Historic Columbia: 1850s Town used as Movie Location

Last May I spent a weekend with my brother and his wife in Columbia for the “ Columbia Diggins Tent Town 1852” event. The reenactors teach people about how they lived back then. The event brings in a lot of people. We stayed in the City Hotel that was built in 1852 across the street from the house that was used in High Noon. Jeff you should return to Columbia in May and do a video on the tent town event. I’m sure your viewers would find it interesting.

Your videos should be mandatory to watch for high schoolers. Great one again sir.

Shadow Riders is one of my favorite movies. I adored Tom Selleck, Ben Johnson & Sam Elliott

. I like to imagine an old historic place like this in it's prime, and with population of 25 thousands? Those small dirt roads must have been flowing with carriages and people. The rustic houses look so cozy, with so much history.

Good morning from Lodi, California. My wife and I go to Columbia, to have pizza. Thank you for your videos.

Great video! My dad was the stunt double for Jeff osterhage. I went to the cast party and got to meet Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot when I was a little kid

I was raised in Fremont, but when my folks moved there in 1951 it was called Irvington. It was dairy farms and orchards. No interstates, just two-lane roads/highways. I've been to Columbia many times throughout my life. I enjoyed this video very much, you brought back great memories for me. I love your program and always look forward to your subject matter. Please keep on producing and sharing. Len

I really like these visits to old towns. The way they did things required hard work unlike today where a push of a button will do the same. Thanks for the great tour Jeff .

Thank you Jeff and Sarah. With all the current events happening, the dunce caps would have to be bulk ordered by the schools! Thanks again for the tour!

Thanks Jeff, I live in Northern California and have been to Columbia a number of times. It and the surrounding area are truly historic, incredibly interesting and beautiful. The entire gold country area has so much history from the mid 1800s. We also have friends and family in the area. My wife and I were married 40years ago in Sutter Creek in the gold country about an hour away from Columbia. We try to visit the Sonora area whenever we drive to Yosemite. So many wonderful memories. There's a ton of history everywhere one looks in the Gold Country.

Columbia has been a special place for me since childhood. I really cherish your videos about Columbia, and all of your Gold Country videos in general (and all of your videos, for that matter). Until today, I had no idea that Columbia started as a mining camp. Thank you for the time and effort put into these videos. I only get to the Gold Country once a year, if I’m lucky, so it’s nice getting to see them through the lens. Take care, Jeff and Sarah.

I only live 3 miles away from Columbia and went to Columbia elementary school, Thank you for the time you took to put this vid together. Today the Charlie (St. Charles) has some of the greatest pizza available, the Nelson candy kitchen is also a great place to visit. My grandmother Elvira Queirol went to the old school, and I have several relatives buried in all of the nearby cemetery's. I remember taking a six pack of beer to my buddy that was the "Bandit" that held up the stage, we were 16 or 17.

My dad was raised halfway between Columbia and Twain Harte in a little place called Jupiter on Italian Bar Rd. He attended school in Columbia. It was only about 15 miles to get to school but took a little more than an hour to drive back in the 40"s and 50's. They later moved to Shaw's Flat in the 60's. My mother's side of the family operated a sawmill around White Pines/Arnold. I was born in San Andreas but lived in Angels Camp and then Altaville. I've watched The Shadow Riders several times. Great movie! Love your videos and content! Keep them coming!!

I ❤ COLUMBIA !!! Thanks for taking us along and teaching us things I never knew about that wonderful old town !!

I lived near Twain-Harte and worked in Sonora from 1969-71. My aunt and uncle lived in Columbia at the time so I spent a fair amount of time there. The state was encouraging people to undertake their business activities in the historic downtown. Melores had a candy store I remember and there was a soda fountain, both on the main street running through town. Further down that street, on the opposite side, was the barber shop. There was a barber there who was of retirement age and apparently didn't need to make a "modern wage" because he would cut my hair for 50 cents (the same price that a haircut cost in the 1850s). My uncle worked for California State Parks and was involved in the 1960 restoration of the Columbia schoolhouse. He told me at the time that they didn't want to use modern window glass in restoration because it would not have the wavy texture that old glass did. They found a wealth of "old glass" at the Folsom State Prison. So they put modern glass in the windows at the prison and took the glass from the prison and installed it in the Columbia Schoolhouse.

Hi Jeff, I was in that area in the 1950s to 70s. A lot of classic buildings there. Kind of reminded me of the old Knott's berry farm back then. A few açtors there too, met a few Character actors like Ben Johnson but don't remember much about it since that was over 50 years ago. Your episodes are the best I have seen in years. Please do more on those old towns where movies have been made in California. Thank You Jeff& Sarah!

Since I live in the area, I have helped to chaperone many school field trips to Columbia. (One year, my group of teenage boys I thought were staying just far enough ahead of me that I wasn't seeing them...turns out, they took off and went to Columbia Airport!) That was my last year of volunteering to chaperone. But year after year, I'm constantly amazed at the amount of tourists that come to Columbia. Thank you for this episode, I learned a lot I didn't know.

Had Family who lived in Murphys always made sure to stop by Columbia. 👍

We miss Columbia so much. That was one of our favorite places to visit in Gold Country. We’d spend a weekend just driving through and stopping in Columbia. Thanks Jeff! I’m gonna go cry a little now…your biggest Tennessee (formerly California) fans!♥️

Love all of Louis LaMoure. Have all the books and movies