Murphys

Murphys is a California Historical Landmark in Calaveras County.

Calaveras County · Murphys · location approximate

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One of the principal mining communities in Calaveras County, named for the discoverer of gold on the flat in 1849. The objective of many immigrants coming over the Sierra Nevada Mountains by Ebbetts Pass, Murphy Flat and surrounding mines produced 20,000,000 dollars in gold. Early regulations restricted claims to eight feet square. Suspension flume conveying water across Murphy's Creek and drainage race draining the flat were two outstanding accomplishments of early-day miners. Business portion of town destroyed by fire August 20, 1859. Joaquín Murieta, bandit, began his murderous career here. Calaveras light guards, recruiting for Civil War, organized here May 4, 1861.

1971 register text, presented as a historical document. It uses the period's terms for Native people; the state's landmark listings still carry most of this wording, and the California Office of Historic Preservation maintains the program's current texts.

Many of these plaques have since been recast or their texts revised. The California Historical Landmarks program and its current texts are maintained by the California Office of Historic Preservation. California Office of Historic Preservation ↗

TodayHistorical map

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Example

under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

From one family's 77-marker roster

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Marker data: State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, California Historical Landmarks (1971)

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