When Mark Twain made a visit to the Angels Hotel, no one thought that it would end up making Calaveras County famous. The hotel was originally built from canvas in 1851 by C.C. Lakes, but was rebuilt with only a few years later. It was made out of wood and stone from the local quarry. A few years later he added a second floor boasting 14 rooms and a large overhanging porch.
During the next decade, Mark Twain, who was staying at a friends’ cabin on Jackass Hill, would often visit the Angels Hotel. During one of his first visits, bartender/owner Ross Coon, told Twain about a certain man and his frog. The story goes, he told Twain about the magnificent frog jump that took place on Main Street in front of the hotel and Twain, who thought it was hilarious, went back to the cabin and wrote about it. “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” was first published in the Saturday Press on November 1865. The story was later published in The Californian with the new and current title “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, and the rest is history.
About 10 years later, owners Mr. Coon and Mr. Lake, decided to sell the hotel to a man who ran it as a first class hotel and changed the name to the Commercial Hotel of Angels Camp. It was sold to various parties throughout the rest of the century and the early part of the twentieth century as well.
Currently, the sidewalk in front of the building houses the commemorative “Frog Hop of Fame” plaques for all of the winners of the annual frog jumping contest, the Jumping Frog Jubilee.
The marker is located on the northeast corner of Main Street and Bird Way in Angels Camp. Don't forget to visit the nearby Angels Camp Museum!
Calaveras County
Along with Mark Twain’s famous "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" story that spun into an annual fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee, Calaveras County is rich with Gold Rush history and folklore.
