Test Your Knowledge of Groveland Here comes another quiz in the "Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Groveland. (I don't want our Groveland office to feel left out!) What do you know about this beautiful Mother Lode area town? Hmm? Find out with the following questions (you'll find the answers below)...

1. The oldest continuously operating establishment in Groveland is (at least according to its proprietors): (a) Sugar Pine Realty; (b) Mountain Sage; (c) Hotel Charlotte; (d) Iron Door Saloon.

2. Groveland's private gated community of Pine Mountain Lake surrounds a man-made lake that, even in a lower rainfall year, has never dropped below a depth of: (a) 6 inches; (b) 12 inches; (c) 4 feet; (d) 18.362 inches.

3. Each September, the town of Groveland hosts the following event: (a) 49er fair; (b) 49er football practice; (c) 49er jubilee; (d) 49er festival.

4. The greatest contributing factor to the growth of Groveland in the early 1900's was: (a) the development of the Pine Mountain Lake area; (b) its proximity to Yosemite; (c) the development of the Tuolumne River Hetch-Hetchy water project; (d) the discovery of gold.

5. This person discovered gold in Groveland and nearby Big Oak Flat in 1848: (a) James Bond; (b) James Savage; (c) James Brown; (d) James Dean.

6. The Garrote Tree in Groveland is famous for what? (a) the Christmas lights that adorn it each holiday season; (b) children playing ring-around-the-rosie around it; (c) hoodlums being hung for their crimes on it; (d) tourists taking a nap in its shade.

7. Still a part of Groveland's famous Iron Door Saloon are it's original: (a) owners; (b) bathrooms; (c) iron doors; (d) lighting fixtures.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (c ) 3. (d) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (c) 7. (c)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Wikipedia - Groveland, Yosemite Gold Country - Groveland and Geocities - Groveland. Visit them when you get the chance.)

Labels: area information, broker, groveland, mother lode, quiz, real estate, test, tuolumne county, yosemite

  ¶ 2:27 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Tuolumne County Remember in school when you'd show up in a class and the teacher would say, "Put your books away and take your pencils out. It's a surprise quiz"? You loved those days, right? Well just to reminisce, I'm giving you a quiz today. This one's to test your knowledge of Tuolumne County. So here goes:

1. As a county in the Mother Lode, Tuolumne County is: (a) the second largest; (b) the third largest; (c) the largest; (d) tied for the largest.

2. When and where was gold first discovered in Tuolumne County? (a) in Sonora in 1850; (b) in Chinese Camp in 1849; (c) in Soulsbyville in 1852; (d) in Jamestown in 1848.

3. How much gold was yielded in dollars in Tuolumne County? (a) 600 million; (b) 1 billion; (c) 1.1 billion; (d) 100 million.

4. A "war" once broke out on a mountain near which Tuolumne County town? (a) Twain Harte; (b) Mi Wuk; (c) Sonora; (d) Chinese Camp.

5. The Tuolumne County town of Jamestown was founded by whom? (a) James in the Bible, a follower of Jesus; (b) the outlaw, Jesse James; (c) James Earl Jones; (d) Colonel George James, a San Francisco lawyer.

6. A gold mine runs directly below which Tuolumne County property? (a) Sugar Pine Realty in Jamestown; (b) the Willow Hotel in Jamestown; (c) the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora; (d) the Westside property in Tuolumne City.

7. Stealing a horse in the Tuolumne County city of Sonora in the middle 1800s could get a person what type of punishment? (a) a timeout; (b) no TV; (c) lashes and branding on the cheek; (d) go straight to bed after supper.

Answers: 1. (c) 2. (d) 3. (a) 4. (d) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (c)

(This test was developed and based on the Gold Rush Chronicles website.)

Labels: gold, gold mine, jamestown, mother lode, quiz, sonora, test, tuolumne county, twain harte

  ¶ 12:18 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Calaveras County Another quiz coming your way. This time, how much do you know about Calaveras County? Take the following quiz to find out...

1. Calaveras County, as a county in the Mother Lode, is thusly named due to what item that was discovered in abundance in the river:

(a) gold; (b) frankincense; (c) myrrh; (d) skulls.

