SINCE 1857
Our History
From Gold Rush boomtown to California State Historic Park
THE BEGINNING
Born in the Rush
Columbia was founded in 1850 after a group of prospectors struck gold near Kennebec Hill. Within months, a tent city of thousands had sprung up in the Sierra Nevada foothills. By 1852, Columbia was the second-largest city in California, with a population of over 5,000 miners, merchants, and dreamers.
The Columbia City Hotel was built in 1857 to serve the steady stream of travelers passing through what had become the richest gold-mining town in the state. Constructed of brick — a luxury in a town that had already burned twice — the hotel was a symbol of permanence and prosperity in a place where both were hard to come by.
TIMELINE
165 Years in the Making
Columbia founded after gold discovery near Kennebec Hill
Columbia becomes California's second-largest city with 5,000+ residents
Great fire destroys much of the town; rebuilt in brick
Columbia City Hotel opens its doors to travelers and miners
Gold rush wanes; Columbia's population begins to decline
Columbia designated a California State Historic Park
Hotel restored and reopened as a living history destination
Christina and Nathan Lint re-open the historic City Hotel Restaurant and What Cheer Saloon, with hopes to soon open the Hotel Rooms for lodging
One of California's most authentic Gold Rush-era hotels, still welcoming guests
LIVING HISTORY
A Town Preserved in Time
Unlike most Gold Rush towns, Columbia was never abandoned — it simply slowed down. When the California State Parks system took over in 1945, they found a remarkably intact 19th-century townscape: original brick buildings, wooden sidewalks, and a community that had been quietly tending its history for nearly a century.
Today, Columbia State Historic Park is one of the best-preserved Gold Rush towns in the American West. No cars are permitted on Main Street. Costumed interpreters demonstrate the trades and crafts of the 1850s. And at the center of it all, the Columbia City Hotel continues to offer the same warm welcome it has extended to travelers for over 165 years.
THE HOTEL TODAY
More Than a Place to Sleep
We are stewards of a rare thing — a living, breathing piece of California history. Our nine rooms are furnished with period antiques. Our dining room serves the bounty of the Gold Country. Our saloon pours the same spirits that warmed miners on cold Sierra nights. We invite you to step inside, slow down, and let history wash over you.