Sierra Lodging | Find historical lodging in the Sierra Gold Country

Bar at Jamestown Hotel

Historical Lodging

The Sierra Gold Country is an historic region in California. Lodging was need for the miners and many of the original hotels are still open today. This historic region in the northern California is primarily on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. The history of many of the hotels in in this region date back to the gold rush era.

Many of the famed mines produced rich mineral deposits and the gold mines attracted waves of immigrants, known as the Forty-Niners, during the 1849 California Gold Rush.

When gold was first discovered in 1848 many people came from all over the world to find gold. With all the people that flooded California came lots of diseases and violence. There were 500 mining camps which 300 are still unfound as of today. There was 400 million dollars in gold mined between 1849 and 1855.

The transportation in Gold Country grew rapidly due to the Gold Rush. The first railroad in California ran through Gold Country. There were 250 different stage coach companies formed by 1860.

Amador County - At the time of the Gold Rush the Kennedy Mine was the deepest in the world at 5,919 feet. Argonaut Mine was from 1850-1942. In 1922, there was a fire in the area and 47 men were trapped in the mine and died. This mine was shut down due to the war.

Calaveras County - This county was known for the biggest gold nugget found in the United States. The nugget weighed 195 lbs. The nugget was found in Carson Hill. In Copperopolis, 72 million dollars worth of copper was found. Many of the copper mines in this area supplied the Union armies needs in the Civil War.

El Dorado County - This county is the key to the Gold Country. This is where gold was discovered in 1848 by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill. Sutter's fort was destroyed by all the people that came here from the Gold Rush.

Mariposa County - Located in the southern portion of Hwy 49. This county is known for the Ghirardelli Factory dated all the way back 1855-1858. One of the mines that were in Mariposa County was the Princetown Mine which, pulled out 5 million in gold.

Nevada County - This county had the most gold out of all of Gold County pulled out of it totaling 440 million dollars worth. Holbrooke Hotel is one of the oldest hotels still run to this day in Gold Country. It was built in 1851. Empire Mine one of the most known mines in the area. (This mine is now a state park.) This mine runs 200 miles underground. This mine was still in operation after the war. A 100 million dollars was mined out of this mine. Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad was constructed in 1876. This railroad was made so that people can travel faster between Grass Valley to Nevada City.

Placer County - Colfax was known for a main station for supplies from the Central Pacific Railroad. Many of the area was known for Quartz. About 2 million dollars in quartz was found. Placer County was known for the robber " Rattlesnake Dick" in 1850.

Sierra County - Allegheny was known for a 163-pound gold nugget. The mine was shut down during the war but then was opened back up in 1965. This mine is still mined occasionally today. In 1992 seventy thousand dollars was mined out of it. In 1849 gold was first found in the Yuba river in Downieville. A 427-pound nugget was found there. Hydraulic mining happened at Howland Flat and Poker Flat in the 1850's. Seven hundred thousand dollars worth of gold came out of Poker Flat alone.

Tuolumne County - In Knights Ferry there was the largest covered bridge on the west coast dating back to 1862. In Jamestown they found a 75 lb. golden nugget. Sierra Railroad House was built in 1897. It was a very famous site for movie films. Eagle Shawmut Mine had $7.4 million mined out of it. Sonora is the county seat and the only incorporated city in the county.