2. The second biggest gold nugget in the world was discovered in Calaveras County. It weighed 160 lbs. and was found at:

(a) Angels Camp in 1848;
(b) San Andreas in 1848
(c) Carson Hill in 1854;
(d) Murphys in 1853.

3. Which authors made Calaveras County famous with their stories: "Jumping Frog of Calaveras" and "Outcasts of Poker Flat":

(a) Dr. Suess and Charles Schultz;
(b) C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein;
(c) John Grisham and Michael Crichton;
(d) Mark Twain and Bret Harte.

4. Which hotel in Calaveras County has bullet holes in the doorway due to a past gun battle and it's known for guests like Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant and Black Bart?

(a) Avery Hotel;
(b) Murphys Hotel;
(c) Dorrington Hotel;
(d) Victoria Inn.

5. In one 17-week period in the Gold Rush era there was an average of one murder per week in which Calaveras County town?

(a) Mokelumne Hill;
(b) Jackson;
(c) Arnold;
(d) Angels Camp.

6. Hangings took place on this tree in front of the courthouse located in the following Calaveras County town:

(a) San Andreas;
(b) Arnold;
(c) Murphys;
(d) Mokelumne Hill.

7. This famous rich man's father owned the Sheep Ranch Mine in San Andreas. This mine also contributed to his family's fortune:

(a) Bill Gates;
(b) William Randolph Hearst;
(c) Donald Trump
(d) King Solomon.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (a) 7. (b)

(This test was developed and based on the Gold Rush Chronicles website.)

Labels: angels camp, arnold, calaveras county, gold, gold mine, lake tulloch real estate, mother lode, quiz, real estate lake tulloch, test

  ¶ 12:15 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Twain Harte Coming at you with the "Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series again. This time the focus is Twain Harte. What do you know about this beautiful Mother Lode area town? Well, let's find out with the following quiz (you'll be able to check your answers below)...

1. The oldest area landmark in Twain Harte is: 

(a) the Twain Harte arch;
(b) "The Rock" restaurant;
(c) the Twain Harte Market;
(d) the large granite rock near the Twain Harte Lake Dam.

2. Which two famous author's last names were chosen to create the town of Twain Harte's name? 

(a) John Twain and Steve Harte;
(b) Steve Twain and John Harte;
(c) Bret Twain and Mark Harte;
(d) Mark Twain and Bret Harte.

3. In the middle 1800's, cattle roamed, apple and pear orchards stood and a watering place was maintained in which Twain Harte location of today? 

(a) Twain Harte Pool;
(b) Twain Harte Golf Course;
(c) Sugar Pine Realty office;
(d) where the Twain Harte Inn/Lodge once stood.

4. The Twain Harte wooden arch was built in:

(a) 1933; (b) 1934; (c) 1930; (d) 1900.

5. The Twain Harte Golf Course was constructed on this man's land in 1930. His share of the rent of the land was a whopping $1 per year!: 

(a) Mark Twain; (b) Ray Eproson; (c) Patrick Williams; (d) Bret Harte.

6. According to the 2000 census, the population of Twain Harte is approximately: 

(a) 3000; (b) 3900; (c) 2600; (d) 2000.

7. The town of Twain Harte owes most of its growth in the 1930s through early 50s to which real estate company? 

(a) Sugar Pine Realty; (b) Coldwell Banker; (c) Prudential; (d) Twain Harte Lodge Realty/Twain Harte Realty.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (b) & (d) 4. (a) 5. (b) 6. (c) 7. (d)

(This test was developed and based on information from the Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce website and the Wikipedia entry for Twain Harte.)

Labels: blog sonora, blogger sonora, california, mother lode, quiz, sonora, test, tuolumne county, twain harte

  ¶ 1:39 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Coulterville Coming at you again with what is now quiz #8 in the Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode series. Of the 8 Sugar Pine Realty offices that exist across the Mother Lode, the southernmost one is located in the town of Coulterville. Coulterville has a most interesting and intriguing history. Find out more about Coulterville with the following questions (answers below):

1. Coulterville sits at an elevation: (a) lower than Jamestown; (b) higher than Jamestown; (c) equal to Jamestown.

2. Coulterville would eventually be named after George W. Coulter who opened a store and hotel there in the early days of the California Gold Rush. Prior to being named Coulterville, the town was named: (a) Maxwellville; (b) Maxwell Bluff; (c) Maxwell Creek; (d) Maxwell Smart.

