Tucked away in the upper reaches of the Sierra Foothills, Fair Play was a bustling town during the famous California Gold Rush of 1850 – 1870s. The world rushed in crossing North America’s continent overland via horse & wagon or out over the bounding Atlantic ocean all the way down to the bottom of South America through the Strait of Magellan and back up the continents’ west coast through the Pacific ocean to a small town called San Francisco. Either way had its challenges and not everyone made the adventurous journey alive.
Rumored stories traveled around the world about the coveted precious metal – GOLD. Tales told of gold nuggets just laying on the ground waiting to be found fueled many a dreamer with plans of getting rich and starting a new life in the fabled sunny California. Fair Play played its part despite its remoteness and soon built a town of six saloons and two hotels. Old Hangtown (Placerville) was just 18 miles to the NW. Pokerville (Plymouth) was just another 18 miles but due West downslope.
Even though GOLD was the driving force for these new immigrants from many corners of the world, visionaries, entrepreneurs, saw other opportunities quickly developing in servicing these dreamers with camping necessities, food, mining supplies, building supplies and grog (alcohol in any form). Fair Play offered many possibilities with its rolling hills of both forests and fields thriving in a deep sandy loam soil weathered atop the batholith of the foundation of much of the Sierra Foothills – Granite.
Fair Play’s riches were much more than just GOLD. It’s varied landscapes yielded timber, fields soon planted to orchards, vineyards, vegetables, grains and hays to feed both man and beast.
My book tells of where Fair Play’s past left off and when and where Fair Play’s new pioneers manifested new dreams complete with new hardships and challenges met straight on with great enthusiasm.
Welcome to Fair Play – Once there were mines, now its fine wines.
