Video Tour of Columbia California 1858
Access this site with an
iPhone, iPad, Android phone, BlackBerry Torch or other
touch-screen device.
Uses a map-based guide designed especially for a small screen and touch-screen user interface.
Same web address.
columbiaca.org
Uses a map-based guide designed especially for a small screen and touch-screen user interface.
Same web address.
columbiaca.org
Experience Columbia CA
Visiting downtown Columbia today is much like walking into a prosperous California Gold Rush mining town, circa 1857.
You can visit the Wells Fargo Express building, see its scales for weighing gold, and ride a horse-drawn stagecoach. You can visit the Matelot Gulch mining supply store, pan for gold, and climb around the marble rocks.
Columbia also has many events throughout the year. See the list of upcoming events at the far right column. You can also see videos of some past events by clicking on the "Videos" button above.
Above all, you can see historic buildings, with many including exhibits. Use the Map-Based Guide to explore downtown--its map with pop-up photos as you move the mouse allows you to take a virtual walk down the street.
You can see a live play at the Fallon Theatre. Currently playing is "Red, White, and Tuna".
You can take an aerial tour of Yosemite in a small plane from the Columbia Airport.
You can fish at the Springfield Trout Farm.
Columbia also has many restaurants where you can have breakfast, lunch, or dinner, from the historic Black Bart's Inn and City Hotel Restaurant to Mexican and family/Greek food outside the park.
You can also have beer and other alcoholic drinks or sarsparilla at the three saloons in Columbia.
Visiting downtown Columbia today is much like walking into a prosperous California Gold Rush mining town, circa 1857.
You can visit the Wells Fargo Express building, see its scales for weighing gold, and ride a horse-drawn stagecoach. You can visit the Matelot Gulch mining supply store, pan for gold, and climb around the marble rocks.
Columbia also has many events throughout the year. See the list of upcoming events at the far right column. You can also see videos of some past events by clicking on the "Videos" button above.
Above all, you can see historic buildings, with many including exhibits. Use the Map-Based Guide to explore downtown--its map with pop-up photos as you move the mouse allows you to take a virtual walk down the street.
You can see a live play at the Fallon Theatre. Currently playing is "Red, White, and Tuna".
You can take an aerial tour of Yosemite in a small plane from the Columbia Airport.
You can fish at the Springfield Trout Farm.
Columbia also has many restaurants where you can have breakfast, lunch, or dinner, from the historic Black Bart's Inn and City Hotel Restaurant to Mexican and family/Greek food outside the park.
You can also have beer and other alcoholic drinks or sarsparilla at the three saloons in Columbia.
History of Columbia CA
The town of Columbia began as the result of some clothes and blankets that had become wet. A party of miners led by a Maine physican named Thaddeus Hildreth had been prospecting without success in Calaveras County for a month. On their way back to Woods Crossing they spent the night camping. Overnight it rained, and the next morning, while waiting for their clothes and blankets to dry, one member of the party decided to pan in a nearby gulch. He found gold, and soon all five men in the party were finding substantial amounts of the yellow metal. The date was March 27, 1850, more than two years after the initial find at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento. Other miners, hearing of the discovery, soon arrived, and within a few months the area was a thriving tent city of more than a thousand miners. They named it "Columbia".
There were difficulties. Toward the end of the summer the creek dried up and there was no water to wash the gold from the gravel and dirt. Rains that winter allowed mining to resume, but it was a dry winter and the water again ran out. An initial effort to build a ditch to a nearby creek helped, but it was not until the ditch was extended, with wooden flumes, to the Stanislaus River that there was a reliable source of water. Once that happened, the town thrived. The gold was rich, and by the end of 1852 there were perhaps 5,000 people and one hundred and fifty businesses in the town. By 1857 it had 27 restaurants with some of the finest chefs from Europe.
Fires hit Columbia in July, 1854 and again in August, 1857, devastating the town, which intially had only wooden buildings. Each time Columbia was rebuilt, bigger and grander, with new buildings increasingly stone with iron shutters to protect against fire. The town also acquired two hand-pumper fire engines and built underground cisterns to store water for use against fire.
By the 1870s, the gold began to be played out, and the population of Columbia dwindled. In 1945, the California legislature created Columbia State Historic Park. Existing historic buildings were restored, and new replica buildings were constructed from old photos and plans, leading to the town you can see today.
What's Nearby
Columbia is near Sonora, Jamestown, and Murphys CA in the foothills and near the Hwy 108 route into the mountains to Twain Harte, Mi Wuk Village, and Pinecrest Lake.
