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| Landmark #424 | Tuolumne County | Visited: June 27, 2015 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A plaque commemorating the town of Sawmill Flat! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Its name derived from two sawmills erected here to supply mining timbers in the early 1850s, Sawmill Flat was rich in pocket gold in its heyday, population at one time was 1,000. The mining camp of a Mexican woman, Dona Elisa MartĂnez, at north end of the flat, is reported to have been a hideout of the famous bandit Joaquin Murrieta. The legendary “Battle of Sawmill Flat” would have taken place here.
OTHER TIDBITS: Joaquin Murrieta actually got his start in crime in the nearby town of Murphys, where his brother was falsely accused of stealing a horse and hanged for it! Murrieta killed 19 of the 21 men responsible for that! At his hideout near Sawmill Flat, he was rumored to poison wells for sport, so a group of miners dragged an old cannon through the area, firing it in the hopes that it would spook the local Mexican residents into giving up the outlaw’s hiding place! It didn’t work, but fearful locals claimed a battle was raging in Sawmill Flat, and the name stuck! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: 22041 Sawmill Flat Rd 2 mi SE of Columbia, CA 95370 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~332mi (535km) — 5.6hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |