DISCOVER
THE DICHOTOMY OF COPPEROPOLIS

The secret to Copperopolis is that it's both old and new, depending on who you talk to. Oldtimers say the real Copperopolis exists only along and around O'Byrnes Ferry Road. But what do the newcomers say?

Copperopolis' Historic Armory Building

Located in the SW corner of Calaveras County, Copperopolis grew
up in the 1860s around - as its name would suggest - a copper mine rather than a gold mine. As the American Civil War got underway, the copper brought a lot of revenue in for the owners of the Union, Keystone, and Empire Copper Mines, as copper was a much-needed comodity for the making of bullets.

After the Civil War, processing and shipping the copper became too expensive, the mines closed down, and the town began to die out. But over the next several decades - from World War to World War - Copperopolis' fortunes ebbed and flowed with the demands for copper until 1946, when the last mine was closed forever.

The town of Copperopolis has been designated as California Historic Landmark number 296.

Today Copperopolis has a personality dichotomy going on. The
Real Copperopolis has that gold-rush-era feel to it with its old brick buildings (four of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places), the piles of copper tailings, and the old cemeteries that make it an inviting destination.

Copperopolis' Town Square Plaza

Before you reach the Real Copperopolis along Highway 4, you'll stumble on what looks like a mirage in the desert except that you're in the Sierra foothills and the mirage is real.

Not realizing your mistake because there's a fine granite sign that says Copperopolis, you'll turn to the right to discover a Mayberryesque township built around a town square or plaza. It's bright, it's shiny, and it's obviously brand new, even though the buildings were designed to look historic.

What's this, you wonder? I thought Copperopolis was old, historic, dusty and dirty - in other words, an historic mining town.

Surprise! This is Copperopolis Town Square, a development created by builder Castle and Cooke approximately ten years ago. Here you'll discover Zoey's Pet Boutique (holistic dog food), Copper Propper (tasteful and fashionable home decorator items), Griff's BBQ and Grill (for a drink and a pub-style meal), or the Copper Grill (for some gourmet dining). Not exactly what you expected - citified opportunities in the middle of nowhere!

Matt's Take Out

So stop and enjoy the surprise (for more pictures of both sides of the Copperopolis coin, see our Facebook album), but be sure to continue along Highway 4 to the Main Street turn off (O'Byrnes Ferry Road) which leads you to the Real Copperopolis - the Copperopolis you came seeking.

There's a mix of older buildings dating from the 1860s - McCarty's Copper Inn general store (built in the 1860s by Union Mining Company), McDillard's Feed and Supply, Calaveras Olive Oil and Land Company (which operates out of an 1890s bank building), and the 1864 brick Copperopolis Armory (National Register #97001588). Some of the buildings are restored to near-original condition, and some are in disrepair, but they all have history and personality.

For some historical leavings, keep an eye out for the piles of copper tailings across the street from the Armory - piles of dirt and rock from the copper mines that didn't contain copper ore!

You'll find places to eat here, too - albeit a little less fancy than those around Town Square: like Matt's Take-out (which boasts awesome burgers). And discover that when Copperopolis oldtimers talk about the OC, they don't mean Orange County, they mean the Old Corner Saloon (which boasts a picture of Black Bart standing at the Old Corner Saloon Bar in the 1800s)!

We'll have more to share with you about Calaveras County in the coming weeks; things like:

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