Driving along the backroads of rural Nevada County, remnants of the area’s rich, historic past can be difficult to spot. However, the Wells Fargo Express building in French Corral is hard to miss. Founded in 1849, the community of French Corral, as the name suggests, was the site of a mule pen created by a French settler. Gold was also discovered nearby and the town began to thrive. Fire was commonplace in the mining west. Most structures were composed of wood and canvas that were easily set ablaze. Italian stonemasons…
