Ghost Towns of Northern California (Pictorial Discovery Guide) (Paperback)

~ (Author), John Drew (Photographer), Susan Drew (Photographer) "Coloma is the logical place to begin California's Gold Rush history, since it was in Coloma, on January 24, 1848, that James Marshall peered into..." (more)
Key Phrases: hardrock mining, primary deposits, quartz mining, State Route, Gold Rush, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Varney has mastered the art of writing books on ghost towns of the West, having authored such guides as Ghost Towns of Colorado and Southern California's Best Ghost Towns. In his latest volume, he once again combines the elements of an interesting narrative blending the personal with the historical with excellent photographs that provide a glimpse of both the past and the present. Varney also includes the necessary tourist information pertaining to museums, tours, maps, and directions. The result is an outstanding travel guide to northern California's 50 deserted mining towns, plus the "ghost prison" of Alcatraz and a couple of Chinese fishing villages in the San Francisco Bay area, that also serves as a good supplement to books on the gold rush. Recommended for all public libraries in California and for larger libraries in the rest of the country. John McCormick, New Hampshire State Lib., Concord
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"No one knows ghosts towns--nor what ghost town lovers want to know about them--like Philip Varney." -- Tony Hillerman

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896584429
• ISBN-13: 978-0896584426
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #451,915 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Illustrated Guide for the Ghost Town Lover!, June 29, 2003

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

I am a native Californian, although I have lived in Boston for many years. One of the most intriguing parts of California for me has been visiting abandoned and restored pioneer towns in the Golden State. About 70 miles from my first home in San Bernardino, is located an old mining town, Calico, in the middle of the Mojave desert. That town has set my expectations for visiting pioneer towns.

For my 49th birthday, my father and wife arranged for me to have a 49er vacation that included attending a San Francisco 49er football game and then heading off into the gold country to revisit the sites where the great gold rush first began.

From knowing a lot about California history, I knew of many towns and sites that I wanted to see. But along the way, I was intrigued by signs and notes about many sites that I had never heard about before. I wished that I had had along a source as fine as Ghost Towns of Northern California.

Although his book will seem like a coffee table book to some, I found it to be an essential exploration guide. More than 50 towns and sites are described and pictured. Mr. Varney does a fine job of giving you the local history (which often includes how much gold was mined locally and how it was mined) while the photographs give you a sense of what there is to see. You also get maps that can easily be used to find each of these locations. Most are concentrated in the gold areas (such as near the Oregon border, near route 49, and in the high Sierras), but others have different backgrounds and locations such as Alcatraz and China Camp in the San Francisco Bay area.

The author defines a "ghost town" as being a town that has had a large slide in its permanent population, even if it is still populated. So few of these "ghost towns" are uninhabited like Calico was when I was a youngster.

I double checked the accuracy of the information by comparing my experiences on my 49er vacation to what the book says, and the information and views tallied perfectly. Nice job!

The photographs are more realistic than artistic. That is not to say that they are not beautiful in many cases, but they give you a realistic view of what you will see rather than a "sunset at Sedona" feeling.

You probably won't want to visit all of these ghost towns, but the book will help you decide when and where you will want to visit. I strongly urge you to decide to visit the sites that interest you and to use this valuable guide to help you plan and follow through on your plans.

I thought the book is an exceptional value. I would have gladly paid more than twice the asking price for this great resource!

After you finish enjoying the photographs and text, spend some time rereading Mark Twain's stories about the gold camps. It will help you get in the mood for planning a wonderful trip!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait!, March 6, 2002

By	Timothy D. Tyler (Detroit, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bought the book in anticipation of being out in that area soon, and after reading the great historical info and seeing the beautiful photos, I can't wait to get out there and see some of the places for myself!

I only wish the maps had been a little more detailed, and that the author could have provided coordinates of the sites from a GPS, to make it easier to get to the locations.