The mine opened in 1848 along the Mokelumne River and is registered as California Historical Landmark #41.

[1] [2][3] The jackpot mine sprung up a town quickly for the prospectors and those who served them.

A Whaleboat ferry ran across the river from 1848 until 1852 when a new bridge was built by Soher & Parrish.

In 1856, Dr. L. Soher opened a toll road, now called the Old Toll Road, from the city of Mokelumne Hill to the bridge.

The Big Bar site today is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Big Bar Launch Facility, on the Mokelumne River Whitewater Trail.