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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Near Columbia in Tuolumne County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

Mark Twain Cabin

Mark Twain Bret Harte Trail

 
 
Mark Twain Bret Harte Trail - Mark Twain Cabin Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Karen Key, March 25, 2007
1. Mark Twain Bret Harte Trail - Mark Twain Cabin Marker
Inscription.
Stopping place of packers carrying supplies to miners. Often 200 jackasses on hill over night furnishing concert suggesting name “Jackass Hill”. Very coarse gold found here. $10,000 taken from 100 square feet of ground. Quartz found containing 3/4 of total weight in gold. Mark Twain, Steve, Jim and Bill Gilis and Dick Stoker, the “Dick Baker” in “Roughing it”, were cronies. Mark wrote here “Jumping Frog of Calaveras” from notes made at Angels Camp Tavern.
 
Erected 1929 by Tuolumne County Chamber Commerce. (Marker Number 138.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, MusicNotable Places. In addition, it is included in the Mark Twain Bret Harte Trail series list.
 
Location. 37° 59.961′ N, 120° 28.612′ W. Marker is near Columbia, California, in Tuolumne County. Marker is on Jackass Hill Road, 0.7 miles north of State Highway 49, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Angels Camp CA 95222, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. A different marker also named Mark Twain Cabin (a few steps from this marker); The Story Under the Lake (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named
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Mark Twain Cabin (approx. 0.7 miles away); Tuttletown (approx. one mile away); Robinson's Ferry (approx. 1.7 miles away); Archie D. Stevenot (approx. 1.7 miles away); Mormon Battalion Monument (approx. 2 miles away); Archie Stevenot (approx. 2˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.
 
Regarding Mark Twain Cabin. (Text of Rotary Club plaque shown on Photograph No. 5. This plaque can be seen on the white boulder on Photograph 4.) This cabin was first built in 1922 to commemorate the famed author’s presence in Tuolumne County during the winter of 1864–65. Sam Clemens had come over the mountains from Virginia City, Nevada, to San Francisco with his friend Steve Gillis. His various biographers gave different reasons for Clemens coming to Jackass Hill. No matter the reason, Sam Clemens arrived here on December 4, 1864.

Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, stayed with the other two Gillis brothers, Jim and Bill, and Dick Stoker (local pocket miners) until about February 25, 1865. While living on the hill, Sam heard the story of the “Jumping Frog” in an Angels Camp
Mark Twain Cabin Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Karen Key, March 25, 2007
2. Mark Twain Cabin Marker
saloon. His version would transform his life. Also some of the tall tales spun by the Gills brothers and Stoker would find their way into Mark Twain’s later writings. That short stay here in the Sierra had quite an impact on American Literature.

Time and the elements took their toll on the first “Mark Twain Cabin,” so the Sonora Sunrise Rotary Club, during 2002-05, restored the cabin as its centennial project, celebrating 100 years of Rotary (1905–2005). This cabin was dedicated on February 23, 2005, the 100th birthday of Rotary International.
 
Also see . . .
1. The Mark Twain Cabin. California Gold Country website entry (Submitted on March 31, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California.) 

2. On the Mark Twain–Bret Harte Gold-Rush Trail. Vancouver is Awesome website entry (Submitted on November 11, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 
 
Close Up of Marker Artwork image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Karen Key, March 25, 2007
3. Close Up of Marker Artwork
Mark Twain Cabin image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Karen Key, March 25, 2007
4. Mark Twain Cabin
Rotary Club Plaque image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Karen Key, March 25, 2007
5. Rotary Club Plaque
Bret Harte Cabin image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Joseph Palermo, circa 1933
6. Bret Harte Cabin
Photo taken by Joseph Palermo during his service with the CCC.
This cabin, though not at this site, was located somewhere near the Angels Camp/Sonora Mining towns.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 31, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. This page has been viewed 5,215 times since then and 24 times this year. Last updated on April 3, 2008, by Richard Wisehart of Sonora, California. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 31, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California.   6. submitted on September 11, 2010, by Nicholas Mickells of Omaha, Nebraska. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
 
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Actual location of the Bret Harte Cabin seen in photo #6 • Can you help?

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Mar. 29, 2024