Savas Publishing & Consulting Group

There's Gold in Them Thar Hills!

04/23/03

My wife Carol is amazing. (Please do not tell her I said that.)

Not only does she know the words to every song ever written (which can be an aggravating attribute), but she has a nose for selecting fabulous park destinations. And she outdid herself this Sunday past.

One of the perks of living in El Dorado Hills is that a short drive will get you almost anywhere worth visiting. The ocean, mountains, Tahoe--take your pick. For the Savas clan, outdoor sanctuaries rank high on the entertainment yardstick, and EDH is encircled by myriad of them.

In an attempt to inaugurate a family tradition, the Brothers Savas decided to do something memorable outdoors with our families this Easter and henceforth. At Carol's insistence, we inaugurated the FASP (First Annual Savas Pilgrimage) with a trip to Empire Mine State Historic Site in Grass Valley. Two vans, four adults, four kids, good food, and the obligatory Gameboy made the easy journey up Interstate 80 to Highway 49 North in Auburn. Twenty-four miles up 49 is Empire Street and the entrance to the park.

The site has quite a history. Within two years after Marshall's discovery of gold in 1848, the streambeds had been panned clean of much of the precious mineral. Interest skyrocketed anew when gold-bearing quartz was found in present-day downtown Grass Valley and where the current park is now located. Most of the gold, however, was below ground. Digging and blasting tons of rock to reach it required more capital and effort than the average miner could muster. By 1852, hundreds of claims were consolidated into the Empire Quartz Hill Company, which prospered under the ownership of entrepreneur William Bourn Sr., who acquired a controlling interest in 1869. He died by his own hand in 1874, and his son took over the operation.

This information and much more was gleaned in the modest but worthwhile Visitor's Center, which houses a spectacular display of mineral samples (many for sale), an interesting photo-based account of how gold was mined on a large scale, and several helpful park employees. With thirty minutes to spare before a tour of Empire Cottage (read mansion), we hiked the grounds. There is much to see.

Many of the mine's buildings still stand, and it is easy to garner the flavor of that lost era by walking up the small creaking staircases and peering into what once passed for a business office, workshop, or smelting furnace . The "shaft viewing area" is a must-see. There, men far braver than me once climbed aboard an elongated sleigh-like affair known as a "skip" for what must have been a spine-tingling descent into the steeply graded tunnel to their destination nearly one mile below the surface. The dizzying view into that rectangular abyss, where water still drips and forlorn echos haunt the shaft, is alone worth the drive. Another interesting exhibit is the Machine Shop, where long silent drills, giant lathes, and other once-indispensable bits of machinery reside. It still smells faintly of oil and leather.

If you have braved the steep mile-long walk and enjoyed Vikingsholm at Lake Tahoe, you will not be disappointed with Empire Cottage. William Bourn, Jr.'s imperial estate is breathtaking--an extraordinarily perfect amalgam (this was, after all, a gold mining operation--I had to get that word into the story!) of nature and architecture. The architect of this historic crown jewel was Willis Polk, the same genius who crafted the Bourn's exquisite Filoli estate south of San Francisco. Polk's acres of signature eye-catching symmetry include well-kept grounds, reflecting pools, impeccably placed stonework, and majestic gardens. The elegant "cottage" includes lovely period antiques, ornate woodwork--and a tantalizing glimpse at how the fabulously wealthy once lived. According to our guide, the park also offers tours of the mining operation itself, as well as living history programs that bring the Bourns and their servants to life.

By this time the kids were hungry, so we ambled back to the parking area, extracted our food baskets, and found a picnic table along one of the many hiking trails that wind through the more than 800 acres of state park land.

It was a perfect place to pass a perfect day.

------

For more information: Empire Mine, 10791 E Empire St, Grass Valley, CA 95945. (530) 273-8522.



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	There's Gold in Them Thar Hills! 04/23/03 My wife Carol is amazing. (Please do not tell her I said that.) Not only does she know the words to every song ever written (which can be an aggravating attribute), but she has a nose for selecting fabulous park destinations. And she outdid herself this Sunday past. One of the perks of living in El Dorado Hills is that a short drive will get you almost anywhere worth visiting. The ocean, mountains, Tahoe--take your pick. For the Savas clan, outdoor sanctuaries rank high on the entertainment yardstick, and EDH is encircled by myriad of them. In an attempt to inaugurate a family tradition, the Brothers Savas decided to do something memorable outdoors with our families this Easter and henceforth. At Carol's insistence, we inaugurated the FASP (First Annual Savas Pilgrimage) with a trip to Empire Mine State Historic Site in Grass Valley. Two vans, four adults, four kids, good food, and the obligatory Gameboy made the easy journey up Interstate 80 to Highway 49 North in Auburn. Twenty-four miles up 49 is Empire Street and the entrance to the park. The site has quite a history. Within two years after Marshall's discovery of gold in 1848, the streambeds had been panned clean of much of the precious mineral. Interest skyrocketed anew when gold-bearing quartz was found in present-day downtown Grass Valley and where the current park is now located. Most of the gold, however, was below ground. Digging and blasting tons of rock to reach it required more capital and effort than the average miner could muster. By 1852, hundreds of claims were consolidated into the Empire Quartz Hill Company, which prospered under the ownership of entrepreneur William Bourn Sr., who acquired a controlling interest in 1869. He died by his own hand in 1874, and his son took over the operation. This information and much more was gleaned in the modest but worthwhile Visitor's Center, which houses a spectacular display of mineral samples (many for sale), an interesting photo-based account of how gold was mined on a large scale, and several helpful park employees. With thirty minutes to spare before a tour of Empire Cottage (read mansion), we hiked the grounds. There is much to see. Many of the mine's buildings still stand, and it is easy to garner the flavor of that lost era by walking up the small creaking staircases and peering into what once passed for a business office, workshop, or smelting furnace . The "shaft viewing area" is a must-see. There, men far braver than me once climbed aboard an elongated sleigh-like affair known as a "skip" for what must have been a spine-tingling descent into the steeply graded tunnel to their destination nearly one mile below the surface. The dizzying view into that rectangular abyss, where water still drips and forlorn echos haunt the shaft, is alone worth the drive. Another interesting exhibit is the Machine Shop, where long silent drills, giant lathes, and other once-indispensable bits of machinery reside. It still smells faintly of oil and leather. If you have braved the steep mile-long walk and enjoyed Vikingsholm at Lake Tahoe, you will not be disappointed with Empire Cottage. William Bourn, Jr.'s imperial estate is breathtaking--an extraordinarily perfect amalgam (this was, after all, a gold mining operation--I had to get that word into the story!) of nature and architecture. The architect of this historic crown jewel was Willis Polk, the same genius who crafted the Bourn's exquisite Filoli estate south of San Francisco. Polk's acres of signature eye-catching symmetry include well-kept grounds, reflecting pools, impeccably placed stonework, and majestic gardens. The elegant "cottage" includes lovely period antiques, ornate woodwork--and a tantalizing glimpse at how the fabulously wealthy once lived. According to our guide, the park also offers tours of the mining operation itself, as well as living history programs that bring the Bourns and their servants to life. By this time the kids were hungry, so we ambled back to the parking area, extracted our food baskets, and found a picnic table along one of the many hiking trails that wind through the more than 800 acres of state park land. It was a perfect place to pass a perfect day. ------ For more information: Empire Mine, 10791 E Empire St, Grass Valley, CA 95945. (530) 273-8522.

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