Jim Miller
209-736-4758
4625 Camp Nine Rd., Vallecito CA 95251
www.millerosa.com

Vallecito was one of California’s important early-day mining towns. Gold was discovered here by the Murphy brothers in 1849, and it was originally called Murphys Diggings, which became Murphys Old Diggings when they moved on to greener pastures at Murphys New Diggings which became the town of Murphys. The town was revitalized in 1852 when extremely rich deposits of gold were discovered running practically through the center of town. A post office was established in 1854, which is still in use today. After splitting off from the Carson party at Angels Creek, John and Daniel Murphy headed east looking for likely prospects. The brothers reached Coyote Creek in October of 1848, and after a few pans showing good color, they set up camp and christened the site Murphys Diggings. The boys worked the stream for a few months and then decided to move on and search for better diggings. They eventually settled down about six miles away, where they founded the camp now known as Murphys, after which their original camp was referred to as Murphys Old Diggings.

Mexican miners began to drift into the abandoned camp, which they re-named Vallecito, meaning small valley in Spanish. They built their camp in the typical fashion of their homeland, starting with a central plaza around which they put up their first buildings, brush ramadas and canvas tents. More substantial adobes and stone buildings soon followed as the town began to grow. The quiet, sleepy camp was abruptly shaken in 1852, when extremely rich deposits of gold were discovered running practically through the center of town. The camp boomed and changed so drastically, that within a year it hardly resembled its former self. Several saloons and fandangos were among the first new enterprises to appear, closely followed by provision stores, boarding houses, blacksmiths, livery stables, a dry goods store, a school, a church, and several fraternal organizations which included the Sons of Temperance, the Masons, and the Odd Fellows. Due in part to the large number of miners in the area, a post office was established on August 17 of 1854, which is still in service today.

In August 1852 the large San Andreas Nugget was found in a claim just north of where the town is located and sold to the Wells Fargo company for $12,000. In 1859 over $500,000 in gold dust was shipped. The channels were producing gold, although lack of water hampered the efforts of the miners until the miner’s ditches were completed.

Two infamous names from the Gold Rush often tied to San Andreas, are Black Bart and Joaquin Murieta. Handsome and debonair, Black Bart was a gentleman bandit who never harmed drivers or passengers and left bits of original verse behind signed P08. Black Bart held up the Milton-Sonora stage at Funk Hill on November 3, 1883, leaving several articles behind in his hurried flight. One of which was a handkerchief with a laundry mark traced back to a San Francisco laundry where the mark was identified as belonging to C.E. Bolton one of the city’s leading citizens. He was arrested and brought back to San Andreas where he confessed to the robbery. His trial was held in the court room in San Andreas and he was sentenced to six years in San Quentin Prison.

The jail where he was held still stands and is a part of the Calaveras County Historical Museum Complex. In 1866, the County Seat was moved to San Andreas from Mokelumne Hill and in 1869, a county hospital was moved to the Gold Hill house. Today, San Andreas is a progressive community with several organizations working to improve, promote and enhance the climate and growth in the San Andreas area.

Calaveras County Sheriff’s Dept.
Clay Hawkins
209-736-6500

Enterprise
14860 HWY 108
Sonora, CA
209-533-0500

Cab/Charter
Murphys Cab Company
Jason Van Cleave
209-559-8777

Linkline Charter & Tours
209-694-8747
21001 Phoenix Lake Rd.
Sonora 95370

Limo Services
Stage Couch Limo
P.O. Box 563
Murphys 95247
209-736-9226

Air Charter
Josh Heller
09-795-5623
209-329-4499

Airports
Columbia Airport
(max-Turbo props and small executive jets)
Jim Thomas
10723 Airport Rd.
Columbia, CA 95310
209-533-5685

San Andreas Airport (private)
3600 Carol Kennedy Dr.
San Andreas 95249
209-736-2501

Greenhorn Creek Resort—Golf
711 McCauley Ranch Rd
Angels Camp, CA
209-729-8111

Saddle Creek Golf—Golf
1001 Saddle Creek Dr.
Copperopolis, CA
800-611-7722
209-785-7400