Downtowns in the 209 - 2024

THE SQUARE IN COPPEROPOLIS KNIGHTS FERRY’S OLD TIME CHARM

SLICE OF HEAVEN IN ANGELS CAMP HIDDEN WONDERS OF PLYMOUTH

Stewart & Jasper

A family run business since 1948 and located in California’s Central Valley, our philosophy is to give our customers the finest quality products by controlling every aspect of production, from the Orchard to the Marketplace - from the ground up. We specialize in gourmet California almond products for every occasion including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, corporate gifts, welcome bags, VIP gifts and so much more.

• Closed Sunday 1700

PUBLISHER

Hank Vander Veen

EDITOR

Sabra Stafford

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Teresa Hammond

Marg Jackson

Sabra Stafford

ART DIRECTOR

Harold L. George

SALES & MARKETING

Beth Flanagan

Rich Matheson

Corey Rogers

SPECIAL CONSULTANT

Larry Dovichi

For this issue of Downtowns of the 209 we turned our eye towards some of the smaller downtowns in the 209 and found some great treasures in these downtown districts.

Downtowns are where people come together to eat, drink, shop, learn, explore, and be entertained, all of which helps a community form its identity.

This is particularly true for the downtowns in this issue. Plymouth’s downtown reflects the region’s connection to wine with the eateries bringing guests an eclectic variety and is a quaint way to indulge your taste buds.

The Square in Copperopolis gave this old mining town a new resurgence of dining and shopping excursions in an inviting environment.

Knights Ferry has so many connections to its history, from the covered bridge to the old-fashioned ice cream parlor that it is impossible to not be beguiled by its charm.

Angels Camp’s downtown offers visitors so much history to learn from the Gold Rush to jumping frogs.

Please join us in supporting the local businesses, governments and organizations that make up the Downtowns of the 209. Hank Vander Veen

COPPEROPOLIS

Fun to be found at Copperopolis

By TERESA HAMMOND

OThe town of Copperopolis got its name from the copper lode discovered in 1860 that helped provide ammunitions for soldiers during the Civil War.

ne need not travel far in the 209 to find the quaintness of The Square at Copper Valley in Copperopolis. The drive is scenic with breath taking views of rolling hills and countryside. With a population just under 4,000 the town offers a variety of things to do whether it be a couples outing, family get away or just an individual looking for some rest and relaxation.

A mining town of Calaveras County, founded in 1860, Copperopolis became not known for gold like all the other towns of Calaveras but for copper. The town of Copperopolis (originally called Copper Canyon) got its name from the copper lode discovered in 1860 that helped provide ammunitions for soldiers during the Civil War. The discovery of copper in 1860 resulted in Copperopolis cropping up out of the rolling hills. Business establishments swelled in number from 28 in 1861 to over 90 by 1865. The town’s short-lived importance ended with an 1867 fire that left the center of town smoldering in charcoal ruins. Cop-

peropolis didn’t completely rebuild because of decreased demand for copper with the conclusion of the war, high transportation costs and an exhausted copper supply. A resurgence in copper mining occurred in the 1880s when Oakes Ames of Boston purchased the Union Mine and placed it back into production. This time, however, a smelter was built on site. Copper mining continued on and off until the 1930s. Copperopolis is also known as the place frequented by famous stage coach robbery Charles Boles, AKA, Black Bart. While living in San Francisco he conducted the robbery of the Sonora-Milton stage at the same location on nearby Funk Hill 10 years apart. His last robbery east of Copperopolis on Nov. 3, 1883, would lead to his arrest and trial in San Andreas. Bolton spent six years in San Quentin State Prison. His whereabouts have been debated for over a century since he was released in 1888. One theory is that he lived out his dying years in Marysville under the alias of Charles Wells.  Copper is no longer the bread and butter

of Copperopolis. In 1996 real estate developer Castle & Cooke built the semiprivate Saddle Creek Golf Resort and later the Town Square, a commercial development with retail and restaurant space as well as apartments. The development was sold to Copper Valley LLC in November 2018 and renamed The Square at Copper Valley.

