Angels Camp

Like many towns, Angels Camp has a downtown and a section of strip malls and big (-ish) box stores. Today we have a look about the traditional "town" part. As in the case of most of these places along hwy 49, there are antique stores filled to the brim with things I don't need.

But you know that you are in Angels Camp when you look down at the sidewalk. Just as Hollywood honors famous entertainers, here the honor goes to the jumping frogs of Calaveras County. These are really some special frogs to jump over 19 feet.

While most of the building here are old, very few (if any) date from the time of establishment printed on the front. There have been an endless string of fires in all these small towns and even places that have operated continuously, the places have been rebuilt many times.

Angels Hotel, which is of course no longer a hotel, is the place that Mark Twain first learned of the stories floating about that led to his famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. This is one that put him on the map and jump started (pun intended) his career.

And what would a western town be without an Oddfellows lodge?

If I could have, I'd have moved the truck before I took the photo of the theater, but it wasn't up to me.