Columbia Diggins
Annual Reenactment of an 1852 Gold Rush Tent Town-May 29-June 1, 2014
During
the early days of the California Gold Rush, as miners streamed through
the undeveloped hills of the Mother Lode, tent and shanty towns sprung
up overnight. Saloons, boarding houses, restaurants, laundries, express
offices, and tent stores offered the homesick miner many goods,
services and diversions, and the laws of supply and demand ruled the
land. It didn’t take long for enterprising argonauts to realize that
mining the pockets of the miners was an easier way to get their gold.At Columbia State Historic Park in Tuolumne County in early June of each year, docents and staff recreate an early tent town to demonstrate the daily life of the young state. “It was really an active merchant economy,” according to park staff who help organize the event. “There were a lot of opportunities for people who knew how to provide a service, or were willing to bring in goods that were in high demand, such as liquor, dry goods, and provisions. And miners were willing to hand over their newly acquired riches for a few luxuries.”
Park staff and a crew of dedicated
volunteers spend hours painstakingly researching the details of daily
life of the early tent towns. “We’ll never know exactly how life was
like for those early visitors, but we spend a lot of time reading their
journals, newspapers, and studying archeological remains” to cobble
together a story of enterprising adventurers, looking to get rich, as
well as to have a good time.
“Many people don’t realize all the opportunities for people who were willing to work hard during the Gold Rush.” For example, women had opportunities in the gold fields and towns that they didn’t have in the East. Men made up the majority of the population of the time and were willing to pay richly for the luxury of a home-cooked meal or laundered clothes. It was not unusual for a woman providing those services to make more than the miners.
“Many people don’t realize all the opportunities for people who were willing to work hard during the Gold Rush.” For example, women had opportunities in the gold fields and towns that they didn’t have in the East. Men made up the majority of the population of the time and were willing to pay richly for the luxury of a home-cooked meal or laundered clothes. It was not unusual for a woman providing those services to make more than the miners.
At
Columbia Diggins Tent Town 1852, visitors get a chance to wander
through the early tent town, enjoy entertainment at the Theatre, step
into the Saloon and order a sarsasparilla, or browse in the
authentically recreated Brown’s Mercantile. Bakers produce bread out of
a recreated stone and brick oven, and you can observe costumed docents
demonstrating a variety of early mining techniques, and even get muddy
yourself, if you choose. “There is really nothing like it anywhere else” says Amber Cantisano, park staff. “It is the closest thing to time travel you’ll find anywhere. Its pretty amazing.”
Special educational programs for 4th graders are offered on Thursday and Friday of the event. Students get a chance to tour the camp and interact with characters from 1852. This program adhere’s to the state’s curriculum standards, and provides an unbeatable opportunity for students to experience first-hand what they’ve learned in the classroom. This program is very popular, and reservations are required. A lottery for available slots is held on August 15th for the following year.