Designed around a traditional, pedestrian-friendly town square, the brick architecture and covered walkways harken back to another era yet provide a modern retail setting.

The Gateway Hotel serves as the anchor of the square set in the center of the eateries and shops. Offering old world charm with its brick façade and statuesque columns. The hotel’s clock tower adds to the overall charm of the Square.

From standard rooms to suites, each of the rooms offer a unique layout as well as views of the surrounding foothills. Those surrounding foothills provide numerous opportunities for outdoor fun, including hiking, skiing, biking and fishing in the nearby Lake Tulloch. The hotel offers wine-tasting packages and is convenient to the Golf Club at Copper Valley. The Gateway

On Saturdays and Sundays, the café has a five-pound version of the dish that is known as the Cheech and Chimichonga challenge.

also hosts Tesla charging stations as well as a pool for the guest looking to recharge and cool off.

Be it wine tasting at the Tipsy Frog Wine Bar or grabbing a bite to eat from Griff’s Barbecue and Grill or Baldi’s Copper Valley Café, the Square offers a variety for the pickiest of diners.

The Tipsy Frog Wine Bar carries more than 200 wines from local, regional and international wineries, with the list continually revolving. They also offer gourmet cheese plates to pair with the wines.

Griff’s Barbecue and Grill is a restaurant and full bar located in the

Square with traditional barbecue cuisine including burgers, ribs and pulled pork sandwiches.

Gold Dust Pizza in the Square has a well-earned reputation for serving up some of the best pizza in the region by using fresh ingredients and keeping to the family recipes that have made it a successful eatery for more than three decades.

Baldi’s Copper Valley Café offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with extensive menu options for each meal. One popular option is the Cheech and Chimichonga, which is filled with bacon, sausage, ham, cheddar cheese, potatoes and three egss and topped with sausage gravy. On Saturdays and Sundays, the café has a five-pound version of the dish that is known as the Cheech and Chimichonga challenge.

Not desiring a full meal yet looking for something cool and sweet in the summer heat? Head over to Copper’s Ice Cream & Candy and enjoy handcrafted ice cream or a beverage with a sweet confection.

It’s not just about food, beverages and the sweet tooth at the Square however. The quaint center also hosts a number of pampering stops including spas, nail salons and body treatment salons. Just the perfect stop for the visitor needing true rest and relaxation.

If your plans include any kind of outdoor activity, then a stop at Gateway Adventure Co., in the Square is worth a stop. The store offers camping gear, bicycles, e-bikes, kayaks, rods, bait, tackle, inflatable standup paddle boards and much more. They can also help book many different outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, photography, hiking, biking, watersports, painting classes, farm to fork and ranch experiences, wine tours and winter sports.

Copperopolis may prove to be the perfect respite for those looking to sit back, relax and take in the beauty as well as the slower pace of the foothills.

Old time charm bursts through in Knights Ferry

By MARG JACKSON

IWhile it’s worth the short drive anytime, summer is definitely when the population swells, especially on the weekends.

t has the oldest operating general store in California. There’s a Community Club House that serves as a gathering place. It has played host to multiple Civil War re-enactments over the years and is home to the iconic Pumpkin Roll the Sunday after Halloween. The ice cream parlor is always a popular spot. There’s even an art gallery. And it sits along the picturesque Stanislaus River.

If those aren’t reasons enough to explore downtown Knights Ferry, don’t forget about the historic covered bridge, the longest west of the Mississippi, which was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2012.

The small community, established in 1848, is off Highway 108/120 just a few miles east of Oakdale. And while it’s worth the short drive anytime, summer is definitely when the population swells, especially on the weekends.

