Toadtown, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Toadtown
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 Toadtown
Location in California
Toadtown
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Butte County |
| Elevation | 2,782 ft (848 m) |
Toadtown (which used to be called Allentown) is a small, unincorporated community in Butte County, California. An unincorporated community is a place that isn't officially a city or town, so it doesn't have its own local government. Toadtown is located high up, at about 2,782 feet (848 meters) above sea level.
Contents
The Story of Toadtown
Toadtown has a cool history, especially when it comes to how people used to make a living there.
Early Industries: Sawmills and Gold
Back in 1859, a sawmill was built near Toadtown, right by Little Butte Creek. Sawmills are places where logs are cut into lumber, which is wood used for building.
A few years later, a big underground gold mine started up in the area. This mine even had a special machine called a ball mill. A ball mill uses heavy balls to crush hard rocks that contain gold, making it easier to get the gold out.
Gold Discoveries
One exciting moment happened in September 1930. The El Monte mine, which was part of the Toadtown mining area, found a lot of very valuable gold. This discovery brought in hundreds of dollars and some really nice gold samples.
What Happened to the Mines?
Even though gold mining was a big deal for a while, all signs of the mining activity in Toadtown were gone by 1970. Today, you won't find any working mines there.
