CHINA CAMP STATE PARK

THIS WEEK I WENT TO CHINA CAMP STATE PARK. I HIKED ABOUT 5 MILES WITH OUR GENTLY ROLLING TRAILS.  IT WAS A WINDY DAY.  THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE THERE WHO WERE HAVING FATHER'S DAY AFFAIRS.  MANY HAD LARGE PICNICS.  I IGNORED THEM AS THEY WERE LOUD.  I BROUGHT MY CELL PHONE IN CASE MY CAR HAD PROBLEMS,  I HAD NOT BEEN TO THIS CAMP IN TWENTY YEARS,  THE VILLAGE AT CHINA BEACH WAS FULL AT THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND  THE PARK HAD MANY BICYCLISTS.  BUT IT WAS SO WINDY THERE WERE NO BOATS. 

AS I HIKED THE MIWOK TRAIL IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE WERE MANY OAK TREES BEARING ACORNS AND THE BUCKEYES WERE IN FULL BLOOM.  THEY HAD NEAT OPEN TRAILS EVEN THOUGH POISON OAK COVERED THE  LAND.  I NOTICED MONKEY FLOWERS, BLUE OAKS, SOAPROOT AND ANGELICA, A MEDICINAL.  THEY HAD MANY AREAS ON THE COAST FILLED WITH CATTAILS AND TULE.  THE MIWOK WIKIUP WERE BUILT WITH TULES AND THATCH.  SOME HOUSES WERE FOR SWEATS AND DANCING.  THERE WERE ABOUT 2000 COAST MIWOK .  THEIR CLAMSHELL BEADS WERE TRADED WITH NEARBY TRIBES.

IN 1579 MIWOK PEOPLE MET SIR FRANCIS DRAKE.  THE SPANISH BUILT A MISSION IN 1776 IN SAN FRANCISCO.   THIS SYSTEM CHANGED THE MIWOK LIFE.  BY 1900 FEW MIWOK  WERE LEFT BECAUSE DISEASES SPREAD TO THEM BY THE SPANISH.  THE MIWOK HAD A NUMBER OF VILLAGES HERE.

THIS AREA WAS LATER SETTLED BY THE CHINESE AFTER THE GOLD RUSH.  THE MC NEAR'S DAIRY AND GRAZING RANCH LEASED LAND LAND TO CHINESE  SHRIMP FISHERS.  MOST OF THE FOLKS WERE FROM CANTON.  BY 1880'S THERE WERE 500 CHINESE FOLKS HERE.  THIS WAS ONE OF MANY FISHING VILLAGES.  THE MUD FLATS WERE IDEAL FOR SHRIMP SHRIMP LOCATION.  THEY CAUGHT 3 MILLION POUNDS OF  SHRIMP AND DRIED THEM ON GROUNDS.  SOME WERE SENT BY BOAT TO CHINA!

 BY 1882 THE U.S. RULED OUT SHRIMP EXPORTING.  THIS 39 ACRE VILLAGE AND MUSEUM ARE INTERESTING TO CHINESE.  IT HAD BEEN OVER 20 YEARS SINCE I WAS THERE WHEN PREGNANT.

THIS AREA WAS LATER SETTLED BY THE CHINESE AFTER THE GOLD RUSH.  THE MC NEARS DAIRY AND GRAZING RANCH  LEASED LAND TO CHINESE SHRIMP FISHERS,.  MOST FOLKS WERE CHINESE AFTER THE GOLD RUSH.  THE MC NEARS
DAIRY AND GRAZING RANCH LEASED LAND TO THE CHINESE SHRIMP FISHERIES.


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