Visit Montezuma's Historic Sites
Named for the Montezuma Tent, a trading post belonging to Solomon
Miller and Peter K. Aurand, the camp’s early history begins with
violence. A group of Mexican miners, enraged by the recently enacted
Foreign Miners Tax and thirsting for blood, attacked the Tent in June of
1850. The proprietors fought the good fight but were outnumbered by the
ambushers. Aurand was killed during the encounter, Miller escaped, and
the Mexicans were never caught.Little mining took place here until 1852 when a ditch and flume were
completed, bringing in water from Woods Creek for the placer mines on
the area’s flats. During the mid-1850’s, the average yield for a day’s
work ran from $5 to $10, each pan of gravel producing a little over 3
cents. An occasional strike; however, could make a man rich over night.
One nugget found here weighed eighteen pounds, eight ounces. But finding
a large nugget was not always good fortune. A California State Mining
Bureau report of 1882 tells of a French immigrant who uncovered a piece
worth more than $5,000 from nearby Spring Gulch: “The discovery of this
nugget proved to be a great misfortune, for the finder became insane the
following day and was sent to Stockton.”The camp’s proximity to Table Mountain proved beneficial to the
town. Several deep and extensive mines which tunneled far under the
mountain produced exceptionally pure gold, some assaying at .950 fine,
unusual for California gold. The town’s population reportedly reached
eight hundred towards the end of 1852, and during its heyday contained
four saloons, two hotels, an Adams Express Company, a post office,
church, many homes, tents, and cabins. Two stage lines made stops in
Montezuma; the line running from Stockton to Sonora; and Dr. Clarke’s
line from Sonora and Columbia to Don Pedro’s, La Grange, and other
points west. A fire of incendiary nature started in the Clark Hotel on
June 29 of 1866, and destroyed most of the town.