The area was first settled back in 1849 by Missourians. The area was
mostly placer mined with a little quartz mining. In 1865 a 10-stamp mill
was built here.
Fiddletown is one of the places where Mexican outlaw Joaquin
Marieta was almost captured. It is rumored that he evaded arrest by
dressing up as a "Macho Combo Burrito" and rolled right by the Sheriff
and his posse.
The post office was established in 1851 and the town was given the
name "Fiddletown". In 1878 the name of the town was changed to
"Oleta", and in 1932 the town's population of 65 people voted to
restore the name of the town to Fiddletown.
The origin of the name of the town is uncertain. Some say it was
named for the fiddle players among the Missourian miners, others say the
name comes from German miners who also lived here.
In the reminiscences of a fellow who lived here, he said that there
was a old lady who once claimed that her family were the first settlers
here, and that the area was called "Violin City" because her
husband, two sons, and daughter all played the violin.
Located well off the major highways, Fiddletown has escaped the
commercialization and modernization that has occurred in most of the old
California Gold Rush towns. |