3. During the peak era of Coulterville’s history (c. 1870), what nationality made up one quarter of the town’s population of 4000? (a) Mexican; (b) Russian; (c) Chinese; (d) African.

4. In January 1862 much of California was affected by the following disaster which also wreaked havoc in Coulterville literally destroying numerous buildings: (a) earthquake; (b) tornado outbreak; (c) fire; (d) flooding.

5. Among the historical landmarks of Coulterville is the following hotel: (a) Hotel Charlotte; (b) National Hotel; (c) City and Fallon Hotel; (d) Hotel Jeffrey.

6. The amount of gold discovered near and about Coulterville during the California Gold Rush was approximately: (a) 100,000 ounces; (b) 1,000,000 ounces; (c) 100,000 lbs.; (d) 62,500 lbs.

7. Gold mining operations continued near and about Coulterville until: (a) the turn of the century (1900); (b) World War I; (c) World War II; (d) the Iraq War.

Answers: 1. (b) 2. (a) & (c) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (d) 6. (b) & (d) 7. (c)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Free Pages-Coulterville History, Coulterville-Untraveled Road, 2 Get Gold- Coultervile History, California Gold History and Mariposa County Wineries.)

Labels: coulterville, history, information, mariposa county, mother lode, quiz, test

  ¶ 12:14 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Jamestown Here comes another quiz in the "Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Jamestown, California. It has a fascinating past with the discover of gold at the center. After you're done you can check your answers below. Don't forget to click on the hyperlinks (in purple), too.

1. Gold was first discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848 in a Jamestown creek (Woods Creek) named after the following individual: (a) Elijah Wood; (b) Tiger Woods; (c) Natalie Wood; (d) Benjamin Wood.

2. Woods Creek was yielding some 40-60 ounces of gold per day at its height. At an average price at the time of $10.00 an ounce that equaled as much as $600.00. In comparison, the same amount of gold in today’s dollars would approximately be: (a) $430; (b) $4,300; (c) $43,000; (d) $430,000.

3. The largest gold nugget ever discovered in Woods Creek weighed a total of: (a) 7.5 ounces; (b) 75 ounces; (c) 7.5 pounds; (d) 75 pounds.

4. The town of Jamestown (or Jimtown as it was known early on) got its name from: (a) the outlaw, Jesse James; (b) Colonel George James, a San Francisco lawyer; (c) James Bond, the spy; (d) James in the Bible, a disciple of Christ.

5. This famous individual at one time actually owned a trading post and tavern in Jamestown: (a) Grizzly Adams; (b) John Adams; (c) Don Adams; (d) Kelly Adams.

6. The gold rush days eventually passed and like many other foothill towns, Jamestown suffered. It was this next “boom” that would pump new life into the town: (a) the opening of the Jamestown Sugar Pine Realty office; (b) the hanging of various criminals on a Main Street tree; (c) the construction of Highway 108; (d) the arrival of the Sierra Railroad.

7. Like some other Mother Lode towns, Jamestown’s history includes the following natural disaster destroying at least parts of the town more than once: (a) frogs; (b) flames; (c) fleas; (d) flies.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (d) 7. (b)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Jamestown, California History and Sierra Foothill Magazine – Jamestown.)

Labels: gold, history, information, jamestown, mother lode, quiz, sonora, test, tuolumne county, twain harte

  ¶ 1:37 PM 0 Comments

  Yosemite National Park: Test Your Knowledge Here comes another quiz in the "Test Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Yosemite National Park.

Of course, you've probably heard about Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, but there's just so much more to know about "the Incomparable Valley" as Yosemite Valley has been referred to.

Find out about the history of Yosemite and with the following questions (you can check your answers below)...

1. Yosemite Valley was formed long ago by:

(a) Noah's flood;
(b) an asteroid strike;
(c) a great earthquake;
(d) a massive glacier.

2. The numbers of visitors to Yosemite National Park annually is approximately:

(a) 3.5 million;
(b) 1 million;
(c) 1.5 million;
(d) 1.2 million.

3. What percent of the park is represented by Yosemite Valley itself (where Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, etc., are and most people visit and stay)?

(a) 10 percent;
(b) 1 percent;
(c) 15 percent;
(d) 12 percent.

