Just when you think you know the history of California, along comes another piece of the story that you’ve never heard before! I’m pretty sure every fourth grader has learned about James Marshall’s 1848 discovery of gold in the American River; but the Holcomb Valley gold rush of 1860 was definitely news to me. In this episode of California’s Gold, Huell spends some time in a beautiful and secluded area of the San Bernardino Mountains, listening to tales of old California from local historian/master storyteller Tom Core.

Huell tours Holcomb Valley, just north of Big Bear, and learns about its gold mining history.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)