Museum open 10 - 2 Fri, Sat, and Sun.
Museum open 10 - 2 Fri, Sat, and Sun.
The Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum was a tremendous undertaking. However, STCHS has not been content with just Museum and Library construction. It has continued to work toward its goals of protecting and enhancing the appreciation of the area’s history.
Starting in the 2000s, it has continued to expand its collection of local historical items and artifacts with the generous contributions and assistance of local residents. To the present day, STCHS regularly receives, accessions, and catalogs numerous donations of valuable heirloom items and adds them to its records of local life. These include physical objects, such as personal and home items, and also photographs from treasured family albums.
Big Oak Flat is now a small community at the top of the Priest Grade, but 175 years ago, it was a booming town, the center of gold mining in southern Tuolumne County. Sadly, fires and the passage of time have destroyed nearly all the town's old buildings.
In 2007, the Cobden family of Big Oak Flat generously gave STCHS two of their historic properties. Most easily visible is the Wells Fargo Gamble Building (1852), a stone structure located on Highway 120 and enrolled in the National Register of Historic Places. Behind the Wells Fargo building is the family's 1900 wooden home, the Cobden House. STCHS is now responsible for the preservation of both structures. Conservation and restoration work is continuing.
In 2020, STCHS compiled and wrote a photographic history of Groveland and Big Oak Flat, published by Arcadia Publishing as part of its “Images of America” series. The culmination of years of effort to gather information from the community, the book contains over 200 photographs and tells the story of the area from its Native American origins, its swashbuckling Gold Rush days, to its current position as a leading gateway to Yosemite National Park.
Those interested can Interested can sign up to purchase the book by completing the form available via the link below. Online STCHS Book purchase. If preferred, those wanting to buy the book can use a PDF form to download, print, and send. In addition, the book will be on sale at the Museum gift shop as soon as possible.
18990 Highway 120, Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321 (209) 962-0300
Copyright © 2024, STCHS