{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fswiss\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\sb100\sa100\f0\fs24 Jackson\line Amador County \par Three miles south of Sutter Creek and several hundred feet in elevation higher is Jackson, the county seat and largest town in Amador County. Although not quite as attractive as Sutter Creek, Jackson has more historic bite, more tang. This was a wide-open town well into the 20th century, very reflective of its frisky Gold Rush heritage. \par Originally named Botilleas Springs, or Bottle Springs, due to the accumulation of glass bottles discarded at this spot by visiting miners, the town was renamed in honor of a local bigwig named Colonel Jackson early in the Gold Rush. Jackson was not the richest gold center, but prospered as a commercial center for those traveling to the Southern Mines. \line\line As with a number of Highway 49 towns, Jackson attempts the often-perplexing task of mixing the historic with the contemporary. Strip malls, shiny motels, Denny's, boutiques, drive-ins, and gas stations are partnered with the old and much more interesting. Also, as frequently occurs along the roadway, the present-day Mother Lode Mother Road is the "new" road, as the original skinny thoroughfare has been bypassed. \line\line Just at its northern perimeter, Jackson has what is often claimed to be the most photographed relics in the region -- the Kennedy Mine tailing wheels. Originally numbering four, these tailings wheels transported mine tailings to impoundment tanks and dams. Built in 1912 after federal laws changed the nature of tailings management, these wheels deposited 850 tons of gravel every twenty-four hours. See the following "Detour" for more details. The Kennedy Mine was the deepest in the Gold Country, and one of the deepest in the world. Most visitors believe the wheels are of Gold Rush origin, but they are a recent development -- harkening to a much more productive time in the last century. \line\line Within the Kennedy Mine's shadow is the intriguing St. Sava's Serbian Orthodox Church, one of the most striking sights in the gold region. Atop a little rounded point, the church is the "mother church" of the congregation in America. It is architecturally unique and features an extensive cemetery that rings its sanctuary. The names are a muster list of the Serbian immigrants who sought El Dorado -- many Vuckovichs slumber in this peaceful setting. A few feet away at the present-day location of Jackson Elementary School was the site of the first synagogue in the Mother Lode. The pioneering Jewish settlers established it in 1857. A couple of hundred feet further lays the Jackson Catholic Cemetery. Its two most renowned occupants are Angelo Noce, a Jackson native and the founder of Columbus Day as an United States legal holiday; and Marie Suize, also known as "Madame Pantaloons," a French immigrant who caused an uproar in the mining camps and was arrested in Jackson and Virginia City for the horrible crime of wearing men's clothing. Madame Pantaloons was also a shrewd businessperson. She accumulated $100,000 working a nearby claim, and then sold it for $20,000 more.\line\line Nearby are the remnants of the Argonaut Mine. In 1922, it was the location of the worst mining disaster in California's history. Forty-seven miners expired in a mine fire on the tragic day.\line\line Jackson splits oddly at its downtown. The "new" Highway 49 flanks the city center while the "old" 49 splits the historic area. Jackson's Main Street offers a number of interesting locales. The street is characterized by a gently heaving landscape with elevated sidewalks that range from a foot high to several feet high. These were constructed to accommodate the trying task of disembarking from horse carriages. Most of the buildings are Gold Rush or near-Gold Rush in age. Second-story balconies with wrought iron or wooden railings are common. These handsome facades house disparate businesses well in keeping with the Gold Country's eclectic nature. There is The Jackson Cat House, providing everything related to the feline persuasion (if you thought something else, wash your mind out with soap); a Fudge Factory, several saloons with unusually murky dens of beer-guzzling debauchery; bookstores, upscale and working-class cafes, and a couple of tourist trinket distributors. One establishment once housed the offices of the Gold Rush Amador Dispatch newspaper. This rabidly secessionist newspaper saw the editor and publisher arrested and jailed in Alcatraz following Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The three-story Oddfellows Hall distinguishes the eastern end of the street. Raised in the 1850s, this solid brick building has the distinction of being the tallest three-story structure in the country -- each story towering higher than the usual ten feet or so. The old Highway 49 makes a sharp, sharp left turn at the end of Main Street at the imposing National Hotel, built in the early Gold Rush era.\line\line The National Hotel was the brainchild of three argonaut entrepreneurs named Evans, White, and Askey. They built a two-story frame house that served as lodging and grogshop that they named the Louisiana House. In 1862, a fire swept through Jackson destroying the wooden structure and it was rebuilt on a brick foundation and renamed the National Hotel. \line\line The entrance to the hotel saloon is atop a red-painted stairway that rises from the street. The bar and its neighboring hotel registration booth are dark wood. One fully expects to see the dust of the prospectors and hear the jingle of spurs on this stage. All that is missing is the swinging doors. A cold beer in hand, you can peer through the doors and look straight up Main Street. You can't miss the National Hotel and many dignitaries did not. Throughout its long and colorful history, well-known figures have resided within its ancient walls. Among them were Hetty Green, Leland Stanford, President James Garfield, President Herbert Hoover, Will Rogers, the movie director John Ford, John Wayne, and even some Yugoslavian royal named Paul. Perhaps even the bandit Black Bart stayed here. The saloon is a quiet, thoughtful place ... most times ... with an array of understated informational signs. One reads, "This establishment is owned and mismanaged by a member of E.C.V. [E Clampus Vitus] 49." "49" is a reference to the "James Marshall Watering Hole" chapter designation. Another bronze heart-shaped plaque points out that fifty yards to the east "lay" the Botilleas Bordellos. For many years, the marker reads, the houses of prostitution flourished until "this most perfect example of free enterprise was padlocked by unsympathetic politicians." The historical reminder was "erected" in 1968.\line\line Down the steps and across the street from the hotel is the old Wells Fargo Building, a fixture in Jackson since the 1850s. Today it is a beer hall and in front of the establishment stands Light Pole # 218. From the beginning of Jackson until today, this spot has been the official posting site for funeral and other public notices. At first just a tree where the documents were tacked, later a telephone pole, and today a streetlight, it has served this purpose for over 150 years. \line\line Until the mid-1950s, Jackson was also the illegal gambling capital of California. Often in cahoots with local law enforcement, many illicit casinos operated in this area. In 1957, Governor Edmund G. Brown ordered the establishments shut down. Casinos are making a comeback today due to the Jackson Rancheria Indian Casino three miles out of town.\par \pard\f1\fs20\par }