Mokelumne Hill, California
| Mokelumne Hill | |
|---|---|
| Census designated place | |
 Location in Calaveras County and the state of California |
|
 Mokelumne Hill
|
|
| Coordinates: 38°18′02″N 120°42′23″W / 38.30056°N 120.70639°WCoordinates: 38°18′02″N 120°42′23″W / 38.30056°N 120.70639°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 California
|
| County | Calaveras |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.082 sq mi (7.981 km2) |
| • Land | 3.079 sq mi (7.974 km2) |
| • Water | 0.003 sq mi (0.007 km2) 0.09% |
| Elevation | 1,473 ft (449 m) |
| Population (April 1, 2010) | |
| • Total | 646 |
| • Density | 210/sq mi (81/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 95245 |
| Area code | 209 |
| FIPS code | 06-48480 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 228901, 2408855 |
| Reference no. | 269 |
Mokelumne Hill (also, Big Bar, Mok Hill, and The Hill) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 646 at the 2010 census, down from 774 at the 2000 census. It is commonly referred to as "Moke Hill" by locals. The town takes its name from the neighboring Mokelumne River, which in turn is Miwok for the "people of Mokel," the likely name of an Indian village in the area.
Mokelumne Hill was one of the richest gold mining towns in California. Founded in 1848 by a group of Oregonians, the placers were so rich that the miners risked starvation rather than head to to replenish their supplies (one finally did and made it rich by becoming a merchant). Soon after, gold was discovered in the nearby hills, so much so that miners were restricted to claims of 16 square feet (1.5 m2), and yet many of those claims were reported to have paid up to $20,000.
By 1850 the town was one of the largest in the area, with its population reaching as high as 15,000 with people of all nationalities: Americans, Frenchmen, Germans, Spaniards, Chileans, Mexicans, Chinese, and others. Besides racial tensions, the easy gold attracted criminal elements, and the town gained a reputation as one of the bawdiest in the area. Notorious bandit Joaquin Murrieta is said to have been a frequent visitor to the gambling venues. Violence was a major problem as well. In 1851, there was at least one homicide a week for seventeen consecutive weeks. A "vigiliance committee" was formed and by 1852, the worst of the crime was eliminated. That year, the town became the county seat. By the 1860s the gold started to run out and the town's population and importance diminished. When San Andreas became the new county seat in 1866, Mokelumne Hill's status declined even further. The town today is a quiet place, with lots of tourism due to its historic status. From 1959–1977 Mokelumne Hill was home to Lucile S. Davidson. She was known as "The shoe lady of Mokelumne Hill" She was in The Stockton 'Record' and later in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest privately owned glass shoe collection in the world. The first post office was established in 1851.
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