4. A park bill protecting the Yosemite area was passed by Congress and then signed into law by which American President?

(a) Abraham Lincoln;
(b) John F. Kennedy;
(c) Ronald Reagan;
(d) Bill Clinton.

5. Native Americans occupied Yosemite Valley as long as:

(a) 800 years ago;
(b) 800,000 years ago;
(c) 8,000 years ago;
(d) 80,000 years ago.

6. When non-Indian peoples came upon Yosemite Valley in the middle 1800's, they and the Native Americans who were there:

(a) sat down and shared a Thanksgiving meal;
(b) suited up and played a game of football;
(c) embraced each other and couldn't figure out how they survived without each other for so long;
(d) began to fight between themselves which led to the Mariposa-Indian War.

7. In the early 20th century, a bitter struggle took place because this city wanted to dam the Tuolumne River inside Yosemite National Park so as to provide itself water to drink and hydroelectric power. This city would eventually get its way which led to the construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam:

(a) Fresno;
(b) Bakersfield;
(c) Sacramento;
(d) San Francisco.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (d) 7. (d)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Wikipedia - Yosemite and Yosemite - National Park Service.)

Labels: groveland, history, information, mother lode, national park, quiz, sonora, test, tuolumne county, twain harte, yosemite

  ¶ 2:04 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Copperopolis Coming at you again with quiz #9 in the Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode series. Copperopolis is a wonderful community just to the west of Jamestown and Sonora. Yes, it gets just a wee bit toasty in "Copper" in the summer months, but there’s so much more to Copperopolis than that! Let’s find out how much you know about it's history…

1. A large discovery of the following mineral was made in Copperopolis (duh!). It is also the town’s claim to fame: (a) silver; (b) gold; (c) salt; (d) copper.

2. The following person played an integral part in the discovery of copper in Copperopolis: (a) Hiram Hughes; (b) Howard Hughes; (c) Charles Evan Hughes; (d) Robert Hughes.

3. The copper of Copperopolis was a boom for the city. During the 1860s Copperopolis’ copper would be used for the following: (a) piping; (b) frying pans; (c) bullets/shells in the Civil War; (d) electrical wire.

4. The population of Copperopolis (according to the 2000 census) is approximately 2,300. During the boom time of the 1860s, the population was a whopping: (a) 10,000; (b) 23,000; (c) 5,000; (d) 20,000.

5. Copper would be mined from Copperopolis to be used in both World War I and World War II as well. The mines would eventually be closed in 1946. The amount and value of the copper mined in Copperopolis over the years is said to have been approximately: (a) 720 lbs. worth 1,200 dollars; (b) 7,200 lbs. worth 120,000 dollars; (c) 7,200,000 lbs. worth 1.2 million dollars; (d) 72,000,000 lbs. worth 12 million dollars.

6. Bricks used to build some of Copperopolis’ first buildings were gained from another Mother Lode town which had suffered a destructive fire: (a) Sonora; (b) Jamestown; (c) Columbia; (d) Groveland.

7. The following outlaw began his career just four miles east of Main Street in Copperopolis where he would make the first stagecoach robbery in the history of California wearing an old linen duster coat, two wheat bags over his legs, a flour sack over his head with eye holes cut into it and a hat that had a large point in the center like a clown: (a) Jesse James; (b) Black Bart; (c) Billy the Kid; (d) Al Capone.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (d) 6. (c) 7. (b)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Wikipedia - Copperopolis, Ghost Towns - Copperopolis, Saddle Creek - Historic Copperopolis and The California Gold Country.)

Labels: broker, calaveras county, copperopolis, history, information, lake tulloch, lake tulloch real estate, mother lode, murphys, quiz, real estate, real estate lake tulloch, realtor, san andreas, test

  ¶ 10:39 AM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Yosemite Yet another quiz in the "Test Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Yosemite National Park. What do you know about "the Incomparable Valley" as it's been referred to? Find out with the following questions (you can check your answers below)...

1. Yosemite Valley was formed long ago by: (a) Noah's flood; (b) an asteroid strike; (c) a great earthquake; (d) a massive glacier.

2. The numbers of visitors to Yosemite annually is approximately: (a) 3.5 million; (b) 1 million; (c) 1.5 million; (d) 1.2 million.

