Welcome to the Amador Sawmill & Mining Association
The Amador Sawmill and Mining Association is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization consisting of a group of enthusiastic volunteers dedicated to preserving the sawmill and mining history of the Sierra Foothills. We currently operate the historic Amador Sawmill, the Pokerville Mine and the Steam Donkey which are intertaining and educatonal operating displays at the Amador County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, California. In addition, we have our educational traveling display of an old-time historic Machine Shop that can travel to various venues, and we restore and maintain antique tools, machinery and steam engines. Machinists, mechanics, engineers, restorers and volunteers of all kinds are welcome and encouraged to join the ASMA. We have partnered with the Kennedy Gold Mine near Jackson, CA.
Amador Sawmill
The Historic Amador Sawmill is located at the Amador County Fairgrounds, in Plymouth, CA. The working sawmill is operated by the volunteer members of the ASMA during the County Fair, for special shows and events, and also to cut authentic old-time sawn lumber for renovation, preservation and restoration purposes at many historic sites. The antique look of the resulting lumber is also popular with home and furniture builders. The mill is steam powered with a Nordberg Corless Steam Engine. More...
Pokerville Mine
The Pokerville Mine at the Amador County Fairgrounds was created to display some of the methods and equipment that were used for hard rock gold mining after the California Gold Rush. A full-sized working wood headframe from one of the many hundreds of small mines is depicted. An old time gas engine hauls an ore bucket filled with ore up from the mine shaft which typically was put through a crusher, and then is fed into the working rotary stamp mill for further processing. More...
Steam Donkey
The working Steam Donkey display has been featured at the Amador County Fair, and soon will be featured at the Kennedy Gold Mine near Jackson, CA. The ASMA shows a typical set up for logging or yarding by one of the many early lumber companies in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The Steam Donkey was often mounted on a mobile skid platform which could be moved from one job to the next by oxen, horse, mule team, or by the Donkey moving itself using its wood-powered steam boiler to power a small attached steam engine and cable winch. More...
Events
The Amador Sawmill and Mining Association puts on live demonstrations through-out the year of the operating old-time Lumber Mill, Steam Donkey and Mining Displays. During events like the Truck Show, the Amador County Fair, the Kennedy Gold Mine and special appearances at parades, and shows held at other venues, the ASMA strives to be entertaining and educational giving you a peek at what it was like to work as a miner or logger in the "Old Days". Check our Events page for the ASMA's scheduled appearances. More...
Join Us
The ASMA is a group of enthusiastic volunteers dedicated to preserving the sawmill and mining history of the Sierra Foothills. Machinists, mechanics, engineers, restorers and volunteers of all kinds are welcome and encouraged to contact us. Explore this site and see some of the interesting projects we are working on. If this sounds fun and challenging to you, contact us and join today! More...