ABOUT THIS SITE

Timbuctoo California was once the most thriving town in eastern Yuba County. Now it’s only the ghost of a ghost town. What happened? Why didn’t Timbuctoo survive to become a tourist destination like Placerville, Nevada City and other Gold Country towns? Timbuctoo had a roaring past, and though it doesn’t have much of a present, it just might have a future. This site is constantly evolving to add stories, images, history, and other information relating to Timbuctoo, California.

This site is not intended to be the definitive source for all things Timbuctoo, California. There is enough information about Timbuctoo to fill a book (which is in the works). Instead, this site is meant to be a sort of clearing house, providing information and also directing visitors to other (reputable) sites for further information. The current incarnation of this site, like its sister Facebook page, is meant not only as an information platform but also as a kind of crowdsourcing project: Anywhere and everywhere possible, I encourage visitors to contribute.

I was born and raised in Southern California, attended college in Sacramento, then worked as a newspaper reporter in California’s San Joaquin Valley. I’m currently a freelance writer and editor, based in Northern California since 1989. I’ve been researching and writing about Timbuctoo, California since 2005. I’m coauthor of the book Smartsville and Timbuctoo (Arcadia Publishing, 2008), and coeditor of the book The Sage of Smartsville: The Collected Stories of George Rigby (Comstock Bonanza Press, 2014). Two of my articles about Timbuctoo have appeared in both print and online editions of “Wild West” magazine.

Please reach out to me with questions and comments.

Site Updated 24 April 2024