Soulsbyville History
Soulsbyville is one of the earliest and most important hard-rock mining communities in California's Mother Lode. Unlike many Gold Rush towns that began as placer mining camps, Soulsbyville owed its existence almost entirely to quartz mining, making it the first community in Tuolumne County established specifically around a lode gold mine.
The community traces its origins to 1855, when Benjamin Soulsby developed a rich quartz vein that became known as the Soulsby Mine. According to local tradition, the discovery occurred after Ben's young son noticed gold-bearing quartz near the family's homestead. Whether entirely factual or somewhat embellished over time, the story became an enduring part of the town's identity. The mining camp that developed around the mine became known as Soulsbyville.
Additional lode mines were developed throughout the district over the following years, but Soulsbyville remained a small camp until the 1870s. The community's growth led to the establishment of a post office in 1877. Soulsbyville earned a reputation as a well-organized and law-abiding town. Cornish miners, who worked mines such as the Black Oak, Buchanan, Draper, Grizzly, Providence, and South United, made up a large portion of the town's population.
Soulsbyville made headlines in November 1903 when a labor dispute at the Black Oak Mine brought union miners into conflict with the town's Chinese residents. After the company hired Chinese workers for several surface positions, union miners staged a walkout. The dispute culminated when approximately 200 union men descended on both the mine and the town of Soulsbyville, driving the Chinese workers from the area.
The district's mines were worked on a major scale until about 1915, although some mining activity continued during the 1920s and 1930s. At historical gold prices, the district is credited with producing more than $20 million in gold.
Today, Soulsbyville is an unincorporated community east of Sonora with a population of just over 2,000.
It All Started With The Gold Rush
The great California Gold Rush kicked off the entire saga of western mining. Read about it at The California Gold Rush.
California Gold
"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.