A 45-ton concrete statue of a Gold Rush era miner stands at the entrance to Old Town Auburn, a small collection of shops, restaurants, and antique stores. The statue is a representation of Claude Chana (1811-1882), the prospector who discovered gold here in the foothills east of Sacramento on May 16, 1848.
A 45-ton concrete statue of a Gold Rush era miner stands at the entrance to Old Town Auburn, a small collection of shops, restaurants, and antique stores. The statue is a representation of Claude Chana (1811-1882), the prospector who discovered gold here in the foothills east of Sacramento on May 16, 1848.
Auburn dentist Ken Fox, creator of the Great Statues of Auburn, sculpted the miner at the request of the town. It’s made of a rebar and wire mesh framework covered in concrete. Fox sculpted the miner between appointments at his still operating dental practice on the other side of town. You can see more of his statues, constructed in the early 1970s, in other parts of Auburn.
- Hours Available for public viewing
- Address Lincoln Way & Park Street
- Website Claude Chana Gold Panner Monument
- Old Town
- Historic Site
The Claude Chana statue which is one of first things to be seen upon entering Old Town Auburn from Interstate 80. Visit the Placer County Visitors Bureau to pick up a walking map of Old Town Auburn.
ALSO CHECK OUT:
-
Golden Drift Museum
Dutch Flat, CA32820 Main Street, Dutch Flat, CA 95714The Museum displays a rich photographic history of the area’s towns, mining, lumbering, schools, churches, social, Indian and Chinese heritage.
-
Downtown Walking Tour & Old Town Auburn Walking Tours
Auburn, CA1103 High Street, Auburn, CA 95603Try one of our 15 restaurants, or 40 quaint shops and services. Don’t miss the Old Town Gallery featuring the works of 60 local artists, all in one old historical building. Four museums can be found within a few blocks, where history buffs will find lots of rich Gold Country history.
-
Mountain Mandarin Festival
Auburn, CA209 Fairgate Road, Auburn, CAMountain Mandarin Festival takes place in November of each year!
