On April 12, 1859, a very large piece of gold came out of the Willard Claim, a hydraulic mine in the Feather River Canyon northeast of Magalia, then called Dogtown. The Town of Paradise puts its weight at 54 pounds. Paradise has celebrated it every April since 1959.
At a Glance
- Found
- April 12, 1859, Willard Claim, near Magalia
- Weight
- 54 pounds (Town of Paradise)
- Landmark
- California Historical Landmark, registered January 31, 1962; on the Skyway, 0.3 mile north of Pentz-Magalia Road
- Celebrated
- Gold Nugget Days, late April, since 1959
- Museum
- Gold Nugget Museum, now at the Depot Museum
The Find
The State Office of Historic Preservation lists the Dogtown Nugget Discovery Site as a California Historical Landmark. It gives the date as April 12, 1859 and the place as the Willard Claim, “a hydraulic mine in the Feather River Canyon northeast of the town.” The Town of Paradise says the nugget weighed 54 pounds and that the celebration of its discovery has been held each year since 1959.
- Not confirmedWho found it. Accounts we read name different people, and no official page we opened names anyone.
- Not confirmedWhat happened to the nugget afterward, and whether any of it survives
- Not confirmedThe nugget’s value in 1859
Gold Nugget Days
The festival started in 1959, a century after the find. The Town lists a parade, a children’s costume contest, Melodrama, Sunday at the Museum, Donkey Derby, the Highlanders and Miners Ball and the Miss Gold Nugget Pageant. See the Gold Nugget Days page.
The Gold Nugget Museum
Gold Nugget Days Inc. was incorporated in 1973 and built the Gold Nugget Museum at 502 Pearson Road; its grand opening was April 23, 1981. The Camp Fire destroyed that building on November 8, 2018. The museum says it plans to rebuild and is raising funds, including a campaign of “$1 per pound of that famous gold nugget.” Until then, visit the Depot Museum at 5570 Black Olive Dr in Paradise Community Park, open Thursday to Monday from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. and during special events. Check the museum page for what we could and could not confirm.
Sources
- California Office of Historic Preservation, Dogtown Nugget Discovery Site (date, claim, location, registration 1962). Read October 30, 2026.
- Town of Paradise, Gold Nugget Days (54 pounds, 1859, celebration since 1959). Read October 30, 2026.
- Gold Nugget Museum, About (1973, Camp Fire destruction, rebuilding, Depot Museum). Read October 30, 2026.
Cite this page: “The Dogtown Nugget” It’s Chico, checked October 30, 2026. https://itschico.com/history/dogtown-nugget/