Foothill Flavors

Sheep Ranch is the new bayou

By Antoinette May Herndon

The days dwindle down to a precious few. Only ten left. The Cajun Fete, everyone’s favorite Foothill event is scheduled for Aug. 3 at the historic Pioneer Hotel in Sheep Ranch. Only 350 guests will be able to attend—not many when you consider the demand. The fund raiser is always a sellout.

Once again Tom Rigney and Flambeau will be the headliners at the Calaveras County Arts Council benefit. The band, Flambeau, is a kind of musical gumbo composed of everything from zydeco two-steps to romantic waltzes. Is this heaven or what?

Much of their music is written by Tom, the fabulous fiddler. You can safely say that Tom plays second fiddle to no one. His selections range all the way from Rimsky-Korsakov to funky blues with a lot Irish jigs, mountain fiddle and romantic gypsy love tunes thrown into the mix. Try to sit still when Rigby and his team are playing. I dare you!

Attending the event, now celebrating its 20th year, is like stepping into a Louisiana bayou without the humidity. Prior to the dancing, a Cajun dinner—Jambalaya prawns, barrel-smoked chicken, grilled Andouille sausage, beans, rice, salad—is served from the historic kitchen where miners once grabbed for grub.

Talk about ramshackle chic and think capital H history. Both the Pioneer (once a miners’ boarding house—and Sheep Ranch itself date from the 1860s. To begin with, the tiny town, literally a sheep ranch, changed dramatically when gold

nuggets were discovered in the pens where the animals were corralled at night. It didn’t take long for the sleepy village to become a bustling Mecca with five gold mines and 15 saloons.

For 40 years, the town made fortunes for investors that included George Hearst, father of the famed publisher William Randolph Hearst. Much of the fortune inherited by William Randolph was the result of his father’s partnership in the Sheep Ranch Mine.

While the gold and black quartz mined in Sheep Ranch helped Randolph to finance Hearst Castle in San Simeon, the place of its origin can lay claim to few buildings other than the Pioneer Hotel. But what a hotel! It’s a testament to the bonanza days. With wrap-around verandas on both stories, the old structure, normally closed to the public, begs for a relaxed down-home party, both inside and outside on the spacious grounds.

The Cajun Fete will commemorate the 133rd anniversary (minus one day) of the town’s patenting on Aug. 4, 1880 by Judge Ira Hill Read. Today, the population numbers less than one hundred people. Sheep continue to thrive there, far outnumbering the human inhabitants.

Since the mining town is so authentically picturesque, it isn’t surprising to learn that old west movies have been made there. “Honkytonk Man,” starring Clint Eastwood, was filmed in Sheep Ranch as was “Moonshine War.” Clearly the town is picturesque and oozes Gold Rush vibes. What a place to party!

A high roller at party central is Mary Jane Genochio, executive director of the Calaveras Arts Council,

a non-profit headquartered in San Andreas that’s devoted to supporting community artistic endeavors. “We were founded in 1981,” Mary Jane says. “Our purpose is to coordinate excellence in the presenting and promotion of the visual and performing arts.”

It works. Among those directly benefitted by the program are Writers Unlimited, audiences at the Ovations concerts and at Music in the Park, on-going art exhibitions, and the annual Gold Rush Writers Conference. Numerous scholarships have been provided by the Arts Council over the past 20 years, the donations largely made possible by the Cajun Fete.

According to Mary Jane, the event was designed 20 years ago as a means of having fun while raising funds. “Our mantra is ‘Good friends, good times and a good cause.’”

As they say on the bayou: Laissez les bon temps rouleer. (Let the good times roll!)

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VITALS: The Cajun Fest, sponsored by the Calaveras County Arts Council, will be held at the Pioneer Hotel in Sheep Ranch from 5 p.m. until 10. The barbecued dinner will be served between 6 and 7:30. A no host bar will offer micro brews, wine and the infamous Cajun Kicker. Free chicory coffee, lemonade and ice tea will also be available. The price is $60 per person. Tickets are not sold at the gate. Call 754-1774 to reserve.

Pictures, one or two:

The gang’s all there. A capacity crowd turned out for last year’s Cajun Fete, a benefit sponsored by the Calaveras County Arts Council at the Pioneer Hotel in Sheep Ranch.

Photo by Ed Cline