golden drift museum

I have never seen so many people in such a small museum, BECAUSE, it is also a gathering place for the locals to touch base. They take pride in this museum and have worked hard on it. I was told that some people come in to do research on this area because they have the information needed. Stop in! There is information about the railroad, families and other things in here and it's quite interesting.

Someone beat me to my own request but I'm so glad to see such a nice review! This museum was the favorite of me and my son's summer! The two ladies we chatted with (both long-time residents of Dutch Flat) were so knowledgeable and willing to share what they knew. My son worked the replica mine in the back of the museum and got such a kick out of it. They had some of the most interesting tidbits of history and arranged in such a way that it was interesting to look at. A must see for any Gold Rush enthusiasts! It took us about an hour to go through everything, including the small area inside to buy items. We take our time, however.

Dutch Flat was founded n 1851 & boasted a Post Office by 1856. It was an early transportation center until the railroad pushed past the town. Mining was rich and it was a major Placer County mining area until an environmental lawsuit verdict of 1884 shut down hydraulic mining. Lumber continued into the 20 Century with The Towle Brothers running 38 miles of narrow gauge railroad to service their lumber holdings. During the heyday of railroad construction Dutch Flat had one of the largest Chinese settlements outside of San Francisco. Today the town is California Historical Landmark.The Golden Drift Museum tells this story quite well. There's a lot of information contained in this little building. As you enter the right hand wall that runs the length of the building is full of pictures of these various aspects, below them is a narrow counter containing as series of binders with a further explanation of each picture should you want more information than the caption. A neat feature demonstrated by a docent was that the pictures are attached by Velcro and you're encouraged to take them off the wall for a closer look if you like. On your left are a couple of small rooms with other exhibits and a small selection of relevant books for sale. It's one of the best local museums I've ever visited.The hours are limited to Memorial Day to September, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 12noon - 4pm.It's a gem in the mountains telling it's story.