Gold Rush
Iowa Hill Road: A thrilling voyage from Colfax to Iowa Hill
Gold Country is well known for its historic mining towns, legendary tales of the Gold Rush and the meager beginnings of some of California’s most prominent figures. But, one thing that’s unknown to most visitors, is the adventure that’s experienced when actually driving on the winding roads that twist, turn and...
Iowa Hill, California: The Gold Rush Town Still Fighting the Ghost Town Label
Iowa Hill is the kind of place that makes you slow down before you even arrive. The road narrows, as you pass through the Auburn State Recreation Area, the rover canyon drops away, and by the time you reach the old Gold Rush town, it feels like you have slipped into a stubborn pocket of …...
Iowa Hill Bridge: The Old and New Bridges Near Colfax, California
Iowa Hill Bridge is one of those Placer County points of interest where a simple river crossing turns into a wonderful piece of Gold Country history. Placed along Iowa Hill Road between Colfax and the ghost town of Iowa Hill, this crossing over the North Fork American River gives visitors a rare side-by-side look at …...
Bullion Bend Robbery: El Dorado County’s Infamous Stagecoach Robbery
The Bullion Bend Robbery was one of the most dramatic crimes in Gold Country history. On June 30, 1864, armed men stopped two Pioneer Stage Line coaches on the Placerville-Carson route near present-day Pollock Pines and made off with bullion and treasure. What makes the story especially memorable is that this was not just another...
Yankee Jims Bridge: A Walk Through Placer County History
At first glance, Yankee Jims Bridge looks like a quiet backcountry crossing suspended above the North Fork American River. But this narrow bridge in Placer County stands on a route with roots deep in California’s Gold Rush era, when the nearby mining camp of Yankee Jim’s helped turn the surrounding canyon into an important...
Yankee Jim Robinson: The Outlaw Behind a Gold Rush Town and an Enduring Legend
Long before Yankee Jims became the name of a Gold Rush town in Placer County, it was tied to a “lawless character” known as James “Yankee Jim” Robinson. While Robinson’s small chapter in Gold Rush history begins with the discovery of gold in the Yankee Jims area by 1850, his final pages paint a darker …...
Timbuctoo, CA: a once prominent town of Yuba County’s distant past
Timbuctoo, California was once a booming Gold Rush town in Yuba County—home to thousands of miners chasing fortune. Today, it’s a quiet, nearly forgotten California ghost town. Here’s what remains, its fascinating history, and how you can visit. Timbuctoo, California Quick Facts Location: Yuba County, CA Founded: 1855 Known for:...
The Butler Claim: Is There Still Immense Sums of Buried Gold?
When it comes to legends of buried gold or lost treasure, the Butler Claim is one of those tales that seems to have eternal life. Generations of treasure hunters have searched for Butler’s buried fortune since the 1850s. As of this writing, nobody has found the “immense sums” of buried gold that was left behind after Butler...
The John Marsh House: Stone, Style, and the Story of Early California
Rising from a peaceful setting east of Mount Diablo, is a picturesque landmark of California’s frontier era that encompasses more than just 3,000 acres, it also doubles as a window to the 1850s with its pristine grounds and remarkable house built with stone, style and love. The John Marsh House, affectionately known as the Stone...
The Hidden Treasures of California’s Lost Gold Caches
California’s legendary Gold Rush era wasn’t just about famous gold mines and grand discoveries, it also birthed tales of hidden caches that remain lost in time. However, these are not just wild, imaginative stories; they’re fragments of history, whispers of fortunes long buried beneath the earth, awaiting rediscovery....
