Murphys, originally Murphys New Diggings then Murphy’s Camp, is an unincorporated village located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 2,213 at the 2010 census, up from 2,061 at the 2000 census.

A former gold mining settlement, the main street today is lined with over two dozen wine tasting rooms and amongst local vineyards. Nearby attractions swell Calaveras immense Trees State Park, Bear Valley Ski Resort and historic Mercer Caverns. The world’s largest crystalline gold leaf is displayed just south of town at Ironstone Vineyards. The town as a consequence hosts an annual Irish Days parade and street fair every March on Main Street, with some years seeing greater than 35,000 people in attendance.

The Place around Murphys was originally occupied by the Miwok. John and Daniel Murphy were share of the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party, the first immigrant party to bring wagons across the Sierra Nevada to Sutter’s Fort in 1844. They earned a blooming as merchants, but subsequently many others, began prospecting similar to the California Gold Rush began. They first started in Vallecito, which was then known as “Murphys Old Diggings,” before upsetting to substitute location in 1848 which became “Murphys New Diggings,” “Murphy’s Camp,” and eventually just “Murphys” in 1935.

The placer mining in this location was totally successful, but wreaked havoc upon the natural landscape. Miners were limited to claims of 8 square feet (0.75 m) and nevertheless many were yet able to become wealthy. The Murphy brothers themselves, however, made far-off more money as merchants than as miners. In fact, John was so rich that he left town at the subside of 1849 and never returned, having summative a personal fortune of nearly $2 million. Roughly $20 million in gold was discovered in Murphys and the surrounding area. Two of the richest diggings were named Owlsburg and Owlburrow Flat.