Artificial Owl: Sheepranch, Half abandonned town, Calaveras County, California, USA

Sheepranch has a surprisingly colorful history. The town was once surrounded by sheep corrals, and in 1860 there was gold ore were discovered in the corrals where the sheep were kept at night. Soon Sheepranch was a bustling gold mining town. Before the turn of the century there were five flourishing gold mines and one had a ten-stamp mill. The town also supported 15 saloons."

The town was patented on August 4 1880 by Judge Ira Hill Read. The main mine in town was known as the Hearst mine. George Hearst, who with partners bought the mine in 1897, was the father of William Randolph Hearst.

The mine operated under various company names until shut down by the government in 1942. At one time the town of Sheepranch held two churches, one Catholic and the other Protestant. The local red brick school house, which still stands as a private home, employed two teachers until 1907 when the enrollment dwindled to 30 pupils taught by one teacher.

The Eagle Hotel and the Pioneer Hotel were the two prominent local establishments, but only the Pioneer Hotel still stands. Many scenes from the 1982 movie Honkytonk Man was filmed here.