15-20 Covered Wagons are coming to Sutter Creek and Amador County September 25-28th! Come and join the excitement as we celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the California Legislature creating Amador County in 1854 and the beginning of the Gold Rush Days!
Step back in time and witness over 15 actual covered wagons, accompanied by mounted horseback riders, as they make their way down the historic Highway 49, the original 49’r Gold Rush Trail. The wonderfully preserved historic Gold Rush towns of Amador County will make for a perfect backdrop for this Wagon Train. Lots of fun is planned along the way during this 4 day event, so come on up and spend the whole weekend! Experience what it might have been like to be a settler in a covered wagon adventuring west.
“The Days of ‘49” celebration will be held September 25 through 28, 2014. It will include a four-day wagon train traveling from the Shenandoah Valley to Jackson, Ca. The plan for the wagon train is to depict an authentic look back in time at the first arrival of settlers and miners to the Amador County region. Don’t miss this wonderful event.
Schedule:
Day 1 of the wagon train will begin at Cooper Vineyards, with the first night spent at the Amador County Fairgrounds, in Plymouth. Everyone is invited to come to the Fairgrounds to get a free close up look at the wagons and possibly enjoy some “Grub” with the pioneers.
Day 2 the wagon train will travel through Dry Town and Amador City to reach Sutter Creek and stop for lunch on Main Street for a few hours of entertainment there. The second night’s encampment will be at the Oneto brothers’ Slaughter House Ranch, on Ridge Road. The public is invited to come and view the wagons there too.
Day 3 the wagon train will travel from the Oneto Ranch to Jackson Gate Road and on to the city of Jackson, where they will encamp at the back side of the Kennedy Mine at the Amphitheater. The public is invited to come to the encampment for a free viewing of the wagons and entertainment by the Mountain Men in the Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre.
Day 4 in the morning attend “Cowboy Church” in the historic and tiny chapel at the Kennedy Mine Amphitheater. Then the wagon train will participate as the lead entry in “The Days of ‘49” parade, in Jackson. It is anticipated that nearly 20 covered wagons and approximately 150 men and women on horseback will participate. In addition to the parade, Main Street will be closed on Sunday to accommodate food concessions and several interpretive historic displays, such as gold panning, melodrama acts, collection of horse-drawn wagons, a costume contest and, possibly, a fast-draw competition.
Organizers:
John Queirolo, Ron Scofield and the Kit Carson Mountain Men Club are organizing the event. The thinking was that most of the towns of Amador were first settled by miners in 1849, leading to the title, “The Days of ‘49.”
“Days of 49” Wagon Train Chairman is John Queirolo who, in the past, has coordinated such events as Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Sutter’s Fort in 1982 and horse drawn wagons and living history groups for the 1999 2nd Great Gold Rush in Old Sacramento. As chairman of the 1981 Highway 50 Wagon Train John rebuilt the caravan from 6 wagons in 1979 to 34 wagons in 1981.
Ron Scofield is the Wagon Master for the event. In 1976 he took his family on a 6 month journey (in a covered wagon) across the United States in the Bicentennial Wagon Train from Southern California to Valley Forge and is a resident of Fiddletown. Ron owns The Red Mule Ranch which hosts the “Scofield’s Cowboy Campfire” on Saturday evenings, amidst a complete gold rush town that he built on his property in the Sierra Foothills, where he builds authentic stage coaches and wagons.
History:
The discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 sparked the Gold Rush, one of the most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century. As news spread of the discovery, thousands of prospective gold miners traveled by sea or over land to San Francisco and the surrounding area; by the end of 1849, the non-native population of the California territory was some 100,000 (compared with the pre-1848 figure of less than 1,000). A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush, which peaked in 1852.
Join the celebration of Amador County’s 160th anniversary, also known as the Centennial Diamond Jubilee, September 25th -28th. Get a glimpse of what it was like to cross America in a covered wagon in search of riches in the Gold Rush of California. Be a part of history.
All inquiries regarding the Wagon Train should be addressed to John Queirolo who can be reached at (916) 965-1136. You can also contact the Sutter Creek Visitor Center for additional information: 209-267-1344.
