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Historic Fiddletown

FIDDLETOWN PAST AND PRESENT: A HISTORY

The small hamlet of Fiddletown is resonant with vestiges from its Gold Rush past. Several vintage structures still stand, evoking the time when Fiddletown was a bustling place. As you stroll through the town, imagine what it must have been like with horses and wagons stirring up dust on the unpaved main road, the sounds of hammers striking anvils from numerous blacksmith shops, ladies dressed in finery of the day, men clutching pouches filled with gold dust, merchants inviting you to purchase their wares, music from dance halls and gambling joints, and people speaking German, French, Spanish, Chinese, as well as English in its variant forms.

Fiddletown began as a mining camp during the height of the Gold Rush, with ample placer gold deposits that attracted miners from all parts of the world. The story goes that it was named by early settlers from Missouri who fiddled during slow times when there was no water in the creeks for mining, a frequent occurrence in the summer. Music was always a part of this town, but so was fiddling around.

By 1853 Fiddletown evolved into a trading center for nearby mining camps and for farms in the neighboring Shenandoah Valley. Its commercial area during this period of growth featured fifteen to twenty stores, four hotels, several blacksmith shops, a carpenter’s shop, four taverns, a couple of bakeries, two or three restaurants, dance halls, and even public baths. With a church, post office, and school, it was quite a civilized town. In its heyday, the town’s population was about 2,000.

Fiddletown had one of the larger Chinese communities in the region, comprising about one-third of the total population in the 1860 census and eventually about half in the 1880 census. The Chinese population inhabited nearly all of the western part of Fiddletown. Geographically, the town’s population was divided by the small creek lying between the Chinese General Store and the Forge. Europeans and Americans lived to the east of the creek and the Chinese community lived to the west. Only four buildings remain in the Chinese district: the Chew Kee Store, the Gambling Hall, the Chinese General Store, and the Chinese adobe (privately owned).

Fiddletown never developed the deep quartz mines present in other parts of the county. By 1878, logging and agriculture took over. The town even lost its identity after a wealthy citizen, Columbus A. Purinton, became embarrassed by the melodious name when signing hotel registers in San Francisco. He along with some townsfolk, convinced the state legislature to change the name to Oleta, the name of an unidentified woman. This change lasted until 1932 when residents petitioned the U.S. Postal Service to restore the original gold rush name, and so, once again, the town became known as Fiddletown.

Fiddletown maintains a rural charm that melds old with new. Fiddletown is surrounded by farms and ranches; there are many vineyards and wineries nearby. Local enterprises include equestrian services at each end of town and many home-based businesses. And local musicians continue to entertain and perform at the annual Fiddlers’ Jam.

HISTORIC SITES IN FIDDLETOWN – A SELF-GUIDED TOUR

Interested in walking around Fiddletown and viewing our vintage structures?

FIDDLETOWN CHINESE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Fiddletown’s Chinese district contains four buildings from 1855-1860 clustered in the west end of town – the Chew Kee Store, the Chinese Gambling House across the street, the two-story Chinese General Store just to the east, and a privately owned adobe on a nearby hill. Fiddletown is the only gold rush town that has so many Chinese buildings from this period.

The Chew Kee Store Museum

14301 FIDDLETOWN ROAD

Open April through October on Saturdays from noon to 4:00 p.m. and by appointment.

Visit this unique living history museum that began with Chinese immigrants who came to Fiddletown during the gold rush and settled to form a community.

Chew Kee Store

Originating as a Chinese medicinal herb pharmacy, the Chew Kee Store served as a store, community center and home for Chinese immigrants from 1855 to 1965. Everything inside the store is authentic, reflecting the daily life and work of its various residents: herb doctor Yee Fung Cheung, who founded the store in the mid-1850s; followed in the 1880s by merchant-gambling house operator Chew Kee and wife Sigh Choy; and their adopted son “Jimmie” Chow (Fong Chow Yow) who was born in 1885 and died in Fiddletown in 1965– much loved by the community and the only Chinese person buried in its public cemetery. Each resident left behind objects that tell the story of Chinese culture transplanted to Gold Rush California.

