Northern Mariposa County History Center

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Northern Mariposa County History Center Admission is free, donations are always welcome! Coulterville was one of the most important trading centers of the southern end of the Mother Lode.

The museum's various displays and photos provide an authentic glimpse of the life and times of the Native Americans and pioneers who settled in Coulterville and the surrounding area, including those who arrived during the 1849 California gold rush. The entire town is listed as California Historical Landmark #332. “True West” magazine has featured Coulterville as one of the top 10 “Towns to Watch” for good works in historic preservation. Originally called Banderita (little flag) because of the small flag on George Coulter’s tent trading post, established in 1850, a flip of the coin a few years later supposedly determined that the town would be named after Coulter, The loser, George Maxwell, who was the first man to establish a mining claim in the area, had the creek that ran through town named in his honor. Unlike many gold rush towns that quickly withered and died after the placer gold vanished in a few short years, hard rock mining continued to draw commerce to the area, with forestry, agriculture and eventually tourism supplanting mining over time. The first toll road providing public access into Yosemite began in Coulterville, with visitors traveling first by stage and eventually by automobile. Three major fires (1849, ‘79 & ’99) and a major flood wrecked havoc on the tough little town before the turn of the century, with part of the Hotel Jeffery, a Wells Fargo building and Sun Sun Woo, the only buildings surviving all three. The museum is built into the shell of one of the many hotels built in the late 1800’s destroyed by the last of the three fires and extends into a building that originally held the town’s apothecary and later became the Wells Fargo office.

09/15/2026
09/13/2026

TODAY!

09/06/2026
08/20/2026
Today!
07/12/2026

Today!

Today, July 12 at noon, come learn how to make these seed bead tassel earrings! Bring reading glasses if you need them. :)

06/15/2026
This Saturday we welcome all friends of the Northern Mariposa County History Center to see inside our new building and c...
06/11/2026

This Saturday we welcome all friends of the Northern Mariposa County History Center to see inside our new building and celebrate!

11am - 12:30pm at 4988 West Street in Coulterville

Did someone say cake? 🍰 🧁🥮 YUM! 😋 Refreshments! 🍹Come celebrate the dedication of the museum's new storage building! 🍾🍾🍾...
06/06/2026

Did someone say cake? 🍰 🧁🥮 YUM! 😋 Refreshments! 🍹
Come celebrate the dedication of the museum's new storage building! 🍾🍾🍾
A major accomplishment 👍🏼 👏

Address

10301 State Highway 49
Coulterville, CA
95311

Opening Hours

Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm
Sunday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

(209) 878-3015

Website

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