| History of Columbia CA |
On March 27 in the year 1850 the Hildreth Party was caught in a rain storm
and had to make camp earlier than expected. The next morning, along a
seasonal creek, John Walker found gold near what is now Columbia. When
word got out miners streamed in to strike it rich. Within a month tents and
shanty's covered the landscape. The "Hildreth's Diggings" was home to
several thousand miners. Later the site was renamed American Camp and
then Columbia.
In the summertime the creeks around here dry up and with no way to
separate the gold from the dirt, a lot of miners left. A few tried to bring
barrels of water in, others even tried to hall the dirt to Tim’s Springs
(Springfield) just outside of town but eventually gave up. In June 1851,
the Tuolumne County Water Company was formed bring water the thirsty
gold fields. The cost was high, so high that in 1854 a group of miners
formed the Columbia and Stanislaus River Water Company in to build a 60
mile aqueduct to supply the mines. Like they say "timing is everything" the
new system was not fully completed until 1858 and the miners were
beginning to move out. Because of this, the Tuolumne County Water
Company managed to acquire the new system, which cost over $1 million,
for under $150,000. "Ouch"
Before to long miners began to use monitors or nozzles to shoot water at
high pressure to wash out the gold. This method was extremely effective
and its effects left a beautiful legacy of exposed limestone rock that would
have been impossible to see had the miners not used this innovative
technique.
At the end of May in 1851, Mrs. Sarah DeNoielle joined her husband Arnold
and they opened the first boarding house in town. As Sarah was the first
white woman in Columbia, she was given a royal welcome by the miners,
who reportedly formed a mile-long procession, complete with brass band,
and escorted her all the way from Sonora. Sarah later gave birth to the
first child born in Columbia on January 31 of 1852. Eventually Columbia's
tents and shanties were being replaced with more permanent structures.
Streets were laid out, and by the end of 1852 more than 150 stores,
shops, saloons, and other enterprises were going strong. There was also a
church, a Sunday School, a Masonic Lodge, and even a branch of the Sons
of Temperance.
Wood had been the main construction material used in these buildings.
Streets were laid out and by the end of 1852 more than one hundred
businesses, including thirty saloons, twenty-one groceries, seventeen dry
goods stores, seven boarding houses, four hotels, four banks, three
express offices, three theaters, two fire companies, and numerous doctors,
lawyers, and dentists served the estimated four to five thousand
inhabitants. There was also a church, a Sunday School, a Masonic Lodge,
and a branch of the Sons of Temperance. There were even enough children
to start a small school, marmed by a Mrs. Haley.
The Fire of 1854
Columbia was incorporated in May of 1854. The town was thriving and up
to this point had not suffered a serious fire, which was somewhat of a
miracle as most of the structures were made from canvas, brush, logs, and
split or sawed lumber, in other words, tinder. Only three fire-proof brick
buildings stood in town and they were put to the test at two o’clock in the
morning, on July 10 of 1854. The blaze began near the corner of Broadway
and Washington streets, in an empty house owned by Soloman Trues.
Roaring north, the flames consumed nearly everything in their path, the
only building to survive in the business section was Donnell and Parson’s
brick store. One of the other fire-proof buildings was destroyed by an
explosion of accumulated gas within the tightly closed, iron-shuttered
building. When the fire was finally controlled, the losses to Columbia’s
merchants amounted to more than $500,000. The rebuilding began before
the ashes had cooled. Temporary structures were erected first, followed
quickly by sturdy, fire-proof buildings of brick and stone. Most of the new
buildings featured heavy iron doors and shutters affording an added
measure of security against future fires. Over thirty brick buildings were
erected after this fire, many of which are still standing today.
In July of 1855 the New England Water Company provided piped water for
fire fighting and domestic use. Seven cisterns, each with a capacity of
about fourteen thousand gallons, were built under the streets. Some still
store water for fire fighting. The early pipes were used until 1950, when
the state installed a new water system.
In 1857 a second fire destroyed all the frame structures in the 13-block
business district, as well as several of the brick buildings. Rebuilding
began immediately, and the citizens decided to form a volunteer fire
department. In 1859 the fire department acquired the Papeete, a small,
fancifully decorated fire engine. Its arrival in Columbia was the occasion
for much fanfare and celebration. A year later the Monumental, a larger
hand pumper, was added.
After 1860, when the easily mined placer gold was gone, the town began
to decline. In the 1870s and '80s many of the vacated buildings were torn
down and their sites mined, and Columbia's population dropped from a
peak of perhaps six thousand to about five hundred.
The town continued to survive, but not prosper for many years. During the
1920's ideas began to arise concerning the inclusion of Columbia into the
new and growing California State Park System.
A very serious but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to make Columbia a
State Park occurred in 1934. By this time the town was quite run down.
Many of the structures had become public nuisances and were falling down.
Finally the Legislature passed a bill in 1945 appropriating $50,000 to be
matched by public subscription for the acquisition of lands and buildings in
the old business section of Columbia. Thus, was Columbia State Historic
Park born.
Located in the heart of the Mother Lode, Columbia was only one of
hundreds of settlements that sprang up during the "Gold Rush". Unlike
many of these towns, which have long since succumbed to fire, vandalism,
and the elements, Columbia has never been completely deserted. Through
the years it has retained much the same appearance as when miners
thronged its streets.
