Reviews for Pelican Guide to Sacramento and the Gold Country

The average rating for Pelican Guide to Sacramento and the Gold Country based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-07-08 00:00:00 Ken Taylor-Mosley My most recent geologic enthusiasm is learning about mining. I bought this book after touring an excellent historical museum in Silverton, Colorado. They did a super job explaining the many facets of mining and I left wanting to learn more. The starts with the California Gold Rush and covers many of the precious metals mining (lots of boomtowns) in the western United States, particularly California and Nevada. By the end of the book I was already planning my next summer trek to western Nevada.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-09-26 00:00:00 Jesse Straughan "Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of California" is an entertaining history of the Gold Rush towns and mining camps in California based on letters, journals, newspapers, and more. The stories were mainly from 1848 to 1856, though he'd briefly tell the rest of the town's history if it lasted beyond that. The author gave a brief history of the gold rush and then shared amusing tales about what life was like in each of the main camps and towns. The stories included Christmas balls, racial clashes, and tales of local robbers. He also described what the towns looked like, how & why that changed, and what's left of them (even the smallest ones) now. He included black and white photographs of the towns, digs, and miners as well as maps and information on what's left of each camp or town today and how to find them. The book didn't really describe how the mining was done but focused on the towns and social interactions. It's an entertaining read for anyone remotely interested in the subject, but it'd also be a great research resource for authors who want to set their novel during the Gold Rush. This is also a good book for anyone who'd like to track down the old mining camps and towns, though the information given in my 1965 version is probably a bit dated.