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THE
HOTEL JEFFERY
Haunted and Historic Crossroad of the Gold Rush
Hotel Jeffery Reopens!
On
what is now one of the back routes to Yosemite National Park from Modesto
or Merced or traveling up the “49er Highway” which
runs up the spine of the Sierra golden foothills through California’s
gold rush towns you come to a crossroads called Coulterville. A stop
sign and and rusting miners cart on display outside
the Coulterville branch of the Mariposa County History Museum now are
the markers of what once was a thriving gold mining town and stage stop,
but the most stand out feature of this crossroad is the Hotel
Jeffery with “Estab. 1852” clearly marked on its unique yellow
façade. Coulterville was a thriving gold rush tent city at the
base of Greely Hill in the early 1850s, but fell to a quiet corner rest
stop not long after, with the old 49e3r stage coach road keeping guests
coming to the hotel.
In the early
history of Yosemite, Coulterville was the place to stop for a relaxing
rest and a drink at the saloon to
wash the dust from a dry throat of a dusty coach ride and the hotel
register shows its connection to another time. President Theodore
Roosevelt stayed
at the Jeffery, as did John Muir and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Famed stage coach bandit Black Bart probably stayed here, too,
along with a few others along the old stage coach road. The Jeffery
Hotel
had been owned by the Jeffery family after its establishment by George
Jeffery from the original Magnolia Saloon opened in 1851 - California's
oldest operating saloon (6 months before the Iron Door in Groveland)
- and Fandango Hall attached to the hotel.
The
Jeffery Hotel managed to survive a number of fires which had burned
down most
of the town.
It had a harder time surviving the economic fires of the past few years. The
hotel changed hands from the original family in 2004 and
fell again on hard times about 2 years ago. It has now been refurnished
and reopened as of August 2011 by new owners Forrest Monk and Sara
Zahn, who had to search the state to gather some authentic furnishings
and
momentoes which had wandered off. Harley Davidson Motorcycles once
again gather under the shade of the old oak tree out in front, a popular
stop off
for
weekend riders
The
Hotel Jeffery's romantic old world charm still compliments its fascinating
history with the comforts
of a modern bed & breakfast style hotel. The rooms are small but
rich in historic flavor and comforably furnished in appropriate mood.
With the old place anew again, the question remains will the seveteen
ghosts
said to haunt the place,
feel at home.
The hotel log book marks the visitors who put down their experiences
- so perhaps
you'll meet the phantom maid on the second floor stairs or share a drink
with the old miner in the revitalised Magnolia Saloon (see also Sierra
Sky Ranch and The
Groveland Hotel). © Bargain
Travel West
Find the best hotel and travel deals in California on TripAdvisor
Web Info
Hotel
Jeffery
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See these other articles
on Bargain Travel West:
COLUMBIA
STATE PARK - GEM OF THE GOLD RUSH
JAMESTOWN MOVIE STEAM TRAIN
A
PASS FOR ALL SEASONS
U.S.
Federal Land and National Park Use Passes
ANGELS
CAMP
Mark Twain's Jumping Frogs
CALIFORNIA
STATE MINING & MINERAL MUSEUM
Gold
Nugget in Mariposa
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