Tuolumne County, California history

Richard Dana's published account of his visit to California in 1834, in which he described California's land, climate and lack of inhabitants, created a great deal of interest in California in Easterners.

In 1844, James K. Polk utilized a platform that included expansion of the western frontiers and was elected President.

The Mexican-American War, which began in 1846, was the result of Mexican and United States territorial tensions.

In August 1847, Marshall became Sutter’s partner and agreed to build a sawmill to support many of Sutter’s activities.

John Sutter’s lumber mill at Coloma on January 24, 1848.

The first drug store in Sonora was opened in the fall of 1849 by Doctor Stothers in downtown Sonora.

In March 1850 the diggings in Columbia were established by the Hildreth party from Maine after they observed a group of Mexican miners meeting with some success there.

By May 1851, Sonora was an incorporated city.

The Union Democrat newspaper was established in Sonora in 1854 and continues to this day.

A second gold rush began in Tuolumne County in 1893 at the Old Rawhide mine, owned by Capt.

The Sierra Railway arrived in Tuolumne County in 1897 and helped get products to market and passengers to their destinations.

In 1898, construction began in Sonora on the three-story Roman pressed-brick building that became the Tuolumne County Courthouse, still in use today.

Over teamster objections and other delays, the connection to Sonora was completed on February 16, 1899.

In 1900, West Side Lumber opened a large mill in Tuolumne City and eventually added a drying kiln, planing mill and box factory.

Yet, by 1910, apple products shipped by the Sierra Railway were a major export of Tuolumne County.

Complied beginning in 1915, the Collection’s varied inventory includes over 35,000 photographs of local people and places, vintage clothing and household items.

T., among many others. It all began in 1919, when Hollywood discovered the old steam engines and rolling stock and then began to use them in silent movies.

The Sierra Railway was used to supply the Don Pedro Dam project on the Tuolumne River and the Melones Dam project on the Stanislaus River in the early-1920s.

Pickering Lumber Company acquired Standard Lumber, along with its Sugar Pine Railroad, in 1921.

In 1925, Pickering also acquired West Side Lumber and its railroad.

In about 1937, Pickering re-opened its remaining operations after the company received a federal economic recovery aid loan.

In 1955, the railroad began to use diesel-electric engines and to haul freight exclusively.