Folsom History Museum

I left Auburn.

The rain cleared as I descended the  foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

I crossed into Sacramento County and the city of Folsom.



Folsom has a historic downtown with several things to see.



The Folsom History Museum is a good place to start.



Starting with the Maidu, several ethnic groups have thrived in California.



The Pony Express exhibit is one of the most complete I've seen.



This saddlebag is where mail was placed.

Agricultural exhibits.



Christmas dioramas.

Auburn

I left Marshall Gold Discovery SHP.

I crossed into Placer County and the town of Auburn.

My Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guidebook told of a free Gold Museum.




However the Mountain Mandarin Festival was charging an entrance fee.

Skipped it.



Headed for Folsom...

Columbia State Historic Park (3)

Saloons and spittoons.

Chicken coops.

The tour rapped up.

There's only so much a person can take!



We went over to the museum.



And underneath it too, LOL!



I walked over to the old brick schoolhouse.



Leaving Tuolumne County, I headed north into Calaveras County.



Historic Hwy 49 is a pretty drive through rolling hills.


Full of rich local history and family fun.

Columbia State Historic Park (2)

I took a ranger led tour at Columbia State Historic Park.

The park preserves several Gold Rush era buildings.

Many are privately owned and run as tourist shops.

Some are operated by the parks dept.



A few like the Tibbits House were actually moved from other locations.



Citizen No. 1--people-pulled & people-powered fire engine!


Next stop the Wilson Store.



I've always found industrial age commerce fascinating.



Apparently fire was a serious problem in boom shanty towns.

Columbia State Historic Park (1)

Most Californians think their state has no seasons.

Especially lacking fall foliage.

It's there. Not on the coast or deserts though...

Columbia State Historic Park interprets
the California Gold Rush.

It provides a living glimpse into the past.



When the central Sierra Nevada Mountains bustled with mining and prospectors.



Businesses like Wells Fargo soon followed.



That's where the really money was made: