Monoville, California facts for kids

Monoville was once a small town in Mono County, California. It was located about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Bridgeport. Today, Monoville is no longer a town; it is known as a "former settlement."

Monoville's Gold Rush Story

The Discovery of Gold

In 1859, people discovered gold in Monoville! This exciting find brought many people hoping to strike it rich. Gold discoveries often led to new towns popping up quickly.

Building the Mono Canal

To get the gold out of the ground, miners needed a lot of water. They used a method called hydraulic mining, which uses powerful jets of water to wash away earth and expose gold. To help with this, a special channel was built. This channel, called the Mono Canal, brought water all the way from Virginia Creek. It was the only big water project like it in Mono County at the time, and it cost a lot of money to build – about $75,000!

Life and Decline in Monoville

Monoville grew quickly after gold was found. It even had its own post office, which operated from 1859 to 1862. At its busiest, more than 1,000 people lived in Monoville.

However, the town's good times did not last forever. By 1868, just a few years after its peak, Monoville was abandoned. The buildings that were left behind slowly fell apart. Heavy snowfalls and no one to repair them meant the town became ruins.

Important People from Monoville

One notable person who lived in Monoville was Tim N. Machin. He later became the Lieutenant Governor of California. The Lieutenant Governor is like the second-in-command to the state's main leader, the Governor.