California Gold Country

Copperopolis – first stop on our tour through the California Gold Country.

Unlike most of the mining towns in the Calaveras County, Copperopolis’ claim to fame is not gold, but copper.  It was founded in 1860 by William K. Reed, Dr. Allen Blatchly and Thomas McCarty, at the site of the second major discovery of copper ore in the region (the first was nearby Telegraph City).  Main Street, pictured above, before the 1867 fire.  In 1863, William Reed built a toll road where teams of oxen hauled copper ore to Stockton, then shipped downriver to San Francisco.  From there, loaded the ore on to ships and sailed around Cape Horn to smelters in Boston.  The turnoff to Reed’s Turnpike from Main Street still exists today.

Main Street today.  In the lower right hand corner of the picture is the Copperopolis Congregational Church.  It was built in 1866 in the Gothic Revival style. The bricks used for its construction were removed from buildings being torn down in nearby Columbia so miners could mine the ground underneath. The rich copper vein ran parallel to Main Street where the population boomed to 10,000+ individuals between 1860 – 1867.  During the boom,  buildings of all descriptions offering every service imaginable, lined Main Street.  The town became the second largest supplier of copper to the Union Army during the Civil War.  After the Civil War, demand dropped but the mines continued to operate and experienced periodic booms during the two World Wars.  From 1861 to 1946, the mines produced over 72 million pounds of copper. The mines have been closed since 1946, but there are remnants of mine structures and equipment all over town.

Copperopolis Town Square – “It’s a whole new town with a historic past.”

If you take the turn on to Reed’s Turnpike from Main Street, you will wind your way through the countryside for a couple of miles until you come to “New Copper”, also know as Copperopolis Town Square.  Developers had barely finished construction of part of this new section of town next to Hwy 4, when the 2007 recession hit.  It hung on during the downturn and has been making its way ever since.  There are some good restaurants – Griffs BBQ and Gold Dust Pizza, along with Roaster’s Coffee Shop.  There are also a couple of wine bars, ice cream shop, Copperopolis Olive Oil Company, assorted gift and antique shops, and a unique game store.  Music concerts and weekly Farmers Market are held during the summer in the main square.

Lake Tulloch

Part of the Stanislaus River, Lake Tulloch is our closest lake. It was formed when the Lake Tulloch dam was completed in 1958. It covers 1,260 surface acres and provides access to boating, fishing, swimming, kayaking, water skiing and camping.

Next stops on the California Gold Country tour:

Heading up Hwy 4 to Angels Camp and Murphys.