Tuolumne County Museum

Gold Country


In the former 1857 Tuolumne County Jail, you'll find this great little museum with a fortune’s worth of gold on display in the form of nuggets and gold-bearing quartz. Each of the former jail cells takes on a different theme, one of which is the little-told story of African Americans during the gold rush.

The museum also explores the story of former slave William Suggs, who set up a leather harness business, built a mansion in the town and successfully campaigned to overturn segregation in local schools.


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