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| Landmark #406 | Tuolumne County | Visited: June 27, 2015 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A plaque mounted on a caged enclosure that contains the remains of Big Oak Flat’s first big oak! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: First called Savage Diggins after the man who discovered gold here in 1848, the town was renamed Big Oak Flat about 1850 after the giant oak tree that stood in the center of town, near this spot. The oak, which was about 13 feet in diameter, was undermined in 1869 and burned in 1890, only pieces remained in 1949. Rich placer and lode mines are reported to have yielded $28,000,000 during the town’s heyday. Stone buildings erected in 1852 were still standing in 1949.
OTHER TIDBITS: James Savage came here to prospect with five Native American wives and a number of servants. It was because he was so friendly with the Native Americans that the white miners who flocked to his diggins made life very difficult for him! He left after only a year, and his town became Big Oak Flat, which spanned all the way to Groveland, two miles away! The big oak here was protected legally, but a group of miners dug up all the soil around its roots to pan for gold and killed it! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: On State Hwy 120 (P.M. 30.2) Big Oak Flat, CA 95305 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~330mi (532km) — 5.5hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |
