Columbia (Images of America)

First settled by prospectors in 1850 and designated as a State Historic Park in 1945, Columbia, California is a remarkably well-preserved example of a gold rush community. This retrospective from the Friends of Columbia State Historic Park presents a collection of vintage b&w photographs illustrating the town's history from boom to bust. The photos are accompanied by detailed captions. Columbia's reinvention as a tourist attraction is described in the final chapter. Annotation 2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)