Mokelumne Hill was one of the richest and most important gold mining towns in California during the 1850s. Founded in 1848 by a group of Oregonians mining at nearby Big Bar, Mokelumne Hill became the name of the trading post on the hill above the bar.
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I've always loved going to Moke Hill. It's a quiet, scenic little town and a lot of the old gold rush era buildings and homes are still occupied. An added bonus is that it's not a tourist town, so it's not gaudy with all the souvenir shops like you find with so many other towns in the Mother Lode. Driving or walking through it is like taking a step back in time.
We have a few places like that out here (Northern Colorado) that are off the beaten path far enough to have retained their "Olde West" flavor. Open Carry is legal here, and you see it in these small towns.
ReplyDeleteMoke Hill has the advantage of not having Highway 49 run right through the middle of town, like it does through most of the other Mother Lode towns. It's really more of a bypass. That probably helps it to avoid becoming a tourist trap.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny. I've driven 49 past Moke Hill hundreds of times and never have taken the time to go into town. My bad.
Absolutely right, 49 runs past it but not through it. That, plus the fact that Moke Hill does nothing to promote itself, is the reason for its charm.
DeleteLike you, I bet I drove past that town a hundred times before I pulled off the highway one day to grab a cold beer. That quick beer stop ended up costing me at least a half hour of my day as I slowly cruised through the town checking it out and taking in the sights.
If you're ever in the area again, it's worth the time to check it out.
I will definitely do that. After all, it's not like you've got to go much out of your way to do it, huh?
DeleteAs I've mentioned, grew up as a young lad on a ranch above Fiddletown on Tyler Road during the 60's. So glad I got to see all those little towns, although some of the memories are a bit faded now. I even got to see the Claypipers perform in the original building--
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ledger.news/roots/the-claypipers-theater-in-drytown/article_79a9bbe2-ba55-11eb-a795-7b7df8baeb2e.html
My moms doctors' office is there.
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