After the Gold Rush, One Town was Frozen in Time

“There were peasants singing and drummers drumming and the archer split the tree.” Neil Young, After the Gold Rush

During the Gold Rush, it was California’s second-largest city, boasting 8 hotels, 4 banks, 17 general stores, 2 firehouses, 2 bookstores, 3 churches, a newspaper, and 40 gambling and drinking establishments (clearly, they had their priorities straight). Near the end of the Gold Rush, gold and copper had been mined from all the surrounding land, so people started tunneling under the town itself. Portions of High Noon, The Lone Ranger, and Little House on the Prairie were filmed there, along with countless other movies and TV series.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Stefan Hundhammer.

Today, only 2,000 people live in Columbia, California, and most people have never heard of it. But the downtown district is so well-preserved that it was protected as a California State Park. People there still dress in period costumes and the activities (from blacksmithing to preaching to candy making) take place much as they did in the 1850s.

Columbia is the closest thing that California has to a folk village. There is a one-room schoolhouse (actually, it has two rooms), an old firehouse, an old bank, a leather goods store, and other establishments that could fit in the 19th century. Yes, there are tourists, but the town still has a half-authentic feel to it. It’s not half as well-known as Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where people still re-enact the past in old clothing in a well-preserved town center. It’s not half as kitschy as the town of Solvang near Santa Barbara, California, better known as the Danish-American ‘Disneyland’. This is a step down in terms of the number of visitors, which makes it a less frenetic experience.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Thomas Kreise.

Photo: Intended for Tahiti, this hand-pumped fire truck was stranded in San Francisco and it ended up in Columbia instead. Creative Commons via Flickr by David Berry.

And Columbia is as educational as some of the folk villages I have visited in other countries.

Here are some highlights.

The courthouse is rather small by today’s standards, but it’s better than a noose hanging from a tree branch.

Photo by author.

The naturally-brewed sarsaparilla is amazing. Truly, I do not know how cola ever bested this stuff.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Kai Schrieber.

You can pan for gold nuggets.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Thomas Kreise.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Thomas Kreise.

The bank and stage coach line buildings look much as they did 150 years ago.

Photo: Columbia, California Chamber of Commerce.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Helen Gordon.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by David Berry.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by David Berry.

There are musicians on the streets sometimes.

Photo by author.

Photo: Columbia, CA Chamber of Commerce.

You can have high tea at Columbia Kate’s. They have an incredible selection of teas, plus delicious sandwiches and scones.

Photo: Columbia, CA Chamber of Commerce.

Columbia even has an old bowling alley with all of the parts (including the ball) made from wood. It’s amazing how well it still works; I’ve been to bowling lanes with floors that are more warped than this.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Jasperdo.

The neighbors must have been thrilled that the games were going nonstop 24/7. From two blocks away, the bowling ball and pins sound like a freaking avalanche.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Jasperdo.

Overall, Columbia a sweet place. If you ever visit Yosemite National Park from the north or west, I highly recommend making a stop in this small town. My kids especially loved Nelson’s Candy Store.

Photo: Creative Commons via Flickr by Kai Schreiber.

Photo by author.

References:

Thumbnail: Street scene, Creative Commons via Flickr by Helen Gordon

After the Gold Rush lyrics (taken out of context, which is inevitable with this song): http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/neilyoung/afterthegoldrush.html

California Parks Columbia: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=552

Columbia, California on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia,_California