General Store - Volcano, California
The community of Volcano, California in Amador County lies at an elevation of 2070 feet (631 m). The population was 115 at the 2010 census. The town is registered as a California historical landmark. The town is named for its setting in a bowl-shaped valley which early miners thought was caused by a volcano.
Early morning fog rising from the valley floor only reinforced that belief. The area was first known designated by Colonel Stevenson's men, who mined Soldiers Gulch in 1849.
In 1851 a post office was established and by April 1852 there were 300 houses. By 1853 the flats and gulches swarmed with men, and there were 11 stores, six hotels, three bakeries, and three saloons. Hydraulic mining operations, begun in 1855 and brought thousands of fortune seeking miners into Volcano looking for an easy was to mine for gold. Volcano has a number of Gold Rush-era buildings with signs indicating their historic significance. A post office opened in Volcano in 1851. Volcano boasts one of the longest running general stores in California, having been in continuous use since 1852.
The Union Billiard Saloon and Boarding House opened in 1880 and was also the site of the Volcano Justice Court, presided over by Judge Peter Jonas. In 1862, B.F. George built the St. George Hotel that is still in operation today.
The Volcano Theater Company was founded in 1854. The company conducts a full season each year, performing in both the 35-seat Cobblestone Theater and in the larger outdoor Volcano Amphitheater.
Daffodil Hill is scheduled to open Friday, March 17th.
Daffodil Hill is a public garden open each spring to the public at no cost for admission. Daffodils were first planted in the mid-19th century by landowner Pete Denzer to remind him of Holland, his home country. In 1877, Arthur McLaughlin and his wife, “Lizzie” van Vorst-McLaughlin bought the property, which is still owned and managed by their descendants. Approximately 300,000 flowers are in bloom during the Spring. For more information call a recording at (209) 296-7048.