Youngsters in California learn two things about the state's history-- the Gold Rush and the Spanish Missions. I had a lesson in the former last weekend, when I visited the town of Columbia, in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
The reason we went up there was for my friend and old neighbor John's wedding. He and I were supposed to be exercise buddies. We were supposed to encourage each other early every morning and walk around a nearby lake. That didn't quite work out. By the third week, we stopped walking in the mornings. Instead, we ended up drinking beer and BBQ'ing after work almost every evening.
The ceremony was held in a converted barn. It was the coolest wedding venue I've ever been to.
We stayed at a B&B atop a hill. It was right next to the old school house, seen below.
The town was surrounded by these strange looking rocks. There's supposedly a marble quarry nearby.
During the Gold Rush, about $150 million worth of gold was mined out of the town and its environs. At one point, it was the second largest settlement in California. The town is closed off to motorized vehicle traffic. The historic buildings are all in use. Schoolchildren are often bussed here to witness what life was like in the 1850s.
The Masons and Odd Fellows had a strong presence in the region.
When was the last time you saw a Bronco II?
This is St. Anne's Church, the oldest brick church in California. There are not many made of bricks because of earthquakes.
There was a sign that told the story of three Chilean women who moved up here during the Gold Rush. Somehow, against all odds in a male-dominated world, they bought up a lot of property in town and became successful landlords.
The building below is the only remaining building in the Chinese section of town. That section used to be the French Quarter, but the Chinese pushed the Frenchmen out. A fire that started in the Chinese section burned down all of Columbia. When the town was re-built, the Chinese were not allowed to live within town limits.
