A General Mokelumne Hill Town History

The first non-natives to live in the area were reputedly French trappers who settled in Happy Valley in the 1830s. Leading the Gold Rush miners to the area was Captain Charles M. Weber’s company, followed by Colonel Jonathan D. Stevenson’s Regiment of New York Volunteers. Riches along the watercourse were concentrated at Big Bar (present Highway 49 crossing), Middle Bar, and on “The Hill.” By the end of 1848, Mokelumne Hill was established as a trading center for the booming camps of the vicinity. Nearby placer and hard-rock gold abounded, and with completion of a water canal from the South Fork in 1853, the prosperity of the community was assured.

During the 1850s, Mokelumne Hill was the leading town of Calaveras County and one of the liveliest, largest, and principal placer mining communities of the Mother Lode. It served as the site of the Calaveras County Court House between 1852 and 1866, adding to its political importance. Mokelumne Hill 1854: Center Street looking west

Early Mokelumne Hill had an ethnically diverse population, notably consisting of French, Germans, Chinese, Irish, Mexican, Jews, and Chileans, as well as the populous Yankees from eastern states. The decline in mining, and relocation of the Court House to San Andreas in 1866, inspired the exodus of many of the town’s inhabitants. A unique microclimate, however, favored agriculture and a steady stream of immigrants from Genoa resulted in the prosperous development of Upper and Lower Italian Gardens, which provided vegetables for most towns in the vicinity. By the latter 1800s, cattle ranching became the most important agricultural activity and grazing lands still dominate the town’s surrounding landscape. After the turn of the century, many of the town’s residents worked in nearby lumber mills, or, after 1925, for the Calaveras Cement Company in San Andreas. Fouth of July 1937

Today, Mokelumne Hill serves a community uniquely dominated by descendents of its pioneer families while integrating newcomers. Facilities include a grammar school, post office, library, fire station, Sheriff’s station, restaurants, stores, saloons, and a gas station. Volunteer efforts support a downtown Community Hall and town park, as well as a baseball field, horse arena, and tennis courts. Although its historic architecture is featured in virtually every guide to the Mother Lode, the close-knit community has thus far been able to avoid being transformed into a tourist town.