Indian Gulch

Indian Gulch was one of the earliest settlements in Mariposa County. Originally called Santa Cruz, the town adopted the new name when the post office opened because another Santa Cruz already existed. James Morton was the first postmaster. During its heyday, Indian Gulch had several hundred residents, and the Catholic Church, school, hotels, and saloons flourished. J. G. J. Moray, a Frenchman, opened the first mercantile store, The French Company, and the later notorious Joaquin Murietta was employed there. Another prominent merchant, Antonio Chichizola, later moved to San Francisco and became the first president of the Bank of Italy, now the Bank of America. Andrew Cathay settled here in 1852 before starting the farming community of Cathey's Valley. The last descendent of a pioneer family, Angie Solari, died in 1980.

California · United States