many were left with nothing but the shirts on their back. They tried to rename the town to American Camp. However, there were already several towns by this name and the U.S. Post Office (1853) had established an office for the name Jamestown.
Mining continued off and on through the years until 1993. On Christmas Eve in 1992, miners at the Jamestown Mine discovered several large pieces of gold. One of the larger ones is on display at Ironstone Vineyards in Calaveras County it weighs 45 pounds. It is the largest piece of rare crystallized gold on display.
With a population of about 2,500, Jimtown, as it is affectionately called by many locals, with its brightly painted two-story buildings along Main Street, is an oasis. Despite losing a number of its original wood-frame buildings to a fire in 1966, Jamestown still sports several structures dating from the 1850s, 1870s, and 1880s. Most of these old balconied buildings are now occupied by various businesses, including a profusion of antique shops, award-winning restaurants, a small grocery, and more.
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is located on the southeastern edge of town and contains the workshops, roundhouse, and three steam locomotives and cars of the Sierra Railway. This operation began in 1897 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Excursion trains run on the weekends. Its steam engines have appeared in more than 300 motion pictures, television shows, documentaries, and commercials including Little House on the Prarie, Back to the Future III, and Bad Girls.
Other interesting buildings in Jamestown include the Community Methodist Church built in 1851 making it one of the oldest churches in the Mother Lode. The first minister of this church was a Rev. James. Probably one of the best known and most photographed buildings is the Emporium, built in 1897.
The next spring, Col. George James, a San Francisco lawyer, arrived in the camp and treated all the miners to champagne. The miners were most appreciative and re-named the camp in his honor. Additionally, James was named the camp's alcade (chief judicial officer). He lost some favor when he let off a proven killer with simple banishment from Jamestown. But, there was more. Col. James had hired local miners to work his claims and paid them in scrip. He soon realized that he couldn't possibly find enough gold to make good on the scrip. He left town in the wee hours with his Mexican concubine. The miners were quite angry. Many were left with nothing but the shirts on their back. They tried to rename the town to American Camp. However, there were already several towns by this name and the U.S. Post Office (1853) had established an office for the name Jamestown.
Mining continued off and on through the years until 1993. On Christmas Eve in 1992, miners at the Jamestown Mine discovered several large pieces of gold. One of the larger ones is on display at Ironstone Vineyards in Calaveras County it weighs 45 pounds. It is the largest piece of rare crystallized gold on display.
With a population of about 2,500, Jimtown, as it is affectionately called by many locals, with its brightly painted two-story buildings along Main Street, is an oasis. Despite losing a number of its original wood-frame buildings to a fire in 1966, Jamestown still sports several structures dating from the 1850s, 1870s, and 1880s. Most of these old balconied buildings are now occupied by various businesses, including a profusion of antique shops, award-winning restaurants, a small grocery, and more.
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is located on the southeastern edge of town and contains the workshops, roundhouse, and three steam locomotives and cars of the Sierra Railway. This operation began in 1897 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Excursion trains run on the weekends. Its steam engines have appeared in more than 300 motion pictures, television shows, documentaries, and commercials including Little House on the Prarie, Back to the Future III, and Bad Girls.
Other interesting buildings in Jamestown include the Community Methodist Church built in 1851 making it one of the oldest churches in the Mother Lode. The first minister of this church was a Rev. James. Probably one of the best known and most photographed buildings is the Emporium, built in 1897.
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