Rock Fences of Telegraph City
Near Copperopolis,
CA
March
24,
2001
All Day
Gilbert Todd, one of our docents, organized a field trip to photograph Telegraphy City. Telegraph City,
located near Copperopolis, CA, was established in 1860 after the
discovery of rich veins of copper ore. In the 1860's, the town boasted
of several hundred occupants, a school, hotel, store, some residences,
and other buildings usually associated with a mining boomtown.
However, the boom did not last long and the 1880 census listed less than
49 occupants. Today, except for one structure, a windmill, and a
palm tree, only foundations remain.
What also remains of this "ghost town", and the focus of this photo outing, are the numerous
stone fences in the area. The fences were constructed during the
1860's and are unique historically and for their picturesque
quality.
Trip Report by Gil Todd:
On March 24th eight members enjoyed a successful field trip to
the Telegraph City area. I call it a success because we left with the
same number of photographers we started with, the weather was sunny,
there were no encounters with snakes or cattle and I believe the
participants found ample opportunities to use their cameras.
There was also time to compare camera equipment, which ranged from 35 mm
to an 8 X 10, discuss techniques, and share previous experiences. I
believe we should plan a return trip next year around
the first week of March.
We have scheduled a show and tell session during print night on June 6,
2001 in order to share some of our Telegraph City images. It is always
interesting to see what the other person saw and to wonder how in the
world did I miss that?
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