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The
Northern Sierra Miwok who originally called this
area their home were gatherers. A great part of
their sustenance came from acorns and other seeds.
Just east of Sutter Creek you can visit the Indian
Grinding Rock State Park. The Park with the largest
collection of mortar holes in North America, also
features a number of Petroglyphs.
The town derives it's name
Sutter Creek after John Sutter. Sutter as early as
1844, had in pursuit of timber, established
whipsawing pits and an outdoor manufacturing
business named Pine Woods. It was this area near
the creek, which runs behind City Hall, that became
the site of new and permanent settlement. It is
told the settlement started because of a single
tent raised there for miners to use on rainy
Sundays when they could not get to Jackson or
Drytown. Sutter Creek truly established itself
permanently when Gold quartz was discovered in 1851
and the became a major supply center.
Sutter
Creek's rich history includes many famous names
like Sutter himself, but the story is in complete
without mentioning two names, first, Hetty Green
the one time richest woman in the world and owner
of the Old Eureka Mine, who's tailings are all that
remain for tourists to see today. Second, Leland
Stanford for whom the distinguished university is
named. Stanford, received stake in the Sutter
Creek's Union Mine, (later renamed the Lincoln),
for payment of a debt. After many discouraging
failures at the mine, and almost ready to call it
quits the Lincoln Mine hit the proverbial "Mother
Lode". With unlimited finances behind him Stanford
became a Railroad baron, a U. S Senator and finally
Governor of California.
Among other notable historic
landmarks like Knight Foundry and the nearby
Kennedy Mine, visitors should take some time to
enjoy the historic wine country surrounding Sutter
Creek. Wine production in the area dates back one
hundred fifty years, when pioneers seeking their
fortunes in gold found the ideal climate for
growing wine grapes. Today Amador County boasts
twenty-two wineries and is famous for its red
Zinfandels.
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