3. What percent of the park is represented by Yosemite Valley itself (where Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, etc., are and most people visit and stay)? (a) 10 percent; (b) 1 percent; (c) 15 percent; (d) 12 percent.

4. A park bill protecting the Yosemite area was passed by Congress and then signed into law by which American President? (a) Abraham Lincoln; (b) John F. Kennedy; (c) Ronald Reagan; (d) Bill Clinton.

5. Native Americans occupied Yosemite Valley as long as: (a) 800 years ago; (b) 800,000 years ago; (c) 8,000 years ago; (d) 80,000 years ago.

6. When non-Indian peoples came upon Yosemite in the middle 1800's, they and the Native Americans who were there: (a) sat down and shared a Thanksgiving meal; (b) suited up and played a game of football; (c) embraced each other and couldn't figure out how they survived without each other for so long; (d) began to fight between themselves which led to the Mariposa-Indian War.

7. In the early 20th century, a bitter struggle took place because this city wanted to dam the Tuolumne River inside Yosemite National Park so as to provide itself water to drink and hydroelectric power. This city would eventually get its way which led to the construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam: (a) Fresno; (b) Bakersfield; (c) Sacramento; (d) San Francisco.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (d) 7. (d)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Wikipedia-Yosemite and Yosemite - National Park Service

Labels: groveland, mother lode, national park, quiz, sonora, test, tuolumne county, twain harte, yosemite

  ¶ 11:39 AM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Christmas Sing with me: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling, And everyone telling you, “Be of good cheer,” It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” And I just can’t help but sing. The Christmas spirit’s got a hold of me and won’t let go. How ‘bout you? And I couldn’t help but think what better way to spread some more "good Christmas cheer” like the song says than for (did you guess?) another quiz? So how are you with the subject of Christmas – songs, traditions and other assorted facts? Find out with the following questions (answers below). And most of all, have a Merry Christmas, everybody.

1. Who wrote the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and in what year? (a) Eddie Pola, George Wyle in 1963; (b) James Lord Pierpont publ. 1857; (c) J. Fred Coots, Henry Gillespie in 1934; (d) Irving Berlin, 1942.

2. The names of the Magi/Wisemen/Astrologers in the Christmas story were: (a) Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego; (b) Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh; (c) Larry, Curly and Moe; (d) none of the above.

3. Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Which of the following stories did he look to for inspiration? (a) The Ugly Duckling; (b) A Christmas Carol; (c) It's a Wonderful Life; (d) Charlie Brown Christmas.

4. The big guy in the red suit and hat that says, "Ho, ho, ho," goes by many names including... (a) Tim Allen; (b) Saint Nick; (c) Father Christmas; (d) Kris Kringle.

Labels: carols, christmas, mother lode, quiz, santa claus, songs, test, traditions, tuolumne county

  ¶ 11:06 AM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Yosemite Yet another quiz in the "Test Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode" series. This time the focus is Yosemite National Park. What do you know about "the Incomparable Valley" as it's been referred to? Find out with the following questions (you can check your answers below)...

1. Yosemite Valley was formed long ago by: (a) Noah's flood; (b) an asteroid strike; (c) a great earthquake; (d) a massive glacier.

2. The numbers of visitors to Yosemite annually is approximately: (a) 3.5 million; (b) 1 million; (c) 1.5 million; (d) 1.2 million.

3. What percent of the park is represented by Yosemite Valley itself (where Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, etc., are and most people visit and stay)? (a) 10 percent; (b) 1 percent; (c) 15 percent; (d) 12 percent.

4. A park bill protecting the Yosemite area was passed by Congress and then signed into law by which American President? (a) Abraham Lincoln; (b) John F. Kennedy; (c) Ronald Reagan; (d) Bill Clinton.

5. Native Americans occupied Yosemite Valley as long as: (a) 800 years ago; (b) 800,000 years ago; (c) 8,000 years ago; (d) 80,000 years ago.

6. When non-Indian peoples came upon Yosemite in the middle 1800's, they and the Native Americans who were there: (a) sat down and shared a Thanksgiving meal; (b) suited up and played a game of football; (c) embraced each other and couldn't figure out how they survived without each other for so long; (d) began to fight between themselves which led to the Mariposa-Indian War.

