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Tuesday, September 23, 2014

"160 Year Anniversary Celebration of the Foundry" Lecture & Demonstration - Angels Camp Museum


Guest Speakers: Bob Helvey and George Mather
Thursday, October 2, 7 - 8 p.m.
The Angels Camp Foundry, California Electric Steel, is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year. Established in 1854 to service the Mother Lode mining industry, the foundry has continued to evolve over the years to meet the changing times and needs both locally and now nationwide. In 1985, the foundry was relocated to a new facility and completely updated.
"Co-owned by Bruce and Karen Whittle and Bob and Gretchen Helvey, the foundry's claim to fame is being the oldest steel foundry west of the Mississippi. It started as a blacksmith shop operated by J. M. Wooster and Andrew Gardiner. Because of the local demand for mining machinery, it became the Altaville Foundry and Machine Shop in 1854. Demand for machinery was high, so in 1857 Wooster and Gardiner built a larger foundry in Winterton, or Forks, as Altaville was called then, on the site of what is now the eastern side of Angels Towne Center along Highway 49. A partial stone wall from the original foundry building still stands there among the oaks." (February 15, 2013 article in the Calaveras Enterprise)


Demonstration of making a mold to a raw casting of a steel claw used for a deep sea unmanned submarine.
6:30 p.m. refreshments
Cost: free for museum members, $10 non-members
Become a member and receive free entry to annual lectures series and unlimited free admission to the museum for one year. Sign up today!
Angels Camp Museum is the premier local history museum in Northern California. Located on a 3-acre site of the historic Angels Quartz Mine, the museum dedicates collections to inspire understanding of the gold country history of Angels Camp and the Mother Lode region. We create opportunities for learning, discovery and bring to life the extraordinary stories of our country’s past.
Home to one of the largest collections of carriages and wagons in the nation, Angels Camp Museum is a destination. Take a walk in this historical park to explore both indoor and outdoor exhibits that include a doctor's office, a rock & mineral garden, photographs, as well as ranching and farming related artifacts. Visitors can also view two steam traction engines and exhibits highlighting mining equipment such as an overshot water-wheel in its original location, a hydraulic monitor, drills, ore cars and even a working model of a famous stamp mill.
Location:
753 S. Main Street, Angels Camp, CA 95222
Located off historic highway 49

Hours of Operation:
Thursday to Monday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.                                   

Museum Admission:
$5 adults
$2.50 children (5-11)
free for children (4 & younger)
$5 gold panning

Contact:
angelscamp.gov