Not only is one of the main streets in Yreka called Miner Street, there's a statue of a miner at the entrance to downtown.
The California gold rush brought people from all over the world. And not just white people. It's a little-remarked facet of local history that African-American miners did some of the work digging riches out of creek beds.
Mark Oliver has researched the period extensively and written about it. He's our guest in this month's edition of Underground History, our regular project with the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology.
Chelsea Rose from SOULA returns for the discussion.