"California State Mining and Mineral Museum." by California Department of Parks and Recreation , public domain
 | California State Mining and Mineral MuseumPark Property - California |
The California State Mining and Mineral Museum interprets the state's mineral resources and mining heritage. It is located in Mariposa on the Mariposa County fairgrounds. The big news of 1848 was the discovery of gold in California. This event created international interest and soon a mass immigration of fortune seekers and pioneers trekked their way to pan the streams for gold in the Sierra Nevada foothills. More than a century later, gold and legends of Old West mining continue to fascinate historians. Although this is one of California's newest state parks, the museum houses a collection that was started in 1865 in San Francisco — the official California State Mineral Collection, with over 13,000 minerals, rocks, gems, fossils, and historic artifacts. Recently returned (in 2000) is the popular crystalline gold "Fricot Nugget", weighing 201 troy ounces (6.25 kg) — the largest one found during the Gold Rush.
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location
maps
Boundary Map of the Mother Lode BLM Field Office in California. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Vintage 1947 USGS 1:250000 map of Mariposa in California. Published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Vintage 1947 USGS 1:250000 map of San Jose in California. Published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
brochures
Brochure of California State Mining and Mineral Museum in California. Published by California Department of Parks and Recreation.
Brochure (español) of California State Mining and Mineral Museum in California. Published by California Department of Parks and Recreation.
