downtown Julian
Winter of 1869, a freed slave stumbled upon gold in eastern San Diego. Frederick Coleman, a rancher, was riding his horse along the creek one day. It was his lucky day as he had just stumbled upon gold. This discovery led to the establishment of the town of Julian. Julian then became the commercial and social center of the mining district of Southern California. Gold was found from Julian to Banner to Cuyamaca.
Julian was inhabited by the Native American Kumeyaay. Hunters and gatherers lived in semi-permanent villages with shelters built of willow, oak, brush, and grass. As the years approached the gold rush, the town began to see a population boost with black pioneers. One of these pioneers was Frederick Coleman.
Frederick was born in Kentucky in 1829. Before his fame, Frederick was a slave in Northern California, working as a miner. Upon gaining his freedom, he made his way down south to Julian. Here he met his wife, who was a Native American Kumeyaay and started his family. Shortly after discovering gold on his ranch, "Calico Ranch," he began panning for more. As time went on, he lost interest in the gold mines and gave it up because he was more interested in taking care of his ranch.
Drury Bailey, an ex-Confederate soldier, swiftly uncovered gold deposits moments after Frederick Coleman's discovery. In the wake of this revelation, Bailey wasted no time in establishing the inaugural gold mine, "The Washington Mine," setting the stage for an era of prosperity and opportunity.
Even the governor of California wanted his hands on some of this gold.
According to Michele Hernandez, a Cuyamaca State Park interpreter who works as a historian at the visitors center, in 1886 Robert Waterman purchased the Stone Wall Mine for $7,500. Though he invested a lot and generated wealth from the mine, he also borrowed a lot of money from it. Hernandez said that despite his immense wealth during his lifetime, he failed to pay off the loans that he took out to take care of the mine.
"Funny enough, when he passed away he didn't have any money to give," Hernandez said.
This ironic twist underscores the allure and ambition surrounding the Julian Gold Rush.
After a few months, the population was boosted once more. Over 800 prospectors began settling into the area. With the population booming, the need to build a town arose. In March 1870, Julian was established. Bailey had the brains for building the town, laying out the blueprints, and naming Julian after his cousin, Michael S. Julian.
By 1906, the gold rush started to die down, leaving many mines unprofitable. Since then, the area has become more famous for its apple crops. On November 15, 1948, California registered the town as a historical landmark.
I was fortunate enough to learn about the Southern California gold rush in 4th grade. The Solana Beach School District makes it a priority to educate 4th graders on the history of the Gold Rush.
Julian is now a huge tourist attraction as there are so many beautiful hikes along with the famous "Julian Apple Pie Company."