63 miles from Sacramento lies a former mining town of Angels Camp. The early California Gold Rush put Angels Camp on the map as one of the central gold mining districts in the state of California. The area has seen several different rushes, from early placer mining to underground lode mining, followed by a renewed mining interest following the Great Depression. This town has a profound long history of mining and has managed to survive the booms and busts that come with it.
The first miners to arrive found rich placers in the many creeks and gulches in the area. It seemed everywhere they turned there was gold to be unearthed.
The Boom of Angels Camp
One prospectors to arrive early on was Henry Angel, who decided to set up shop beside a creek after realizing he could be more profitable selling goods to the miners rather than prospect for gold. This trading post came to be known as Angels Camp; a name would encompass the entire town as people from all backgrounds flocked in to make their fortune in the California gold fields after placers were found near Henry’s shop.
The gold near the trading post triggered a rush to the area, with French, Germans, Mexicans, Chileans, Chinese and many other nationalities coming into the camp, mainly through Antelope Trail from Stockholm.
By 1849 the population rose to 300, and within the decade, Angels Camp had 4000 residents. James H Carson described this scene as hills dotted with tents and creeks filled with miners working with such a furious passion, ensuring no stone was unturned. Such a bustling scene was due to the camps rich gold placers deposits situated in Angels Creek and its tributaries China Gulch, Six Mile Creek, Cherokee Creek, Greenhorn Creek, and their drainages. Miners would deploy mules to power arrastras to break down more enormous rocks, while pan and rockers were used to sift gold.
In fact, the placers were so rich that claims whose output was less than two ounces of gold were ignored, and there were several stories of miners striking rich.
Even Henrys Angels trading shop garnered success selling mining tools up to $200 and providing provisions to the camp and neighboring settlements. By the mid-1950s, there were ranches, truck gardens, hotels, saloons, groceries and other establishments. Unfortunately, the placers began to give out around this time and were eventually exhausted, triggering miners to depart.
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Resurgence of Hard Rock Mining in Angels Camp
Angels Camp was only able to survive due to its auxiliary industries, which supplied the neighboring town. However, in the 1880s, there was a resurgence in mining, contributing to a second gold rush in Angels Camp. Due to the advancement of technology, previously identified quarts veins could be tapped into through deep mining.
The Utica Mine was one of the key enterprises spearheading the revival. Bought and ran by Charles D Lane, they operated different mines, mills with over 150 stamps used in crushing the ore; on average, they extracted ore with a width of 60 feet. Utica mines were such a big player in the town mining scene that they bought the Union water company, improved its infrastructure, and brought electricity to townspeople.
Within the next 15 years, $30 million gold was produced from mines such as Utica, Angels Deep, Gold Cliff and others.
Moreover, the Sierra Railroad arrival allowed mills to transport their ores for smelting in San Francisco Bay area, propelling the town’s growth further. By 1902 the camp became an incorporated city, and the residents even established a local school. World War I ended the second gold rush as mines were closed down, and for the first time, an eerie silence covered the once-bustling town. Some sporadic mining efforts followed after the war, but they ended for good with the start of World War II. Most of the mine infrastructure was scrapped to provide metals for the war effort.
Today Angels town is active and vibrant with a museum located on a defunct Quartz mine and showcases the history of gold rush settlers in the camp. To date, you can still see many of the gold rush buildings along the main street with their stone walls and irons shatters. With a population of roughly over 5000 residents, Angels Camp is the ideal stop to immerse yourself in the rich mining history.
Plenty of Gold Panning Areas in California