 |
| Landmark #413 | Tulare County | Visited: July 13, 2013 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A roadside plaque marking the site of Tailholt! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Tailholt began as a gold mining camp about 1856 during the Kern River gold rush, when gold was obtained from placer and shaft operations. Mining has been carried on intermittently since the time of discovery, with a considerable settlement here during active periods. The town’s name was changed to White River about 1870.
OTHER TIDBITS: The marker leaves out that this town was originally named Dogtown, so it’s fitting that its name should first have been changed by a dog! An old stage driver named “Yank” Booth was driving a society lady home from visiting her husband at the mines. She’d brought her pet poodle with her, and when the stage stopped to change horses, that poodle tried to jump out the window to get a cat! She grabbed it by the tail but couldn’t get it back inside, so she called for help! Mr. Booth was very amused by the sight and told her that “a tail-holt is better than no holt at all,” and later told the postmaster and stage station keeper in Visalia that the town’s name was Tailholt! By 1914, the mines near Coarse Gold Gulch produced $750,000 worth of gold! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
|
| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: SW corner of County Hwy M109 (old Springville stage rte) and County Hwy MI2 8.0 mi S of Fountain Springs, CA 93260 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~163mi (263km) — 2.8hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |