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Central Valley gold rush park cited for restoration
COLUMBIA December 22, 2005 7:49am 
• Columbia picked by nation’s travel writers • Knapp Block heralded 
Docents dress in Gold Rush-era costumes to help bring history alive in Columbia. (CVBT photo)
Restoration of the Knapp Block of clapboard and brick buildings in the Central Valley’s Columbia State Historic Park has been recognized with a top award from the Society of American Travel Writers.
Its Phoenix Award recognizes the three years of work and $3.5 million in state bond money that it took to restore the block in the one-time gold rush community.
“This state park is all about gold and its place in California history. The town of Columbia, established in 1850, was purchased by the state in 1945. Today, it has been fully restored and contains the largest collection of gold-rush era buildings in America. It welcomes more than half a million tourists a year who learn about the rush that triggered ‘one of the largest mass migrations in history,’” the SATW says.
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