The town of Columbia began as the result of some clothes and blankets that had become wet. A party of miners led by a Maine physican named Thaddeus Hildreth had been prospecting without success in Calaveras County for a month. On their way back to Woods Crossing they spent the night camping. Overnight it rained, and the next morning, while waiting for their clothes and blankets to dry, one member of the party decided to pan in a nearby gulch. He found gold, and soon all five men in the party were finding substantial amounts of the yellow metal. The date was March 27, 1850, more than two years after the initial find at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento. Other miners, hearing of the discovery, soon arrived, and within a few months the area was a thriving tent city of more than a thousand miners. They named it "Columbia".
There were difficulties. Toward the end of the summer the creek dried up and there was no water to wash the gold from the gravel and dirt. Rains that winter allowed mining to resume, but it was a dry winter and the water again ran out. An initial effort to build a ditch to a nearby creek helped, but it was not until the ditch was extended, with wooden flumes, to the Stanislaus River that there was a reliable source of water. Once that happened, the town thrived. The gold was rich, and by the end of 1852 there were perhaps 5,000 people and one hundred and fifty businesses in the town. By 1857 it had 27 restaurants with some of the finest chefs from Europe.
Fires hit Columbia in July, 1854 and again in August, 1857, devastating the town, which intially had only wooden buildings. Each time Columbia was rebuilt, bigger and grander, with new buildings increasingly stone with iron shutters to protect against fire. The town also acquired two hand-pumper fire engines and built underground cisterns to store water for use against fire.
By the 1870s, the gold began to be played out, and the population of Columbia dwindled. In 1945, the California legislature created Columbia State Historic Park. Existing historic buildings were restored, and new replica buildings were constructed from old photos and plans, leading to the town you can see today.
What's Nearby
Columbia is near Sonora, Jamestown, and Murphys CA in the foothills and near the Hwy 108 route into the mountains to Twain Harte, Mi Wuk Village, and Pinecrest Lake.
Events in Columbia
Walking Tour of Columbia Every Saturday & Sunday. Meet at Columbia Museum at 11am. Free.
Gold Rush Days. Every 2nd Saturday of month, 1-4pm. Docents in period costumes staff exhibits. Concert by Great Motherlode Brass and Reed Band (see the video of their music--click "Videos" button).
Illumination of Jack-O-Lanterns. Saturday, Oct 30, 2010, 5:30pm.
Veterans Day Remembrance. Thursday, Nov 11, 2010, 11am. Columbia Foot Dragoons explain significance of the day and fire a volley. Columbia Cemetery.
Candy Cane Making. Nov 26-Dec 19, 2010. Deadline for reservations already passed. Organized by Nelson's Columbia Candy Kitchen.
Lamplight Tour. Fri-Sat, Dec 3-4, 2010, evening. A "walking play" directed by lamplight.
Merry Merchants. Friday, Dec 10, 2010, 5pm-8pm. Merchants open in evening for Christmas shopping. Roasted chestnuts, gingerbread. Free carriage ride.
A Miner's Christmas. Sat-Sun, Dec 11-12 & 18-19, 2010, daytime. Visit a miner's camp and talk with docents. Roasted chestnuts, hot cider. Free.
All Equestrian Christmas Parade. Sunday, Dec 12, 2010, 11am. Mid Valley Unit of Backcountry Horsemen of California sponsors this.
Las Posadas Nativity Procession. Sunday, Dec 12, 2010, 5pm. Gold Rush style reenactment of nativity.
Fandango. Saturday, March 26, 2011, evening. Celebration of Columbia's birthday with music dancing, Gold Rush gambling games.
Columbia Birthday Celebration. Sunday, March 27, 2011, afternoon. Celebrates the day when Thaddeus Hildreth's party discovered gold in Columbia.
Old Mill 10K Run. Saturday, April 16, 2011, 9am. A 10K run or 2-mile run/walk, with shorter distances for kids.
Wine Tasting. Sunday, April 17, 2011, 1-4pm. 35th annual Columbia Wine Tasting. Over 70 wine sellers participating. Tickets $45.
Easter Egg Celebration. Sunday, April 24, 2011, 11am to early afternoon. Parade at 12:30. Free.
Fireman's Muster. Saturday, April 30-May 1, 2011. 52nd annual. Volunteer firemen (and women) participate in a parade and in various competitions. Parade at 10am Saturday. Dance on Saturday.