More than one river rafting company does good business on the Stanislaus,

with the rafts going in at the Stanislaus River Park area adjacent to the Army Corps of Engineers visitors center. The center features displays and information about the region and visitors can also tour the remains of an old mill or hike in the hills above the river.

The covered bridge is currently closed to pedestrian traffic while undergoing repairs though it still makes a perfect backdrop for photos. And strolling from one end of the main street through town to the other doesn’t take too long, but there’s plenty to pique your interest along the way.

At one end stands The River’s Edge restaurant, which not only has ample space for indoor dining but an expansive outdoor covered patio and a veranda outfitted with comfortable chairs. The lawn slopes down to – appropriately –the river’s edge, where diners can take in the calming waters of the Stanislaus flowing by.

Gwen Hoyt of Walnut Creek was

relaxing there recently, taking advantage of the comfortable chair and the serene setting before eating lunch at the restaurant.

My son-in-law first brought us here a couple of years ago … it’s just beautiful, especially right now with all the green. We all love the area.

“We were at a wedding yesterday in Coulterville and we had lots of family come in,” she said, adding that they wanted to make a stop in Knights Ferry on the return trip. “My son-in-law first brought us here a couple of years ago … it’s just beautiful, especially right now with all the green. We all love the area.”

The red building close by to the restaurant is the Knights Ferry Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1 – no longer operating as a firehouse but with some unique equipment inside.

The Knights Ferry Fire House No. 2, a little further down the street, today is classified as Station 29 in the Oakdale Fire Protection District. The Washington Hotel is a destination for wedding parties or those looking to vacation along the river. The Community Club House, established in 1923, is the host site for a number of community gatherings and is also available to rent for private events. There is a small post office, tucked in behind the Knights Ferry Creamery ice cream parlor, with the Knights Ferry Museum upstairs in the same building and

a small art gallery around the back.

On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon, Daniel Knell and his daughter Maverick, 5, were enjoying some ice cream cones, while dogs Mae and Macie sunned themselves on the porch outside the ice cream parlor. They were in Knights Ferry for the day with friend Mike Colwell, from Manteca, who proposed to his girlfriend by the covered bridge just before they all headed to the Creamery for a celebratory treat. Girlfriend Danielle Shehadeh –from Southern California – said “yes.”

“We’ve rafted here before,” Colwell said of choosing to propose near the river.

The Creamery itself is a family-run business, with Heather Voortman, her daughter Dakota – a sophomore in college – and her mom Susan Glidewell overseeing the operation and keeping the doors open almost year-round.

“We close for a month for Christmas break only because we are a small family business,” Heather Voortman said. “We do extend our hours as summer approaches.”

A couple who recently moved to Modesto from Chicago, Marcella and Philip Oglesby, stopped in for some refreshment after spending a little time exploring the area.

“We love it,” Marcella said. “We went on a little hike and it’s so sweet, seeing nature and

lot of families.”

And family is what is also important to Voortman, as she loves to see people enjoy their time in the community, whether they are there for river rafting, touring the museum or just getting away for a day.

“Honestly, it is the interaction with people and being a part of people’s memories,” she said of what she likes the most about operating The Creamery. “I’m honored to be a part of that.”

At the General Store – which has been in operation since 1852 – you can find everything from fishing tackle to corn bread mix, Knights Ferry T-shirts to potato chips. On the wall behind the counter is an antique phone, with a separate earpiece and a rotary dial, which is still operational.

And if you step through the back, you enter Rick’s Saloon,

“I love the people. “It has been so fun to just be part of a small community like this; it’s definitely something special.”

which is well known for its libations, conversation and good food.

For residents Jared and Ali Krick– who live in what used to be the Knights Ferry Hotel, established in 1854 – moving there in June of 2023 was a sort of a homecoming.

The home he now lives in as an adult was the first place Jared lived after he was born. His parents had an antique store in one of the rooms of the house and his dad also built a shop on the property.

“It was really neat for us to come back here and be part of this,” he said.

