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Free Traveling Guides » States » California » Gold Country
Jackson
Nestled in the quaint foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains lies the rich history of Jackson, California, the county seat of Amador (meaning, “love of gold”). The town was founded shortly following James Wilson Marshall’s fortuitous discovery of gold in early 1848. Soon the town of Jackson was teeming with miners and individual prospectors seeking their fortune, and much of their history is on view today in this historic town.
Visitors to Jackson will find themselves immersed in history and, with Jackson claiming a population of only about 4,000, small town charm. The town was destroyed by fire not long after its prosperity had begun to flourish in 1862. Reconstruction began the following year, and many of the buildings in downtown Jackson date back to this period. Though the last mine closed in 1943, at least one mine, the Kennedy, is today open for tourists and visitors. The town, incidentally, was also site to the Argonaut mine, which hosted the worst mining disaster in the state of California in 1922. Forty-seven miners were killed when a fire broke out in the shafts.
Downtown Jackson’s historic district has been determined so important to the culture of early California that is has been listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Visitors to the downtown area have an abundance of things to see and do, including taking a tour of the Amador County Museum and the Jewish Synagogue Monument. The Fantozzi Headstone Works is a popular destination for history buffs, and the Café Max offers refreshments and history, having been in business since 1869.
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