Tuolumne County
Location and origin
The former gold-mining town of Sonora lies near Big Bonanza, the most profitable mine in Mother Lode County, west of Yosemite National Park at the southern end of the CA 49. One year after it was founded in 1848 it had 5,000 inhabitants - more than it has today. The
gold-rush had just begun and the district soon turned out to be one of the most profitable. The first gold-miners were Mexican and came from the state of Sonora, after which they named their camp. They were followed by Chileans and Americans, who could not get on with the "latinos" and finally drove them out. A similar thing was happening at the same time in San Francisco, where demobilized soldiers stirred up hatred against the "foreigners".
Mark Twain,
Bret Harte
The town, which stretches over seven hills, was the setting for several tales by the American writers Mark Twain and Bret Harte, both of whom stayed here from time to time.