Jared also said he considers the front porch as one of his “favorite rooms in the house” because he can sit on the porch and talk to everybody that comes by.

“I love the people,” Ali agreed. “It has been so fun to just be part of a small community like this; it’s definitely something special.”

Jared pointed to the variety of amenities in Knights Ferry, from the restaurant to the hiking trails and the river, the ice cream parlor to the saloon, all being a big draw and providing a little something for everyone coming in to spend a few hours. It is, in fact, almost like taking a step back in time.

“It’s a different pace of life. We’ve lived in big cities and smaller towns but this town, there’s something very unique to it, there’s kind of a charm, almost a spirit to it,” Jared explained. “It’s really quiet during the week and on the weekends, it gets busier but there’s a cool spirit when people come through here.”

ANGEL’S CAMP

A little slice of heaven downtown Angel’s Camp

WAngels Camp is also home to Altaville School, one of the oldest and best preserved little red school houses in the state.

hile Angels Camp is best known for famous visitor Mark Twain and his story of the “Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras,” there’s more than just frogs in this Gold Rush town.

For travelers looking to delve into Gold Rush history, there’s no better place to start than the Angels Camp Museum. The 3-acre historical park features one of the largest collections of carriages and wagons in the nation, two steam traction engines and exhibits highlighting mining equipment such as an overshot waterwheel in its original location, a hydraulic monitor, drills, ore carts and even a working model of a famous stamp mill.

The museum also features Mark Twain and Medicine in the Gold Rush exhibits.

The museum offers a free scavenger hunt for children, with a prize at the end, and a gold panning experience.

Angels Camp is also home to Altaville School, one of the oldest and best preserved little red school houses in the state, and the Sam Choy Chinese Mercantile tells the story of the Chinese culture in the town.

Angels Camp is one of the most picturesque historic downtowns in California’s Gold Country. Historic downtown Angels Camp is home to charming, boutique shops, the Calaveras Visitors Center, a bakery, two restaurants and the Utica Hotel,

which is currently undergoing restoration. Stroll Main Street using our historic walk tour map in the back of the Calaveras Visitors Guide, and enjoy the Frog Hop of Fame.

The Frog Hop of Fame is not only a fun attraction, it’s a glimpse through history into the tradition of frog naming and it’s a demonstration of family dedication to the contest. There are multiple wins by several families over the years, there are crazy and creative frog names, and there are impressive jumps. There is also one plaque with a peculiar jump length in honor of the frog from the famous story. We will let you discover its unique attribute and location.

Lemon Tree Bakery Coffee Shop is a one-stop shop for coffee and baked good needs. They have everything from scones, muffins, fresh bagels, cookies and homemade bread.

Pickled Porch Cafe offers a huge selection of delicious smoked tri-tip, chicken, and turkey sandwiches and salads. Enjoy an amazing bloody mary, margarita, or glass of wine or craft beer on the porch while watching small town life quietly do its thing.

Angels Creek Cafe serves up casual American, homestyle food seven days a week in a cozy, homey atmosphere. Reviewers rave about the gravy here.

PLYMOUTH

Discover the hidden wonders of downtown Plymouth

By SABRA STAFFORD

When visitors come to the roundabout on Highway 49 in Plymouth, city leaders have one bit of advice: Turn left.

Downtown Plymouth is homey and quaint and a safe place to visit. And there is more in the works.

That left turn will take visitors into downtown Plymouth where they will find some truly delectable dining, first-class wines, some unique shopping opportunities, places to lay their head down for an overnight stay and plenty of Plymouth history.

“Downtown Plymouth is homey and quaint and a safe place to visit,” said Plymouth City Manager Dana Knight. “And there is more in the works.”

Downtown Plymouth is a California history buff’s dream venue. The city and the rotary clubs has created the Main Street Stroll to give visitors a peek into the area’s history via the buildings on Main Street. Each marker placed on Main Street in Plymouth has stories and pictures of the buildings from the past and the people who were associated with the building. The QR code on the markers allows visitors to

see and hear the history. It was funded by Rotary, the Plymouth Foothill Rotary, and the City of Plymouth.

