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| Landmark #265 | Calaveras County | Visited: May 8, 2015 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A roadside plaque commemorating Chili Gulch! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: This five-mile gulch was the richest placer mining section in Calaveras County. It received its name from Chileans who worked it in 1848 and 1849, and was the scene of the so-called Chilean War. The largest known quartz crystals were recovered from a mine on the south side of the gulch.
OTHER TIDBITS: The Chilean miners were very territorial about their claim and ran off anyone looking to claim new areas nearby, so when a group of newcomers drafted up a new code for new claims, the Chileans killed two and took the rest hostage! With a vigilante party not far behind, the Chileans marched their prisoners toward Stockton, but got so fatigued along the way that their captives escaped and became the captors! This group successfully reached Stockton and turned in the Chilean miners. Three were sentenced to death for murder, and the others received fifty to a hundred lashes! Technically, the Chileans had gotten a court order to arrest the men in the first place and would probably have been fine if they hadn’t shot anyone! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 26.4) 1.4 mi S of Mokelumne Hill, CA 95249 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~356mi (573km) — 6hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |