The outlaw names of Joaquin Murrietta and Black Bart loom large in California lore. Those two names intersect in the historic Calaveras County town of San Andreas, where Murrietta was said to operate and gentleman stagecoach robber Black Bart (Charles Boles) was convicted and sent to San Quentin prison.
Founded in 1848 by Mexican miners and named after Saint Andrew, easy to find placer gold soon ran out. By 1859, amounts of gold large enough to pay for mining it was running out. Chinese miners took over in 1860, going through the tailings left by previous miners.
Although never incorporated as a city, San Andreas became the county seat of Calaveras County in 1866 and remains so today. It's an overlooked town with most tourists passing through on the way to more popular towns such as Sonora, Murphys, and Sutter Creek. If they stop, it's mostly for some of the cheapest gas prices in the Motherlode.
And, while it shares a name with California's most infamous earthquake fault, the town has nothing to do with California's temblors. The fault is located a hundred miles or more to the west.
This is not to say that San Andreas is not worth your time. The old downtown on Main Street has some very nice Gold Rush era buildings. Gooney's, a dive bar located at the corner of Main Street and highway 49, is a fun, friendly place that also serves up a tasty menu.
The bar is named after Gooner Everson who acquired the 1858 building for $18.60 in back taxes in 1863. It's been run as a saloon and restaurant ever since, the current iteration opened in 2019.
A few other shops, the Black Bart Hotel and Restaurant, lead to the Metropolitan...another bar and nightclub...at the other end of Main Street. We like to explore the residential neighborhoods beyond where we'll loop back and end up at Turner Park.
Here in the summer, you may be able to catch a free concert on Wednesday evenings.
At the south end of town, you'll find the abandoned Calaveras County Airport.
My wife likes to shop at the outlet store located here called This and That while Tim and I will hike up and down the old runway.
At the other north end of town, we like to enjoy a lunch at the Pickle Patch Deli, where they make some of the best smoked tri tip anywhere.
They're only open a few hours a day, Monday through Friday, but if you find yourself there at the right time, a meal in the beautiful garden is well worth while.
Being the county seat, you'll find a lot of government and health care facilities here. The DMV, highway patrol, courthouse, hospital, and more are located here to serve Calaveras County and helps to cement the image of the town as a working and "getting down to business" town rather than a tourist destination.
Still, it's a pretty town with a nice Gold Rush history behind it and makes a great place to explore for a few hours.
Darryl Musick
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