“There were peasants singing and drummers drumming and the archer split the tree.” Neil Young, After the Gold Rush
During the Gold Rush, it was California’s second-largest city, boasting 8 hotels, 4 banks, 17 general stores, 2 firehouses, 2 bookstores, 3 churches, a newspaper, and 40 gambling and drinking establishments (clearly, they had their priorities straight). Near the end of the Gold Rush, gold and copper had been mined from all the surrounding land, so people started tunneling under the town itself. Portions of High Noon, The Lone Ranger, and Little House on the Prairie were filmed there, along with countless other movies and TV series.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Stefan Hundhammer.
Today, only 2,000 people live in Columbia, California, and most people have never heard of it. But the downtown district is so well-preserved that it was protected as a California State Park. People there still dress in period costumes and the activities (from blacksmithing to preaching to candy making) take place much as they did in the 1850s.
Columbia is the closest thing that California has to a folk village. There is a one-room schoolhouse (actually, it has two rooms), an old firehouse, an old bank, a leather goods store, and other establishments that could fit in the 19th century. Yes, there are tourists, but the town still has a half-authentic feel to it. It’s not half as well-known as Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where people still re-enact the past in old clothing in a well-preserved town center. It’s not half as kitschy as the town of Solvang near Santa Barbara, California, better known as the Danish-American ‘Disneyland’. This is a step down in terms of the number of visitors, which makes it a less frenetic experience.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Thomas Kreise.
Photo: Intended for Tahiti, this hand-pumped fire truck was stranded in San Francisco and it ended up in Columbia instead. Creative Commons via Flickr by David Berry.
And Columbia is as educational as some of the folk villages I have visited in other countries.
Here are some highlights.
The courthouse is rather small by today’s standards, but it’s better than a noose hanging from a tree branch.
Photo by author.
The naturally-brewed sarsaparilla is amazing. Truly, I do not know how cola ever bested this stuff.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Kai Schrieber.
You can pan for gold nuggets.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Thomas Kreise.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Thomas Kreise.
The bank and stage coach line buildings look much as they did 150 years ago.
Photo: Columbia, California Chamber of Commerce.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Helen Gordon.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by David Berry.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by David Berry.
There are musicians on the streets sometimes.
Photo by author.
Photo: Columbia, CA Chamber of Commerce.
You can have high tea at Columbia Kate’s. They have an incredible selection of teas, plus delicious sandwiches and scones.
Photo: Columbia, CA Chamber of Commerce.
Columbia even has an old bowling alley with all of the parts (including the ball) made from wood. It’s amazing how well it still works; I’ve been to bowling lanes with floors that are more warped than this.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Jasperdo.
The neighbors must have been thrilled that the games were going nonstop 24/7. From two blocks away, the bowling ball and pins sound like a freaking avalanche.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Jasperdo.
Overall, Columbia a sweet place. If you ever visit Yosemite National Park from the north or west, I highly recommend making a stop in this small town. My kids especially loved Nelson’s Candy Store.
Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Kai Schreiber.
Photo by author.
References:
Thumbnail: Street scene, Creative Commons via Flickr by Helen Gordon
After the Gold Rush lyrics (taken out of context, which is inevitable with this song): http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/neilyoung/afterthegoldrush.html
California Parks Columbia: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=552
Columbia, California on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia,_California
Nice post. I love to watch the gold diggers series :-) Reminds me on coin mining ;-)
Yes! There are some definite similarities.
I love these types of places @donkeypong, thanks for making me aware of it. Will have to spend a day here when I visit Yosemite.
I been there a few times. Had some great food at the hotel and saw Bobby McFerren play there. Even got to go onstage with him and sing. Then we had dinner afterwards. The old-time dentist looks like a torturer dungeon. Fascinating place. Great story, once again.
Wow, far out. You have great stories.
they probably can consider developing the state-of-the-art mining industry at the moment - the cryptocurrency mining business. same old gold digging, just different kind of diggers... :)
Good idea!
Oh man... if my son finds out that place exists, I may be looking for hotels. Thanks for letting me know it exists so I can hide it from him until we are ready to visit California when the new Star Wars land opens in Disney... yeah I'm that guy.
Haha if you do, I wanna see some pics!
Excellent post @donkeypong! I know a few musicians who would LOVE to go there and play on the streets. Thanks for the educational information and namaste :)
Wow, that's amazing. I would love to visit there if I ever go to the US.
Great post. Found it really interesting
Thanks for sharing. It was interesting.
Looks like a interesting place to visit if I have chance. Thanks for sharing the info.
Very interesting to read!
Great post! Loved the classic place!
I also love that candy store
This is so cool, I wrote an article about a similar town in South Africa last month.
Place is called Pelgrimsrest
https://steemit.com/travel/@breezin/pelgrims-rest-south-africa-heritage-site-tourism-destination
No longer open for voting, just as a point of interest.
Thank you so much for sharing!
LOVE this post!
Looks interesting. Will plan to visit there soon.kudos to author @dinkeykong for sharing upvoted
Wow that is fantastic!
Great pics! I love old timey places like this. Lets you have a peek at a simpler life back then. It's always great to discover sites like this being preserved for the younger generation.
Nice post!
I am planning a trip to the west for the spring of 2018 and I've spent a bit of time looking through travel guides, but nothing compares to 'insider information', or recommendations from those who actually live in an area you want to see. Thanks for the tip! There's actually a similar place on Long Island, though I'm not sure if it's an entire town...I went there as a child (not far from where I was born) and what I remember is, surprise surprise, the candy shop, haha! I remember jars with all different flavors of candy sticks.
When spring arrives here in the Finger Lakes region of NY I will be doing a great deal of blogging about the area. Ithaca is right down the road and that city alone has a variety of different potentials.
As far as my trip...have you ever been to the Mystery Spot? If so, does it live up to the hype?