Gold Miner

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Kneeling at the entrance of Auburn, California is a 45-ton statue depicting a Gold Rush era miner.  The miner is based off of Claude Chana, a prospector that struck gold in the area over 150 years ago. Chana, a French immigrant, traveled to California in the hopes of assisting in its settlement. After his discovery of Auburn’s rich gold deposits, he continued to help develop Auburn by creating and running a vineyard (one of the first in California).

The sculpture’s artist, Kenneth Fox, a local dentist; was inspired by Chana’s example of the entrepreneurial-spirited pioneers.  Fox felt that the miner’s hard-working lifestyle gave sharp contrast to his opulent discoveries. Fox succeeding in creating a world-renowned statue that accurately portrayed the demanding, yet rewarding lifestyle of California’s early settlers.

Tags:

Auburn, big statues, California, French settler, gold rush

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