City of Angels? Well..,maybe frogs.

Saturday after lunch The Prospector wanted to go across the county line and scout out a stream that he thought might be a good place to use his high banker because this time of the year it has WATER in it and makes it easier to work the sides of the gravel bars along the creek.So at 1:00 p.m. we took off for Calavaras County and the beautiful country south of us. We don't usually leave on day trips this late in the day but it wasn't very far and the weather was perfect for "just a drive".
When we go anywhere near the towns in Calavaras Co., like Mokelumne Hill, San Andreas or Angels Camp, I start seeing new territory for antiquing. I certainly don't need to buy anything else for my home but THAT'S NOT THE POINT. It's a new horizon..., a new venue for "looking" . So part of the deal was that we would go scout creeks for a while and then we would drive into Angels Camp and I could look at a few antique stores while The Prospector took Carl for a walk in the town park. Of course, I happen to have my camera with me. The photo above is Main Street in Angels Camp. Its buildings are so beautiful that they just scream "photo shoot".
This is a collage of the "FROG" mania in this town. Every year they have a celebration. They have a jumping frog contest to see which frog can jump the farthest. It one of the biggest celebrations of FROGS anywhere in the world.., I'm guessing. They have lined the streets with plaques for each of the winners with the year, name of the winners and where they came from, plus the frogs names( some of which are really funny). I also found this chalk drawing of a frog on the sidewalk. Very cute. It's a "frog" obsessed city.

The town is known for this celebration and thousands of folks come here, every year, to join in the festivities. You must get reservations during this gathering because the population explodes and you will not find a place to sleep unless you have a good sleeping bag and tent handy..., or, like a blogging friend of mine, relatives, or friends, that live nearby. It's a beautiful town. Only about an hour from Stockton and probably 2 1/2 to 3 hrs east of San Francisco.

Not only is it a charming gold rush town that's proud of its past but it also has all the modern conveniences. If I can find a clean bathroom and a latte I'm a happy camper.

History
Henry and George Angel were soldiers serving under John C Fremont during the Mexican-American War. When the California Gold Rush started, they tried their hand at prospecting, but decided they didn't like the labor involved, so they set up a trading post, which became a camp, and eventually a town. The placer around their camp were very productive but gave out after a few years and the population began to dwindle until Gold-bearing quartz veins were discovered in the town, which brought people back. Those mines operated for the next few decades, producing over $20 million worth of gold, processed by stamp mills in town. It was said that when the last mill finally ceased operations, the townspeople couldn't sleep, the silence was so loud. The first post office was established in 1851 (and called Carson's Creek). It was renamed along with the town in 1853. The city was incorporated under the name of "Angels" in 1912.
(information is from Wikipedia)

In 1928 Angels Camp paved the main street. To celebrate the occasion they held a frog jump competition. This frog jump competition was modeled after the frog jump in the famous short story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", written by Mark Twain. He spent a great deal of time in Angels Camp and first heard the jumping frog story at the Angels Hotel that still stands today. The event became known as the Jumping Frog Jubilee.

Everyone is telling me that they can't see the photos that I posted with this story on Angels Camp. I'm so sorry. I don't know what's wrong. I was seeing photos and now I'm not. I have worked on this all day. If anyone knows what is wrong with Picassa and is having the same problem please let me know. Thanks.