Gold Country/Columbia, Gem of the Mother Lode

Strolling the streets of Columbia (Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey)

Everyone has heard the story of Sutter’s Mill, and how workman James Wilson Marshall found a few flakes of shiny stuff in a nearby brook in 1848; word spread to San Francisco and the subsequent gold rush built that city from a sleepy Spanish colony of 1,000 souls to a megalapolis of 100,000 in a year. Miners competing for claims spread out, and gold was found in the town of Columbia in 1850, many miles south of the original discovery site; between the first grains panned out of a boulder-strewn stream and the early 1900s, $87 million in gold was removed from the surrounding hills. Unlike many boomtowns of the Mother Lode, Columbia wasn’t deserted when easier methods of gold extraction petered out: because the lack of flowing water in the area didn't lend itself to destructive placer mining, the town remained a pleasant place to live. Though the population dwindled from several thousand to less than 500 at a low point, locals lobbied to make the town into a State Historic Park, succeeding in 1945. Buildings that were once hazardous were refurbished over time to create a sort of *Williamsburg West of the Gold Rush period (without the high prices to get in the buildings—all of the buildings, parking, and tours are free in Columbia).

Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey

Though the historic part of town covers only a few blocks, many buildings have costumed interpreters that enlighten visitors as to who lived and worked there (the nonprofit Friends of Columbia sponsors interpretation and education). A stagecoach takes riders around the town for a fee, and many of the storefronts house real businesses; some with touristy souvenirs, others with more substantial products like leatherwork and ironwork. 

Hot babe on the Fire Engine

There are displays of authentic period goods in a few buildings (the pharmacy and firehouse are particularly interesting), a couple of restaurants, and a playhouse that features modern performances. 


Two of the original hotels of the era are nicely refurbished and open for business: the Columbia City Hotel (most rooms have a toilet and sink, with shower down the hall) and the Fallon Hotel; both run from $50 to $105 per night, depending on choice of room. The state park has also fixed up three “modern” cottages in town ($115-155).

The upstairs parlor of the Columbia Hotel

Yes, it is touristy, though not at the level of Disneyland, where every shop sells trinkets emblazoned with Mickey Mouse. It's more of a cross between a well-preserved ghost town and a small-town downtown. I found the interpreters—often volunteers—to be a friendly font of information—they love what they do. In a following blog, I’ll review a few of my favorite places in this charming little historic town.

Inside the Pharmacy (Photo: Bonnie Kamin Morrissey)

Columbia State Historic Park, 11255 Jackson Street, Columbia CA 95310

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=552

Map to this location

*You can read about Federal-era Williamsburg, VA in MoonHandbook: Chesapeake Bay

 All Photos by Joanne Orion Miller unless otherwise noted.