Angels Camp, CA…The Angels Camp Museum Foundation invites you to join us for this very special lecture by Frank Tortorich who is considered by many as an authority on the history of the Carson River Route of the California Trail. $10/person.

Frank has been a student and researcher of the California Trail for the past 40 years. His published books are GOLD RUSH TRAIL, A Guide to the Carson River Route of the Emigrant Trail published in 1998 and Hiking the Gold Rush Trail, published in 2004. His newest book: JOHN A. “SNOWSHOE” THOMPSON, Pioneer mail carrier of the Sierra published in 2015. Snowshoe Thompson was 10 years in research and was the inspiration of Nina MacLeod. Both Frank and his wife Mary Ann have been volunteer historians working with the Amador Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest, on the Carson Pass segment of the Carson River Route of the California Trail since 1978.

Frank, a native of Jackson, California, retired in 1994 as a school administrator from the Amador County Unified School District. He is presently working seasonally for the Amador Ranger District of Eldorado National Forest as the Carson Pass Ranger. Among his other duties are consulting on historic topics and coordinating numerous Mormon youth handcart three-day re-enactment programs for the past seventeen years.He was employed as a Park Interpretive Specialist at Sutter’s Fort State Historical Park in Sacramento, CA, for ten years, and seven years was an instructor for the worldwide Elderhostel program (currently named Road Scholars) teaching classes on the west-ward migration and gold rush. For twenty-one year’s Frank lead all-day historic tours for Sorensen’s Resort in Hope Valley, on the Carson River Route of the California Trail.

In 2005, He and his friend James Carman were recipients of OCTA’s coveted “Merrill J. Mattes Writers of the Year Award” for their article on the research of the Big Tree Road. This road was built in 1856 from Hope Valley on Highway 88, via the “big tree” in what is now California State Big Trees Park, to Murphys on Highway 4. In 2013, OCTA honored Frank by bestowing its highest honor the “Greg Franzwa Meritorious Achievement Award.” This award was given in recognition for his many years of researching, teaching, writing and preserving the historical California Emigrant Trail.

On June 20, 2019, The Native Daughters of the Golden West honored Frank with their highest award, The CALIFORNIA IMAGE AWARD, for his years of research to preserve the history of California.

You won’t want to miss this lecture!