Dogtown, California, Mono County is a captivating ghost town that captures the imagination of those intrigued by history and the allure of the past. Located in the picturesque Mono County, Dogtown’s story is one of boom and bust, emblematic of the Gold Rush era. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Mono County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 37.7725° N, 119.1479° W
Elevation: Approximately 7,000 feet (2,134 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: 1857
Disestablished: Not officially disbanded; declined notably after the 1860s
Comments: Dogtown, originally known as “The Diggings,” was established during the California Gold Rush when gold was discovered in the area. It attracted a considerable population of miners hoping to strike it rich. The town’s name was changed to Dogtown, reportedly because of the numerous stray dogs that roamed the settlement.
At its peak, Dogtown was one of the largest towns in Mono County with a bustling community. Dog Town (also, Dogtown and Dogtown Diggings) is a ghost town in Mono County, California Ghost Townlifornia.
Remains: Dog Town is a defunct gold rush-era town in Mono County, California Ghost Townlifornia. It is located at 38°10’13″N 119°11’51″W, on Dog Creek, near the junction of Clearwater and Virginia Creeks, about 6 miles (10 km) south-southeast of Bridgeport, at an elevation of 7057 ft (2151 m).
The town was established in approximately 1857 by Carl Norst as a placer mining camp. By 1859, a group of Mormons had arrived as miners at the site and a mining camp arose. Dog Town became the site of the first gold rush to the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada.
Prospectors rushed here after hearing rumors of gold being washed out near Mono Lake. A small camp and trading center sprung up immediately. Dogtown did attract attention to the area, including the discoveries of much richer gold deposits in nearby areas such as Bodie, Aurora, and Masonic.
Current Status: Dogtown is classified as a ghost town. It is part of the historical fabric of Mono County and attracts historians and tourists interested in California’s mining history. Today, very little remains of Dogtown. Visitors to the site can find scattered stone foundations and the remnants of structures that hint at the town’s vibrant past.
The desolate landscape and the few remaining artifacts serve as a quiet indication of the town’s once-thriving existence. As of 2005, the surviving remnants of Dogtown are the walls of several stone huts, a few roof timbers, and a single gravesite. The ruins have been mildly vandalized.
All that remains of old Dogtown are scattered building foundations and a few wooden structures on the verge of collapse. Surrounding ranches and three homes of relatively recent vintage along French Gulch Creek occupy what once was a riotous mining camp. People today still continue to search for gold in Dog Town.
While the older miners gave up on striking riches there, prospectors insist that not all the gold was taken and some still remain in those hills and old diggings. The site is registered as California Historical Landmark. A landmark plaque by the side of nearby U.S. Highway 395 marks the location. Dog Town’s ruins and its commemorative plaque is located on Highway 395 at post mile 69.5 (7 miles south of Bridgeport.)
Remarks: Dogtown’s story reflects the broader narrative of many Gold Rush towns that sprung up quickly, only to fade away as the gold veins were depleted. Despite its decline, Dogtown holds a special place in the history of Mono County and remains a poignant symbol of the hopes and dreams that drove so many to California in search of fortune.
Its remote location and sparse remains offer a unique glimpse into the past for those willing to explore its history. The name “Dogtown” was often applied by miners to camps where living conditions were miserable. It was derived from a popular miner’s term for camps made of huts. A cemetery and ruins of the makeshift dwellings that once formed part of the “diggings” here are all that remain of this rugged, yet historically significant town; making the name “Dogtown Diggings.”
It was also said that the town got its name from the number of dogs there actually were in the town. According to passed-down history, a woman had come to the town with her three dogs, which began breeding. Then, as she found that the male miners felt alone and without their families, she sold them the puppies for pinches of gold. This then led to even more puppies being born and populating the town, hence the name Dog Town.
