Adventure 051 - Historical Landmarks

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051 – Historical Landmarks

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  June 29, 2012

Location: Various

Description:
Thing One and Thing Two took a leisurely drive down Highway 49. One of the great things about this highway, in addition to the scenery and the interesting road work, is the historicalness of the route. Each town has a claim to an important historical event, even spots on the road with just a marker shows places of importance. With an abundance of choices, we decided to give you only two of them:

• Chili Gulch. This site is #265 of the California Landmarks and commemorates the Chilean miners who worked the area around Angel's Camp, in a place where the Chilean miners congregated. They found the riches area to placer mine (gold pan) in the Calevares area. Also they found the biggest quartz crystal on record from one of their mines. But then were forced out when the Americans in the area realized what the Chilean's had. This became the Chilean War. Even Joaquin Murietta may have become involved in the conflict, on the side of the Chilean's. Having lost the war and several lives, the Chilean's were forced to leave their rightful claims. The marker can be found at N38.2160293, W120.707433, just a little north of San Andreas.
  
• Fremont Fort. While not a designated California Landmark, it does have a nice monument attached to the site. General John C. Fremont operated three mines—Josephine, Pine Tree and Princeton--between Mariposa and Oakhurst. While Fremont was away during some of his travels, he found that many of his claims and mines had been “jumped”. Taking back his mines, he found himself in the middle of violent situation. So he built himself a fort around this spot to protect the “only” way into the area and keep his claims from jumpers. The monument was put up by the E Clampus Vitus organization on May 29, 1994. Looking back down Highway 49, you can understand the strategic spot for the fort.