Angels Camp, CA…This presentation will focus on the Chinese immigrants who came to Amador and Calaveras Counties to search for riches and work in the 19th century. They faced pervasive hostility throughout the state and the mining areas. Yet these Chinese immigrants formed supportive communities where they maintained their culture. Ms. Zorbas will talk about Chinatowns in both counties, especially in Fiddletown where the Chew Kee Store tells the story of Chinese life through its artifacts and papers. The lecture is Sunday, March 4, 1:30 p.m. light refreshments, lecture 2 – 3 p.m. in the Museum’s Carriage House.

Elaine Zorbas is author of Banished and Embraced: The Chinese in Fiddletown and the Mother Lode (2015) and Fiddletown: From Gold Rush to Rediscovery (1997). Until March 1999, she headed the research department at Pasadena Public Library. She and her husband moved to Fiddletown in 2001, where they grow fruit and nuts. She holds a B.A. in History from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Southern California.

Cost: free for museum members, $10 non-members

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Located on a 3-acre site of the historic Angels Quartz Mine, the Angels Camp Museum dedicates collections to inspire understanding of the gold country history of Angels Camp and the Mother Lode region. We create opportunities for learning, discovery and bring to life the extraordinary stories of our country’s past.

Home to one of the largest collections of carriages and wagons in the nation, Angels Camp Museum is a destination. Take a walk in this historical park to explore both indoor and outdoor exhibits on Gold Rush-era mining, ranching, medicine; artisan interactive displays including a print shop, weaving loom, and carpenter’s shop; as well as a Mark Twain exhibit.

Sunday, March 4, 1:30 p.m. light refreshments, lecture 2 – 3 p.m. in the Museum’s Carriage House

753 S. Main Street, Angels Camp, CA 95222 | 209.736.2963 | angelscamp.gov/museum