You've heard the story of the California gold rush. And you have an image in your mind of a typical gold miner from 1849. But the reality of history doesn't always fit into old stereotypes. The story of the gold rush town of Hornitos in Mariposa County, today on KVPR's Central Valley Roots.
Back in 1849, a group of white miners set up the town of Quartzburg, in the hills west of Mariposa. They were from the southern states and they brought with them enslaved African Americans. Quartzburg grew, and attracted more miners, including some from Mexico, and some Spanish-speaking Californios.
But conflicts arose. Quartzburg's white miners formed a vigilante group and drove the Mexican and Californio miners out of town. Undeterred, in 1850 the expelled miners founded the new town of Hornitos a few miles away. Unlike most gold rush-era towns built on a long main street, Hornitos was built in the Mexican tradition around a central plaza, making it unique in the gold country. Within a few years, the town was home to over 15,000, including future chocolatier Domenico Ghiradelli, who ran a store there.
As for the name, the above-ground graves built with stones by early Latino pioneers here were said to resemble hornitos, or little ovens. Today the town once frequented by Joaquin Murietta is home to around 100 people, a collection of historic ruins and a popular Dia De Los Muertos festival held every fall.