7. In the early 20th century, a bitter struggle took place because this city wanted to dam the Tuolumne River inside Yosemite National Park so as to provide itself water to drink and hydroelectric power. This city would eventually get its way which led to the construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam: (a) Fresno; (b) Bakersfield; (c) Sacramento; (d) San Francisco.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (d) 7. (d)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Wikipedia-Yosemite and Yosemite - National Park Service.)

Labels: groveland, mother lode, national park, quiz, sonora, test, tuolumne county, twain harte, yosemite

  ¶ 4:10 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Calaveras County Another quiz coming your way. This time, how much do you know about Calaveras County? Take the following quiz to find out...

1. Calaveras County, as a county in the Mother Lode, is thusly named due to what item that was discovered in abundance in the river: (a) gold; (b) frankincense; (c) myrrh; (d) skulls.

2. The second biggest gold nugget in the world was discovered in Calaveras County. It weighed 160 lbs. and was found at: (a) Angels Camp in 1848; (b) San Andreas in 1848 (c) Carson Hill in 1854; (d) Murphys in 1853.

3. Which authors made Calaveras County famous with their stories: "Jumping Frog of Calaveras" and "Outcasts of Poker Flat": (a) Dr. Suess and Charles Schultz; (b) C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein; (c) John Grisham and Michael Crichton; (d) Mark Twain and Bret Harte.

4. Which hotel in Calaveras County has bullet holes in the doorway due to a past gun battle and it's known for guests like Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant and Black Bart? (a) Avery Hotel; (b) Murphys Hotel; (c) Dorrington Hotel; (d) Victoria Inn.

5. In one 17-week period in the Gold Rush era there was an average of one murder per week in which Calaveras County town? (a) Mokelumne Hill; (b) Jackson; (c) Arnold; (d) Angels Camp.

6. Hangings took place on this tree in front of the courthouse located in the following Calaveras County town: (a) San Andreas; (b) Arnold; (c) Murphys; (d) Mokelumne Hill.

7. This famous rich man's father owned the Sheep Ranch Mine in San Andreas. This mine also contributed to his family's fortune: (a) Bill Gates; (b) William Randolph Hearst; (c) Donald Trump (d) King Solomon.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (a) 7. (b)

(This test was developed and based on the Gold Rush Chronicles website.)

Labels: angels camp, arnold, calaveras county, gold, gold mine, lake tulloch real estate, mother lode, murphys, quiz, real estate lake tulloch, test

  ¶ 12:31 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Copperopolis To celebrate the grand opening of our newest Sugar Pine Realty office in Copperopolis, I'm coming at you again with quiz #9 in the Testing Your Knowledge of the Mother Lode series. (It's been a while since the last test. Did you miss me? Of course, you did!) Copperopolis is a wonderful community just to the west of Jamestown and Sonora. Yes, it gets just a wee bit toasty in "Copper" in the summer months, but there’s so much more to Copperopolis than that! Let’s find out how much you know about it's history…

1. A large discovery of the following mineral was made in Copperopolis (duh!). It is also the town’s claim to fame: (a) silver; (b) gold; (c) salt; (d) copper.

2. The following person played an integral part in the discovery of copper in Copperopolis: (a) Hiram Hughes; (b) Howard Hughes; (c) Charles Evan Hughes; (d) Robert Hughes.

3. The copper of Copperopolis was a boom for the city. During the 1860s Copperopolis’ copper would be used for the following: (a) piping; (b) frying pans; (c) bullets/shells in the Civil War; (d) electrical wire.

4. The population of Copperopolis (according to the 2000 census) is approximately 2,300. During the boom time of the 1860s, the population was a whopping: (a) 10,000; (b) 23,000; (c) 5,000; (d) 20,000.

5. Copper would be mined from Copperopolis to be used in both World War I and World War II as well. The mines would eventually be closed in 1946. The amount and value of the copper mined in Copperopolis over the years is said to have been approximately: (a) 720 lbs. worth 1,200 dollars; (b) 7,200 lbs. worth 120,000 dollars; (c) 7,200,000 lbs. worth 1.2 million dollars; (d) 72,000,000 lbs. worth 12 million dollars.

6. Bricks used to build some of Copperopolis’ first buildings were gained from another Mother Lode town which had suffered a destructive fire: (a) Sonora; (b) Jamestown; (c) Columbia; (d) Groveland.

