Sonora in Tuolumne County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Sugg House
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
1. Sugg House Marker
In 1857, William Sugg, a freed slave, built this three-room brick-faced adobe house. The adobe blocks were made in the front yard. The walls are up to 18 inches thick. A wood frame kitchen was at the rear. As Sugg’s family eventually grew to 11 children, it became necessary to construct the wood frame addition. It was completed in the 1880’s. The rooms were occasionally rented out as “overflow” to the City Hotel. State law changes, in 1921, requiring hot and cold running water in every commercial room, ended that 41-year practice, the family not being able to afford the expense. The home was occupied by the Sugg family for 125 years. Grandson, Vernon Sugg McDonald, was the last to live in the house.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Erected 2003 by Matuca Chapter 1849, E Clampus Vitus.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.
Location. 37° 59.016′ N, 120° 22.881′ W. Marker is in Sonora, California, in Tuolumne County. Marker is on Theall Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker and house are located two blocks east of South Washington Street (Highway 49) and marker is located on the southeast corner. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 37 Theall Street, Sonora CA 95370, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers
this page online
Regarding Sugg House. Thousands of the miners who came during the Gold Rush were black, including about 500 in Tuolumne County. Often, miners came as slaves with their master along with an agreement that they would be freed after a certain amount of time mining gold, or found a certain amount of gold.
One black who came about 1850 with his master was William Sugg, who bought his freedom for a dollar in 1854. He established a business repairing and refurbishing leather harnesses and began building in 1857 what still stands as the Sugg House, a block east of Washington Street. Sugg was not wealthy and he made his own adobe bricks and made a roof from cut-up 5-gallon tin cans nailed to rafters.
William Sugg's wife, Mary Snelling, traveled across the country in a wagon train, ending up near what is now Merced. Mary, twelve years old, was the daughter of a white man and a black woman and had light black skin. Many of the Indians they encountered during the wagon trip saw Mary and believed that she was a kidnapped Indian
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
2. Sugg House Marker
Source: Sonora Visitor - http://www.sonoravisitor.com/t/historyt.php?localarea=history&morechoices=y
Also see . . . Sugg/McDonald House. National Park Service website entry (Submitted on May 8, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
3. Sugg House
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
4. Sugg House
Photographed By Roger Sturtevant, Photographer, January 19, 1934
5. Sugg House
HABS CAL,55-SONO,9-
Click for more information.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
6. The City Hotel
Located at the corner of Theall and South Washington Streets.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
7. The Sonora Inn
Located on South Washington Street. A hotel that also booked "over flow" guests at the Sugg House.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. This page has been viewed 2,051 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 14, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. 5. submitted on June 20, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. 6, 7. submitted on June 14, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.
