Utica Park, Angels Camp, CA - Municipal Parks and Plazas on Waymarking.com

Click on any picture for larger images and click the blue links for other nearby waymarks.

This park is closely related to the history of this tiny Sierra Nevada mining town. In 1848, just shortly before the California Gold Rush, Henry Angel established a trading post here. Two years later, when California's Sierra Nevada was turned inside out in the search of gold, rich surface ore as well as very rich gold veins were discovered in the area. By 1885, Angels Camp had become one of the major gold-mining districts in the state and for the next 40 years the Utica Mine was the area's major source of gold. Is was reported that in only 30 months, between 1893 to 1895, the mine yielded more than $4 million worth of gold.

Monument at the location of the mine's former North Shaft

Operation continued until the beginning of World War I, when all of the major mines were shut down. There was some activity again in 1930, but after that the mine laid dormant for many years. Eventually, the ground was leveled and a playground was built in 1997.

Utica Park Playground

Today, Utica Park is the heart of this little community, hosting a lot of events throughout the year, most popular being the annual Frog Jumping Contest. It is home to a playground, a Mark Twain statue and a monument commemorating the victims of the 1889 Utica mining disaster. The westernmost Mark Twain Statue in the United States

Name: Utica Park Street Location: Utica Lane Local Municipality: Angels Camp State/Province, etc.: California Country: USA Memorial/Commemoration: Named after the richest gold mine in the area Picnic Facilities: Picnic tables, pavillion Recreational Facilities: Playground Monuments/Statues: Mark Twain Monument, Utica Mining Disaster Monument Special Events: Annual Frog Jumping Contest Web Site: Not listed Date Established: Not listed Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Not listed Fountains: Not listed Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: Not listed Traditional Geocaches: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
One photo of the park that is a different view from the one on the page, and give the date and description your visit.

Add any additional information that you may have about this park. A GPSr photo is NOT required.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   10/07/2009 saopaulo1 visited it 06/15/2009 CharlyBaltimore visited it 05/10/2009 fresgo visited it

View all visits/logs