Mariposa, California City Guide
For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Mariposa, California Travel Guide has been your connection to Mariposa's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
Mariposa County History
 Known as the “Mother of California Counties,” Mariposa County originally covered one fifth of the state, the land with the most promise and greatest prospect for gold. La Mariposa, a 44,000-acre Mexican Land Grant, was purchased in 1846 strictly as an agricultural grant containing no mineral rights. It wasn’t until 1856 that the Supreme Court restructured the claim, granting mineral rights. The Gold Rush brought hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world in search of gold, many of which made their way to Mariposa County and eventually established bed and breakfasts. The conditions were harsh and many died from either violence or death. A militia was formed in Mariposa County in1851 with the sole purpose of eliminating Native Americans in conflict with the miners. While in pursuit of a Native American Chief, a band of white men, for the first time ever, ventured into Yosemite Valley and began to explore its vast extent. Suddenly, a before untouched paradise became exposed to the world, bringing artists, writers, and adventurers in search of Yosemite’s natural beauty. The need for bed and breakfasts, offering warm hospitality, a full breakfast and knowledgeable innkeeper, became more and more prevalent as Mariposa Country exploded with new visitors.
Mariposa County developed along a route different than most areas in the gold rich lands. Because abundant water mining wasn’t easily accessible, hard-rock quartz mining, conducted underground, became the industrial pursuit in Mariposa County. Proper towns were soon being built, including Mariposa, Bear Valley, and Princeton (many traditional roadside inns and bed and breakfasts began sprouting up as well to service the miners and explorers). As the 1860’s drew near, Mariposa County was divided into new jurisdictions, with farming and livestock becoming more profitable and dependable than searching for gold. Mariposa County’s history is more closely connected to Yosemite National Park than it is to the Gold Rush, but in both cases the area contributed significantly to two important pieces of Mariposa and California State History.
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