Memorial Day Salute. Monday, May 30, 2011, 11 am. 20 minute ceremony at Cemetery.
Columbia Diggins 1852. Thursday-Sunday, June 2-5, 2011. Volunteers reenact life in Columbia during the Gold Rush.
Sasparilla Roundup. Saturday, June 11, 2011, afternoon. Contests (e.g., spelling bee) and sasparilla. Pasta feed at 5pm.
Ghost Tours. Saturday evenings, June 11, July 9, Aug 13, Sept 10, Oct 8, 2011. Ghost tours.
Summer Arts Camp. Monday-Friday, June 20-24, 2011. 9am-noon. Partners children 7-12 years with professional artists and performers.
July 4 Celebration. Monday, July 4, 2011. Parade, concert (Great Mother Lode Brass & Reed Band--see video on this site), contests for "kids of all ages", tri-tip barbecue.
Big Band Street Dance. Saturday evening, July 16, 2011. Dance in the street to 1940s music, lead by Rod Harris and his orchestra.
Walking Tour of Columbia Every Saturday & Sunday. Meet at Columbia Museum at 11am. Free.
Gold Rush Days. Every 2nd Saturday of month, 1-4pm. Docents in period costumes staff exhibits. Concert by Great Motherlode Brass and Reed Band (see the video of their music--click "Videos" button).
Illumination of Jack-O-Lanterns. Saturday, Oct 30, 2010, 5:30pm.
Veterans Day Remembrance. Thursday, Nov 11, 2010, 11am. Columbia Foot Dragoons explain significance of the day and fire a volley. Columbia Cemetery.
Candy Cane Making. Nov 26-Dec 19, 2010. Deadline for reservations already passed. Organized by Nelson's Columbia Candy Kitchen.
Lamplight Tour. Fri-Sat, Dec 3-4, 2010, evening. A "walking play" directed by lamplight.
Merry Merchants. Friday, Dec 10, 2010, 5pm-8pm. Merchants open in evening for Christmas shopping. Roasted chestnuts, gingerbread. Free carriage ride.
A Miner's Christmas. Sat-Sun, Dec 11-12 & 18-19, 2010, daytime. Visit a miner's camp and talk with docents. Roasted chestnuts, hot cider. Free.
All Equestrian Christmas Parade. Sunday, Dec 12, 2010, 11am. Mid Valley Unit of Backcountry Horsemen of California sponsors this.
Las Posadas Nativity Procession. Sunday, Dec 12, 2010, 5pm. Gold Rush style reenactment of nativity.
Fandango. Saturday, March 26, 2011, evening. Celebration of Columbia's birthday with music dancing, Gold Rush gambling games.
Columbia Birthday Celebration. Sunday, March 27, 2011, afternoon. Celebrates the day when Thaddeus Hildreth's party discovered gold in Columbia.
Old Mill 10K Run. Saturday, April 16, 2011, 9am. A 10K run or 2-mile run/walk, with shorter distances for kids.
Wine Tasting. Sunday, April 17, 2011, 1-4pm. 35th annual Columbia Wine Tasting. Over 70 wine sellers participating. Tickets $45.
Easter Egg Celebration. Sunday, April 24, 2011, 11am to early afternoon. Parade at 12:30. Free.
Fireman's Muster. Saturday, April 30-May 1, 2011. 52nd annual. Volunteer firemen (and women) participate in a parade and in various competitions. Parade at 10am Saturday. Dance on Saturday.
Memorial Day Salute. Monday, May 30, 2011, 11 am. 20 minute ceremony at Cemetery.
Columbia Diggins 1852. Thursday-Sunday, June 2-5, 2011. Volunteers reenact life in Columbia during the Gold Rush.
Sasparilla Roundup. Saturday, June 11, 2011, afternoon. Contests (e.g., spelling bee) and sasparilla. Pasta feed at 5pm.
Ghost Tours. Saturday evenings, June 11, July 9, Aug 13, Sept 10, Oct 8, 2011. Ghost tours.
Summer Arts Camp. Monday-Friday, June 20-24, 2011. 9am-noon. Partners children 7-12 years with professional artists and performers.
July 4 Celebration. Monday, July 4, 2011. Parade, concert (Great Mother Lode Brass & Reed Band--see video on this site), contests for "kids of all ages", tri-tip barbecue.
Big Band Street Dance. Saturday evening, July 16, 2011. Dance in the street to 1940s music, lead by Rod Harris and his orchestra.