Bacon and Beans From a Gold Pan

by George Hoeper

This is the warm, true story of Jesse and Dot Coffey, who, young and newly married, turned to California's gold fields to eke out a living during the Great Depression.

Genres: Nonfiction

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty cool reading about the place I live👍

[John Gentry · Rating 4 out of 5]

great feel good read. makes me want to go camping.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't expecting to be so engaged with the stories told here. It's written like an autobiography, as a first person account, but a different person wrote the book. Set during the depression, a young couple head to the Sierras, to the Mother Lode to earn their meager living by mining for gold. They call it being a sniper, along the rivers getting the fine gold flakes that the '49ers left behind as not worth it.

It's not the best written book, and wasn't expecting that. It certainly was entertaining with the tales, and in a few instances can see how society has changed. Often people helped out each other, and when a forest fire came through, everyone pitched in to help.

[Arroyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who was born and raised in downieville California, this book is pretty special. Though not the best book ever written it holds a certain place in my heart having known all the small towns and mines mentioned in the latter half of the book. Even some of the people are familiar characters that I’ve heard about from the old timers. This book just makes you feel good reading it.

[Glynis Aldworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book to read of how a hard up couple worked hard and eventually had a large gold strike. This is a true story and I am proud to say that I met Dot Coffey on several occasions and what a lovely lady.

[David Earle · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Bacon and Beans from a Gold Pan” is the autobiographical journey of Jesse and Dot Coffey, who, young and newly married and living in San Jose, turned to California’s gold fields to eke out a living during the Great Depression. The year was 1935, and Jesse Coffey, like millions of others during those hungry years, was out of a job. So he and his wife decided to move to the rich Mother Lode country along the foothills of the Sierra and capitalize on his life-long fascination with gold mining. For more than four years they mined the region’s creeks and rivers, gleaning from a few cents to a few dollars a day in tiny, hard-earned nuggets and gold dust. At least, they always made enough with their gold pan and sluice box to “buy bacon and beans.” I truly enjoyed this book. And after reading it I was tempted to grab my own gold pan (yes, I do own one) and head out to the nearby Mother Lode country to try my own luck in search of gold!

[Dulce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story

[Brian Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a little prospecting in your veins this is a great book.