Portions taken from an article posted at
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=1156
and had to make camp earlier than expected. The next morning, along a
seasonal creek, John Walker found gold near what is now Columbia. When
word got out miners streamed in to strike it rich. Within a month tents and
shanty's covered the landscape. The "Hildreth's Diggings" was home to
several thousand miners. Later the site was renamed American Camp and
then Columbia.
In the summertime the creeks around here dry up and with no way to
separate the gold from the dirt, a lot of miners left. A few tried to bring
barrels of water in, others even tried to hall the dirt to Tim’s Springs
(Springfield) just outside of town but eventually gave up. In June 1851,
the Tuolumne County Water Company was formed bring water the thirsty
gold fields. The cost was high, so high that in 1854 a group of miners
formed the Columbia and Stanislaus River Water Company in to build a 60
mile aqueduct to supply the mines. Like they say "timing is everything" the
new system was not fully completed until 1858 and the miners were
beginning to move out. Because of this, the Tuolumne County Water
Company managed to acquire the new system, which cost over $1 million,
for under $150,000. "Ouch"
Before to long miners began to use monitors or nozzles to shoot water at
high pressure to wash out the gold. This method was extremely effective
and its effects left a beautiful legacy of exposed limestone rock that would
have been impossible to see had the miners not used this innovative
technique.
At the end of May in 1851, Mrs. Sarah DeNoielle joined her husband Arnold
and they opened the first boarding house in town. As Sarah was the first
white woman in Columbia, she was given a royal welcome by the miners,
who reportedly formed a mile-long procession, complete with brass band,
and escorted her all the way from Sonora. Sarah later gave birth to the
first child born in Columbia on January 31 of 1852. Eventually Columbia's
tents and shanties were being replaced with more permanent structures.
Streets were laid out, and by the end of 1852 more than 150 stores,
shops, saloons, and other enterprises were going strong. There was also a
church, a Sunday School, a Masonic Lodge, and even a branch of the Sons
of Temperance.
Wood had been the main construction material used in these buildings.
Streets were laid out and by the end of 1852 more than one hundred
businesses, including thirty saloons, twenty-one groceries, seventeen dry
goods stores, seven boarding houses, four hotels, four banks, three
express offices, three theaters, two fire companies, and numerous doctors,
lawyers, and dentists served the estimated four to five thousand
inhabitants. There was also a church, a Sunday School, a Masonic Lodge,
and a branch of the Sons of Temperance. There were even enough children
to start a small school, marmed by a Mrs. Haley.
The Fire of 1854
Columbia was incorporated in May of 1854. The town was thriving and up
to this point had not suffered a serious fire, which was somewhat of a
miracle as most of the structures were made from canvas, brush, logs, and
split or sawed lumber, in other words, tinder. Only three fire-proof brick
buildings stood in town and they were put to the test at two o’clock in the
morning, on July 10 of 1854. The blaze began near the corner of Broadway
and Washington streets, in an empty house owned by Soloman Trues.
Roaring north, the flames consumed nearly everything in their path, the
only building to survive in the business section was Donnell and Parson’s
brick store. One of the other fire-proof buildings was destroyed by an
explosion of accumulated gas within the tightly closed, iron-shuttered
building. When the fire was finally controlled, the losses to Columbia’s
merchants amounted to more than $500,000. The rebuilding began before
the ashes had cooled. Temporary structures were erected first, followed
quickly by sturdy, fire-proof buildings of brick and stone. Most of the new
buildings featured heavy iron doors and shutters affording an added
measure of security against future fires. Over thirty brick buildings were
erected after this fire, many of which are still standing today.
In July of 1855 the New England Water Company provided piped water for
fire fighting and domestic use. Seven cisterns, each with a capacity of
about fourteen thousand gallons, were built under the streets. Some still
store water for fire fighting. The early pipes were used until 1950, when
the state installed a new water system.
In 1857 a second fire destroyed all the frame structures in the 13-block
business district, as well as several of the brick buildings. Rebuilding
began immediately, and the citizens decided to form a volunteer fire
department. In 1859 the fire department acquired the Papeete, a small,
fancifully decorated fire engine. Its arrival in Columbia was the occasion
for much fanfare and celebration. A year later the Monumental, a larger
hand pumper, was added.
After 1860, when the easily mined placer gold was gone, the town began
to decline. In the 1870s and '80s many of the vacated buildings were torn
down and their sites mined, and Columbia's population dropped from a
peak of perhaps six thousand to about five hundred.
The town continued to survive, but not prosper for many years. During the
1920's ideas began to arise concerning the inclusion of Columbia into the
new and growing California State Park System.
A very serious but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to make Columbia a
State Park occurred in 1934. By this time the town was quite run down.
Many of the structures had become public nuisances and were falling down.
Finally the Legislature passed a bill in 1945 appropriating $50,000 to be
matched by public subscription for the acquisition of lands and buildings in
the old business section of Columbia. Thus, was Columbia State Historic
Park born.
Located in the heart of the Mother Lode, Columbia was only one of
hundreds of settlements that sprang up during the "Gold Rush". Unlike
many of these towns, which have long since succumbed to fire, vandalism,
and the elements, Columbia has never been completely deserted. Through
the years it has retained much the same appearance as when miners
thronged its streets.
Portions taken from an article posted at
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=1156
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