History of the Mother Lode
Information Stops #3 and #4

Information Stop #3, the Mariposa Cemetery.

 Life was often sad, tragic, and very difficult for the 49ers. The large headstone belongs to Morgan W. Quick and his wife Deborah. Markers for their six small children, George 6 years; Amos 6 days; Annie 4 months; Upton 1 year; John 2 weeks; and George 20 months, are to the right.

MARIPOSA 1854

Mariposa, Spanish for butterfly, was the County Seat of Mariposa County in 1854. The oldest courthouse continuously in use, West of the Mississippi, can be seen in the distant background.
(Photo from the collection of Mr. Leroy Radonovich, Mariposa.)

MARIPOSA MUSEUM
and
HISTORY CENTER, Inc.

Information Stop #4. The Mariposa Museum and History Center contains numerous Gold Rush artifacts.  Outside, the visitor is first greeted by a display of large wagons.

This wagon has solid wooden wheels for strength. It was pulled by a team of 14 oxen.

A "stamp mill" was used to crush gold-bearing quartz rock. This stamp mill's five large metal stamps, each weighing 1,000 pounds, dropped on the ore and crushed it to such a fine degree that the "slurry" mixture of quartz, gold, and water flowed through a mesh screen containing 144 openings per square inch. The "slurry" then flowed over copper plates, the two light-colored plates (bottom/left photo) near the ground, coated with mercury. Gold, having an affinity to mercury, remained on the copper plates, later to be scraped off and placed in a retort which, much like a kiln, heated the "amalgam," causing the mercury to vaporize and flow through a tube into a container where it was captured for reuse.

Ryan, son of Franya S., stands with Ernie, a modern-day prospector near the 5-stamp mill.
Ernie gives lectures to tour buses outside the Museum.
Ryan accompanied his mother as she took the Mother Lode course.

The "monitor" resembles a cannon! It shot a very strong force of water against a hill containing placer gold. Water, brought to the monitor via a flume, derived its force by dropping from a height down to the monitor. Hydraulic mining caused great destruction to the earth.

 Top Left photo: The "arrastra" was a primitive way of obtaining gold from the quartz rock where it is often found. Miners would lay flat rocks on the ground in a circle, and then shovel the quartz on top of the flat rocks. Mules would then be harnessed to the bars, and they would pull large rocks over the quartz, crushing it to a find dust. About once a week the miners would take up the flat rocks and pan the dirt for the gold that had been ground out of the quartz.

Center Left photo: The "rocker" was developed by the Chinese. A shovel full of dirt would be placed in the square box at the top, then the rocker would be rocked back and forth like a cradle, using the long handle on the side. Small particles would fall through the holes and wash down over a piece of cloth. The "flecks" of gold would cling to the cloth while the gravel and the sand would wash out.

Bottom Left photo: Enter the Indian Village and its bark houses and sweat house, constructed by the local Indians whose ancestors made their homes here in much the same manner as you see displayed.

Numerous exhibits are on display inside and outside this outstanding museum.

Inside the Mariposa Museum and History Center

Inside the museum, called by many "The Best Small Museum West of the Mississippi," are many wonderful displays. One can see real gold displayed in the museum's vault, early eye glasses, mouse traps, saccarine 100 years old, and shoes made to fit either foot!

There is an excellent barbed wire collection and also a collection of Jesse Fremont memorabilia.

A classroom scene from the 1800's, complete with a "board of education," is always of interest to the children and adult visitors. And, the museum has a fine collection of Indian baskets. A miner's cabin with typical miner's tools is a very realistic replica.

If the visitor to the museum happens to visit on a day when the 5 stamp mill is being operated, well that visitor is very fortunate indeed! What excitement there is when those 1,000 pound metal stamps are pounding the gold-bearing quartz.

The Mariposa Museum and History Center has an outstanding staff of volunteer docents. They are sincerely interested in answering visitors' questions. Be prepared to ask questions and learn about the past!

Copies of original letters from Horace Snow (an early arrival to the Mariposa area) to his friends back home have been incorporated into a book by the Mariposa Historical Society. Entitled "DEAR CHARLIE" LETTERS, the book is on sale in the museum. Left: An example of one of the letters shows how Horace used every bit of writing space he could find on "hard-to-get" paper. He wrote in both directions! You'll want to plan on spending some time at this Information Stop!

The museum has a very nice shady area where the visitor can eat a sack lunch! Also, there are many good restaurants nearby! Only an hour and a half drive from Mariposa into Yosemite!

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