As gold mining evolved from placer mining to “Lode”, underground hard rock tunnel extraction, the mining industry’s needs changed.

For Calaveras County to become industrialized, the Utica Gold Mining Company realized that they would need a way to obtain electric power. Luckily for them, their large ditch and flume system would be the perfect way to achieve that. Powerhouses were constructed in Angels Camp and Murphys delivering the first electricity to Calaveras County.