The building was constructed by Chinese workers using the traditional Chinese technique of rammed earth, resulting in thick two-foot earthen walls that cool the structure during hot summer days. Besides the spacious commercial room at the front, private living space includes bedrooms, an office, and two add-on kitchens – much of the interior is built with hand-hewn wood. All furnishings and artifacts in the rooms are original.

The Fiddletown Preservation Society welcomes visitors to the Chew Kee Store Museum. It is staffed during open hours by docents who are available to give tours and answer questions. Contact us to make special arrangements for group tours.

Chinese Gambling House

This building was initially owned by Yee Fung, probably the same man who established the Chinese herb store across the street. In 1884 it became the Fook Tai Chong or Fortune Peaceful Gambling House. The merchant Chew Kee was one of the shareholders and lottery tickets were made at his store. There were ticket drawings during the day and evening. Chew Kee Store resident “Jimmie” Chow recalled “sing-song” girls occupying the loft. Their music could be heard throughout Chinatown.

This structure was most likely built by Chinese workers in the 1850s to early 1860s. The rear wall consists of the bare earth and rock of the steeply sloping hillside to the south. Its brick facing abuts the stone walls on the sides. The lack of windows, except for a small window in front, made it suitable for use as a gambling house. As with many gold rush buildings, iron doors and the window shutter protected the interior from fire.

Exterior reconstruction and weatherproofing were completed in 2008. The interior is unfinished and vacant, awaiting restoration and drainage improvement to prevent water damage.

Chinese General Store

This building was constructed in the mid-1850s or early 1860s by Americans who owned property in Fiddletown’s Chinatown. Constructed of brick, it must have been among the first permanent structures in Fiddletown. For many years during the 19th century, it was owned by the merchant Foo Kee, likely the wealthiest Chinese person in Fiddletown. Foo Kee obtained a deed to the property in 1871. He owned two other parcels, one immediately south of this building and the other to the east adjacent to the seasonal creek. These properties were in the heart of Fiddletown’s Chinese district, and Foo Kee had the largest land holdings among the Chinese inhabitants.

Also known as the Foo Kee Store, the structure served as a Chinese merchandise store, containing wares ranging from preserved Chinese food ingredients to clothing and mining supplies. Its upstairs loft could be used for storage.

Exterior reconstruction and weatherproofing were completed in 2008. The interior is vacant, awaiting restoration. The building is open for special events only.

Fiddletown Schoolhouse

Fiddletown’s one-room schoolhouse was constructed in 1862, replacing the first schoolhouse built in 1855. Dennis Townsend, who later became Amador County School Superintendent, was its first teacher. When the town’s name was changed to Oleta in 1878, Fiddletown School became known as Oleta School―and many former students still refer to it by that name. The name reverted to Fiddletown School after the town name changed again in 1932. Generations of some families attended the school. Brothers and sisters sat together in the single classroom, which covered grades one through eight. It was split into two classrooms in 1946-7. For 93 years, children were educated in this modest schoolhouse.

In 1955 the school was closed when area schools were consolidated and students relocated to Plymouth. It was in danger of being sold or demolished, but instead was deeded by the school district to the Fiddletown Preservation Society, its sole owner.

Similar to other schoolhouses in the county, the Fiddletown Schoolhouse consists of wood frame construction with clapboard siding, a porch and a belfry on top.

The Fiddletown Preservation Society has made many improvements over the years. The schoolhouse added a septic system in 2014 and the following year, its foundation was rebuilt to stabilize the building. Improvements starting 2022 include roof replacement, repainting the exterior, and the addition of a prep kitchen for heating and refrigeration of food. The premises are available for rental.

VIDEO INTERVIEWS FEATURING JIMMY CHOW

Explore more about Fiddletown in these amazing, unique videos, created by Fiddletown’s Tom Scofield of Persistent Organic Moss.

As a young boy, Jimmy Chow, the last resident in the Chew Kee Store (1885-1965) introduces you to Fiddletown, recalling his past and bringing you into the present. In the second video, an older Jimmy Chow answers questions in his only interview, conducted by Johnny Yee in “Anecdotes of Fiddletown.”  Jimmy Chow comes to life in these videos with the use of AI and drone photography.

Videos Courtesy of Tom Scofield of Persistent Organic Moss

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