Jackass Hill

      About a mile west of Tuttletown along Hwy 49, Jackass Hill Road branches sharply off and up from the main highway. A mile farther up this road is the center of what was once a thriving mining camp, known as Jackass Hill.
      The hill received its name from the numerous jackasses whose pack trains stopped here overnight on their way to and from various points in the mines. As many as two hundred of the beasts are said to have been picketed here at the same time, making their presence known by their incessant braying, which could be heard for miles in all directions.
      The camp achieved its measure of notoriety during 1851 and 1852, when hundreds of miners rushed to the newly discovered diggings. The gold here was coarse and plentiful, often appearing in "pockets" that could make a miner rich in a matter of hours. Some claims of one hundred square feet are said to have yielded as much as $10,000 to their fortunate owners. The mines played out quickly; however, and soon most of the population had left, except for a rugged few who continued prospecting the area, occasionally turning up a small pocket of gold. Jackass Hill is located one mile above Hwy 49, via the steep Jackass Hill Road.

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