Adventure 051, Site 128 – Angel's Camp

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 128 – Angel's Camp

California Landmark Number: 287

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  September 27, 2012

Location:

Latitude: 38° 4.113′ N

Longitude: 120° 32.365′ W

Address: NE corner of Main St and Birds Way, Angels Camp

Description:

Angel's Camp is noted for frog jumping. But in its day, frog jumping was just a side-light. The main attraction was that which glitters—to the tune of over $100 million dollars worth. But on top of this marker is the frog and that is what we take a picture of but, as Thing Two notices, there are plaques lining the sidewalk commemorating winners of frog jumps from previous years.

But Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, owes Angels Camp a lot—probably as much as Angel's Camp owes mark Twain. The story of Jim Smilley as told in the Angel Hotel—see the next adventure—is what brought Twain to fame. You can read the story online at Gutenberg in Twain's book, Sketches New and Old.

NO. 287 ANGELS CAMP - Founded in 1849 by George Angel, who established a mining camp and trading store 200 feet below this marker, this was in a rich gravel mining area that was also one of the richest quartz mining sections of the Mother Lode-production records reached over $100 million for Angels Camp and vicinity. Prominent in early-day California history, it was said to be frequented by Joaquin Murieta, Black Bart, and other early-day bandits, and was the locale of Mark Twain's famous story, The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.
Location:  NE corner of Main St and Birds Way, Angels Camp



From HMDB:
The Calaveras County Fair aka The Frog Jump Jubilee is held the third weekend in May. The main attraction of the fair is the annual frog jumping contest which is a tribute to the famous Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.



References:

• Wikipedia
  
• Noehill
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB.org)
  
• Waymarking
  
• Angel's Camp Visitor Site
  

Overall Landmark References:

• David Schmitt's California State Historical Landmark (Schmitt)
  
• Wikipedia: California's National Landmarks (WCNL)
  
• State of California's California Historical Landmarks (CHL)
  
• Wikipedia: California State Landmarks (WCSL)
  
• State of California Historical Resources (CHR)
  
• Noehill (NOE)
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB)
  
• WayMarking (WAY)