Special to The Union
You don’t have to have lived in or even visited Downieville in Sierra County, California, to appreciate and enjoy Katie Willmarth Green’s most recent volume of historical fiction, set in the later gold rush period of 1879-80. “Shall We Gather at the River?” is the third in Green’s trilogy, documenting with researched accuracy the life and times of the community of Downieville, its surrounding environs, and individuals who lived there during that particularly tumultuous period of social, political and cultural change in both California and America.
For history buffs and particularly Gold Country aficionados this book is rich in facts, details and photos, as well as documenting California and American historical occurrences, locations, living situations, methods of transport, housekeeping techniques, religious practices, political beliefs and policies, and daily doings. The author has a particularly keen interest in all aspects of the history of the D