Gold Dredge

The Walter Johnson No. 52 is a bucket line dredge that operated in the region with 120 buckets designed to extract gold from deep below the surface. The machine covers an area larger than a football field and weighs around 2,500 tons in total.

The dredge started operations at Patricksville in 1938 and ran until 1951, when falling gold prices made continued extraction no longer profitable. Its closure represented the end of large-scale gold mining operations in this area.

The site received recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, preserving the memory of California's industrial mining operations.

The site sits on private property with restricted access, so visitors can view it from outside or need permission from the owner to enter. It is located about two miles south of California Highway 132 near County Route J59.

Each of the 120 buckets was exceptionally heavy and could dig down to depths of up to 70 feet to reach gold-bearing material. This engineering capability was remarkable for the 1930s and 1940s.

Location: Stanislaus County

Inception: 1937

GPS coordinates: 37.63333,-120.47639

Latest update: December 14, 2025 12:27