![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
• Groveland History
Originally, Groveland and nearby Big Oak Flat were both called Savage's Diggings. James Savage discovered gold there in 1848. Savage's Diggings became Garrotte in 1850 — named so for the area's swift and harsh justice. Soon Garrotte was a boom town, but by the 1870s, the easy pickings were gone and Garrotte was transformed from dozens of bars and bordellos to a quiet community catering to cattle ranches and — even back then — a trickle of tourists taking the new Big Oak Flat Road to Yosemite. By 1875, citizens changed the name of Garrotte to Groveland and, as luck would have it, Groveland soon thereafter experienced a second gold rush with the advent of deep shaft mines and milling operations.
At the end of World War II, there was yet another boom — but it was short-lived. 22 lumber mills opened. Periodic improvements in the Hetch Hetchy system brought new workers, but the lack of water to Groveland itself meant that every summer, private wells and springs dried up. Lack of water meant that this boom, too, was soon over.
While their community is steeped in history, residents are assured its best days are straight ahead, as visitors discover this very special Sierra town that's also the gateway to Yosemite. • Accommodations People ask us about where to stay in this wonderful community so close to Yosemite National Park. May we suggest Yosemite Gold Vacations, Friends of Yosemite Park Lodging, Hotel Charlotte & Sunset Inn Yosemite Guest Cabins. • Nearby
Groveland is popular because of its history and its proximity to Yosemite. Also nearby (via Highway 132) is the unique Gold Rush town of
Coulterville.
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||
©2004 Ace & Friends. All Rights Reserved. |
||||||||||||||||||