Columbia, California, USA
Sites: Columbia old town (Jack Douglass Saloon, Old Schoolhouse)
Part of the Missions and Gold Rush 2025 series
2026-01-11
If you want full-blown gold rush town recreation, that's Columbia.
The entire town, designated as a California state park, was recreated to look like an old boom town from the 1840's era. The buildings had a dated brick and wood construction. The activities were also antiquated, such as panning for gold and horse-drawn carriage rides. It was not entirely Disneyfied, rather, it did lend itself to a bustle that old towns may have had in the past. Even some of the street performers looked like they were out of place and time.
We stop by James Douglass Saloon (which had just re-opened like 3 days ago on the time of going). I got a bottle of sarsaparilla -- a root beer like beverage. While sipping it, I get a strange sense of deja vu, like I've been here before. I'm pretty sure that in the fourth grade, as part of our general curriculum, we would have to come to gold rush towns to pan for gold and experience pioneer life. It's totally embedded into California history and schools.
Further on the outskirts of town is the old schoolhouse. To get there, we have to walk up a hill outside of the main curated area. It's pretty steep (more on this later). On the way up, we also see some modern houses -- those that belong to the current residents of Columbia. These houses look more like the suburban variety I am used to seeing.
The building is well preserved with its original structure still intact. Inside is the subtle curation of an old classroom that is plain as chips.
As we leave, we see an older lady beckoning people in holding flyers. She greets us with a smile, and tell us about her shop -- Columbia Mercantile 1855. Turns out, she owns the shop and runs it alongside her South African husband. Before entering, she gives us a brief history of Columbia and also the store. She starts with why there is such a steep hill to the schoolhouse: most of the curated old town was actually built lower since it was on ground that was chipped away from gold mining. She then moves onto telling us about her shop and how she's trying to reinvigorate local businesses into the town by starting with the simplest unit -- a grocers (mercantile). Back in the day, Columbia was cosmopolitan from the settlers from different parts of the world coming here to strike it rich. To honour that history, she curates various international goods at reasonable prices to help draw interest to the shop. It was refreshing to see a business with this perspective nestled in a historic setting.
While the outside is an unassuming brick building, inside is a dainty curation of these goods done in an old-town way. I didn't get a picture of the exterior, but here's the interior:
On the way out, we hear the clacking of hooves to the ground: the carriage is just drawing in. A slow drizzle begins. With the rain starting and dusk approaching soon, we skirt off to the last town: Angel's Camp.
