Masonic

Although gold was discovered here in 1860, it was not until about 1900 that Joseph Green staked the rich Jump Up Joe Mine. On the Fourth of July, 1902, J. S. Bryan and Caleb Dorsey made an exciting find and called it the Pittsburg-Liberty to honor a birthplace and a date. Fraternal background determined the name attached to this camp, which eventually evolved into three sections known as Lower, Middle and Upper Town. In 1908, Masonic promised to be one of the major mining camps of the West, but the yellow metal followed no pattern. Rich pockets were found and exhausted, then Phillips' broken body was found at the bottom of a shaft. Whether it was a slip or treachery remained one of Masonic's secrets.

California · United States