7. The following outlaw began his career just four miles east of Main Street in Copperopolis where he would make the first stagecoach robbery in the history of California wearing an old linen duster coat, two wheat bags over his legs, a flour sack over his head with eye holes cut into it and a hat that had a large point in the center like a clown: (a) Jesse James; (b) Black Bart; (c) Billy the Kid; (d) Al Capone.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (d) 6. (c) 7. (b)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Wikipedia - Copperopolis, Ghost Towns - Copperopolis, Saddle Creek - Historic Copperopolis and The California Gold Country.)

Labels: broker, calaveras county, copperopolis, history, information, lake tulloch, lake tulloch real estate, mother lode, murphys, quiz, real estate, real estate lake tulloch, realtor, san andreas, test

  ¶ 2:13 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Murphys Coming at you again with another quiz. Of course, Sugar Pine Realty has an office to serve it's customers in Murphys in Calaveras County. But how much do you know of the history of that Mother Lode town? It's a "rich" history (no pun intended) just like for every town in the Mother Lode. (Actually, much gold was discovered in Murphys, too!) Find out how much you know about Murphys by trying to answer the following questions:

1. The town of Murphys was founded by and named after the following brothers (pick two): (a) John Murphy; (b) Eddie Murphy; (c) Daniel Murphy; (d) Audie Murphy.

2. How much gold was mined in Murphys and the surrounding area in the middle 1800s? (a) $20,000; (b) $200,000; (c) $2,000,000; (d) $20,000,000.

3. The town of Murphys was destroyed by this type of disaster three times in its early history (1859, 1874 and 1893): (a) mosquitoes; (b) indians; (c) fire; (d) earthquakes.

4. One of the oldest continually operating hotels in the state of California is the Murphys Hotel. Some of the folks who have stayed there include: (a) John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy; (b) Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain; (c) Bret Harte and John Muir; (d) Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

5. Among the many who were attracted to Murphys during the Gold Rush were the following (famous/infamous?) outlaws: (a) Frank and Jesse James; (b) Joaquin Murietta and Black Bart; (c) "Wild Bill" Hickok and Billy the Kid (d) Pretty Boy Floyd and the Dalton Gang.

6. The 2000 census had the town of Murphys at roughly 2000 in population. At the height of the Gold Rush era, the population of the town was approximately: (a) 3000; (b) 750; (c) 1500; (d) 1000.

7. A great celebration of heritage takes place each year in the town of Murphys. What heritage is highlighted? (a) Italian; (b) French; (c) Russian; (d) Irish.

Answers: 1. (a) & (c) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (b) 6. (a) 7. (d)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: Wikipedia entry for Murphys and History of Murphys.)

Labels: angels camp, arnold, bear valley, big trees state park, calaveras county, groveland, history, information, mother lode, murphys, national park, quiz, test

  ¶ 3:18 PM 0 Comments

  Test Your Knowledge of Christmas Sing with me: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling, And everyone telling you, “Be of good cheer,” It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” And I just can’t help but sing. The Christmas spirit’s got a hold of me and won’t let go. How ‘bout you? And I couldn’t help but think what better way to spread some more "good Christmas cheer” like the song says than for (did you guess?) another quiz? So how are you with the subject of Christmas – songs, traditions and other assorted facts? Find out with the following questions (answers below). And most of all, have a Merry Christmas, everybody (2 weeks to go!).

1. Who wrote the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and in what year? (a) Eddie Pola, George Wyle in 1963; (b) James Lord Pierpont publ. 1857; (c) J. Fred Coots, Henry Gillespie in 1934; (d) Irving Berlin, 1942.

2. The names of the Magi/Wisemen/Astrologers in the Christmas story were: (a) Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego; (b) Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh; (c) Larry, Curly and Moe; (d) none of the above.

3. Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Which of the following stories did he look to for inspiration? (a) The Ugly Duckling; (b) A Christmas Carol; (c) It's a Wonderful Life; (d) Charlie Brown Christmas.

4. The big guy in the red suit and hat that says, "Ho, ho, ho," goes by many names including... (a) Tim Allen; (b) Saint Nick; (c) Father Christmas; (d) Kris Kringle.

Labels: carols, christmas, mother lode, quiz, santa claus, songs, test, traditions, tuolumne county

  ¶ 11:15 AM 0 Comments