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| Landmark #35 | Amador County | Visited: May 9, 2015 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | There’s a plaque in town, and several historical structures are still standing! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Settled by Missourians in 1849, Fiddletown was a trading center for American, Loafer, and French Flats, Lone Hill, and other rich mining camps. Called Fiddletown because residents “were always fiddling,” the settlement became Oleta in 1878 but the original name was later restored. Bret Harte added to the community’s fame in An Episode of Fiddletown.
OTHER TIDBITS: By “fiddling,” the guide means that these Missourians liked to play the fiddle during slow mining times, making music an important part of this town’s culture! This town was also unique for its large Chinese population, about half of the entire town, and there are still four historical structures built by Chinese residents in town, including the Chew Kee herb store, founded by Dr. Yee Fong Cheung to attend to the needs of Chinese miners and railroad workers! The town lost its name in 1878 because a wealthy resident named Columbus Purinton was ashamed of putting “Fiddletown” as his home address when he signed in at hotels. So, he and a few other residents petitioned the state legislature to have the town renamed after a woman named Oleta! That lasted all the way until 1932 when residents again petitioned to have the name changed back to Fiddletown! This landmark is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: South side of street from Dr. Yee’s Chinese Herb Shop Fiddletown, CA 95629 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~392mi (631km) — 6.6hrs |
| When should I go? | You can wander the town whenever you like, but if you’d like to tour Dr. Yee’s herb shop, visit on a Saturday between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM, April through October! |
