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The Cabin on Jackass Hill
and The Notorious Jumping Frog Of Calaveras County
In Sonora, Ca, there is a small unassuming old cabin, but it is no ordinary cabin. It is a replica of the cabin Mark Twain stayed in during the winter of 1864 and 1865. The Gillis brothers, local miners, invited him to stay in their cabin. The replica was built after the original cabin burned down, including the fireplace and chimney.
While staying at Jackass Hill, Twain and Steve Gillis heard a story about a jumping frog at a saloon in Angels Camp. After returning to the cabin, Twain wrote about “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” This story launched Twain’s publishing career. In later years, the jumping frog and he would become world-famous. During this time, Twain gathered material for his book “Roughing it.” Before his death in April 1910, Twain wrote 26 other books, including “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
The Jumping Frog Jubilee, didn’t start until 1928, inspired by Mark Twain’s Short Story.
On a cold February day in 1865, Twain sat beside a stove in his hotel room, waiting for the rain to end. Taking advantage of a captive audience, bartender…
