Mokelumne Hill, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mokelumne Hill
|
|
|---|---|
Main Street building
|
|
Location in Calaveras County and the state of California
|
|
 Mokelumne Hill, California
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Calaveras |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.082 sq mi (7.981 km2) |
| • Land | 3.079 sq mi (7.974 km2) |
| • Water | 0.003 sq mi (0.007 km2) 0.09% |
| Elevation | 1,473 ft (449 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 646 |
| • Density | 209.60/sq mi (80.94/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
95245
|
| Area code | 209 |
| FIPS code | 06-48480 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 228901, 2408855 |
| Reference #: | 269 |
Mokelumne Hill is a small town in Calaveras County, California. It's called a "census-designated place" (CDP) because it's a community that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city. The name Mokelumne comes from the Miwok Native American language. It means "People of the Fish Net." Locals often call it "Moke Hill." In 2010, about 646 people lived there. The town is named after the nearby Mokelumne River.
Contents
History of Mokelumne Hill
Gold Rush Days
Mokelumne Hill was one of the richest gold mining towns in California. It was started in 1848 by people from Oregon. The gold found here was so plentiful that miners sometimes risked going hungry rather than leaving to get supplies. Soon, even more gold was found in the hills. Miners were only allowed to claim small areas, but many of these claims were worth a lot of money.
By 1850, Mokelumne Hill was one of the biggest towns in the area. Its population grew to as many as 15,000 people. People came from all over the world, including Americans, French, Germans, Spanish, Chileans, Mexicans, and Chinese. With so many people and so much gold, the town became known for its lively atmosphere. There were also many conflicts and problems. In 1851, there was at least one serious incident every week for seventeen weeks.
The French War
In June 1851, an event happened in Mokelumne Hill that some historians call California's French Revolution or French War. The year before, California had passed a law called the Foreign Miners' Tax Act of 1850. This law made miners from other countries pay a special tax. French miners in the area refused to pay this tax. The local Sheriff, who was also the tax collector, gathered a large group of people to make them pay. But the French miners raised the French flag and declared they were independent.
This made the Governor send a group of soldiers, led by William D. Bradshaw, to stop the revolt. Luckily, a big fight was avoided. Bradshaw talked with the French miners, and they agreed to stand down peacefully.
Town Growth and Decline
Also in 1851, Mokelumne Hill got its first post office. In 1852, the town became the county seat, which means it was the main government center for the county. That same year, a group called a vigilance committee was formed. This group helped to reduce the crime problems in the town.
By the 1860s, the gold started to run out. Because of this, the town's population and importance began to shrink. When San Andreas became the new county seat in 1866, Mokelumne Hill's status dropped even more. Today, Mokelumne Hill is a quiet place. Many people visit it because of its interesting history. From 1959 to 1977, a woman named Lucile S. Davidson lived there. She was known as "the shoe lady of Mokelumne Hill." She was even in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the world's largest private collection of glass shoes.
Mokelumne Hill is officially recognized as California Historical Landmark #269.
Historic Landmarks
Mokelumne Hill has several important historic buildings:
- The I.O.O.F. Hall (CHL #256) is thought to be California's first three-story building built away from the coast.
- The Congregational Church building (CHL #261) is the oldest church of its kind in California.
- The Hotel Léger (CHL #663) is one of the oldest hotels in California that has been open continuously. One of its buildings used to be the county courthouse when Mokelumne Hill was the county seat.
- The Baldwin Hotel, built in 1854, has been many different businesses. It was once the Baldwin Hotel and later the Gardella Mortuary. Charles Gardella, who bought the property, added the lovely porch and decorative woodwork.
- The original elementary school in Mokelumne Hill was built in 1852. It was used until 1964 and is now a private home. People say that citizens built it even after a plan to fund it failed.
- The basement of the Hotel Léger was the first meeting place for a group called E Clampus Vitus.
- The Gardella House (built in the 1930s) is a historic building. It has unique metal windows and was built by John Gardella.
- The home of Edith Irvine, a famous photographer and school teacher, is also in Mokelumne Hill. Her photos of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake were found in her basement after she passed away. She also took pictures of other California landmarks.
Geography and Climate
Mokelumne Hill covers about 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2). Most of this area is land.
The town has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
Population Facts
In 2010, the population of Mokelumne Hill was 646 people. Most of the people living there were White. There were also smaller numbers of African American, Native American, Asian, and other races. About 10% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
See also
In Spanish: Mokelumne Hill para niños