One location on the Main Street Stroll is the old Wheeler Store, which was built in 1924 by Lester Wheeler, the grandson of Stephen Wheeler, the original founder of the Alpine Mine. The original building was made of wood but Lester, perhaps learning from previous fires, replaced it with brick in 1938. The building still has the original wooden floors and posts. After the Wheeler Store it became the home of the Studebaker Quality Market and is now office space. Another historical marker designates the location of the old Arcade Bar and later the Sportsman Club. The Arcade Bar opened in 1914. It is rumored that during Prohibition the soda fountain and candy store were merely a front for the speakeasy operating in the backroom.

In the 1940s, brothers Louis and Mervin Hatchett bought the place and operated it as the Sportsman Club. This popular establishment continued until the 1980s, when

it closed down and the building fell into disrepair. In the 2000s, Mark and Tracey Berkner bought the building and undertook a major renovation, including the mahogany bar and have opened it as Taste Restaurant and Wine Bar.

Tracey and Mark Berkner have taken on a mission to save and bring a new life to some of the older buildings around Amador County. They purchased the St. George Hotel in Volcano in 1997 and transformed it into a sought-out dining locale.

They opened Taste in 2006 with a New American style cuisine that focuses on seasonality and local wines, fusing together the flavors of Asian, Middle Eastern, French, Mediterranean, Italian, American south and Latin dishes.

A perpetually-popular item on Taste’s menu are the Mushroom Cigars. This small bite appetizer has crimini, shitake, and oyster mushrooms with fresh herbs, and goat cheese that are wrapped in a phyllo porcini.

The Taste Burger is another favorite

among guests. It is topped with bacon jam, goat cheese aioli, arugula and mushrooms and is served with truffle fries.

Taste has an extensive beer and wine list, with selections highlighting the numerous wineries in the region.

Taste is located at 9402 Main Street.

Downtown Plymouth has several other dining options to treat locals and visitors. Fig Barn Inc. is a newly opened coffee café with an impressive array of sweet treats, along with an upscale menu of sandwiches, salads, breakfast selections, grazing boards and wines from the region. Fig Barn is located at 9506 Main Street.

Tin Roof Wine Café has an excellent selection of boutique wines and craft beers and a menu that focuses on far to fork and small eats like the harvest charcuterie board, bread plate with either olive oil or hummus and the fresh berry salad. Tin Roof Wine Café is located at 9414 Main Street.

Plymouth Hotel and Kitchen Bar is a family-run business that is

dedicated to giving the community and visitors a unique dining experience with a multi-cultural menu and craft cocktails. The menu includes wood-fired pizzas and house favorites like lumpia, nacho taters and street tacos. The name is a throwback to the history of the building and is not an operating hotel. It is located at 9356 Main Street.

For those who are looking for a place to stay in downtown Plymouth to grab some needed rest, they’ll find such

a location at Rest, at 9372 Main Street. A boutique hotel that the Berkners opened in 2016. The couple renovated two old neighboring buildings in downtown Plymouth to create a contemporary lodging of 16 rooms, each with their own unique look. They also offer special amenities like a delicious arrangement of breakfast foods, a nightly happy hour and s’mores kits to use over the outdoor fire pits. Rest also offers special add-on packages like in-room massages and private dinners and wine tastings.

For some unique shopping in downtown Plymouth, check out the Makers Market every second Saturday in the pop-up plaza in downtown Plymouth. At Thanksgiving, the plaza is the site for the Harves Festival and at Christmas there is a special market featuring local vendors and carriage rides.

Known as the Gateway to the Shenandoah Valley, many visitors to Plymouth are familiar with the delights that lay to the right of the roundabout, but every so often, try making that left turn.