Doors Open California Highlights Sierra County History

SIERRA COUNTY — Doors Open California, billing itself as the largest statewide celebration of historic places in California, is once again highlighting three Sierra County locations for its tour of the Gold Country on September 6. Participating are Alleghany’s historical theater, the Forest City dance hall, and Sierra City’s Kentucky Mine. The Sierra City location will be open for Doors Open tour participants from 10 AM to 4 PM, the Forest City dance hall from 12 PM to 4 PM, and the Alleghany theater from 11 AM to 4 PM.

Although the Alleghany theater is not usually open to the public, the building will be accessible, fittingly, for the Doors Open event. Visitors will be treated to a collection of 70 historical radios (c. 1930s through 1970s) collected by long-time Alleghany resident Phil O’Donnell and never before displayed. The theater itself is a reminder of Alleghany’s gold rush history, peaking at a population of around 500 in the 1940s.

Forest City had its own gold rush boom, reaching a population over 1,000 before dwindling into what is now considered a ghost town — though a few year-round residents keep its population above zero. The Forest City Historical Association manages the dance hall, which is the town’s last remaining large commercial structure. It remains in “authentic state,” containing photo displays and a museum area.

Sierra City’s Kentucky Mine offers visitors a chance to experience a rare, fully operational stamp mill. Guided tours will lead visitors through a recreated blacksmith shop, a miner’s cabin, and into the 1888 stamp mill. Originally built for the Kentucky Consolidated Gold Mining Company, the mill was rebuilt in the 1920s by Emil and Adolph Loeffler using salvaged equipment. The Pelton water wheel-powered machine once crushed ore for gold extraction. Exhibits also feature mining artifacts and family stories, including the story of the 1944 accident that killed Adolph Loeffler.

For a $20 ticket, Doors Open California offers access to over 75 locations statewide on specific days. Also featured on the weekend of September 6 is Truckee’s “Steel Fortress” 1875 stone jail, and Mariposa’s Canepa House & Pendula Store. Tours on September 6 and 7 focus on the Sierra Nevada, Gold Country, and Eastern California. However, Doors Open highlights more historical locations on September 13 and 14 in Southern California, and on September 20 and 21 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tickets and more information are available at https://californiapreservation.org/doca/.