The building has 15,000 square feet, with 5,000 on the top floor and 10,000 square feet on the bottom floor.  It is sitting on 53 beautiful acres, with lots of oak trees, and plenty of hillside to climb.

            The building was built to stand, with much of the integrity still intact.  The large beams throughout the building, the double sided rock fireplace, that will again warm the hearts and souls of those who wish to sit in front of it.  The wall that we affectionately call our “Wall of Fame.”  The “Wall of Fame,” came to be as the foothills didn’t have an ambulance service, and the owners of the Broken Bit put out an offer to the peoples that visited here, that if they would give $20.00 or $25.00 to the ambulance service, they would be allowed to put their branding iron in the fireplace and brand the wall, and a brass name plate was placed below it to recognize those that helped in that effort.  We have researched through the brand inspector’s office in Madera, and have found all but about six of the brands.  We intend to replace those name plates, and perhaps continue the wall.  It was very interesting to us to find that part of the brands are still active.

            Many a prom and special event were had here, and we would like to continue having those memorable times.  Many, many people have related to us the good times that were had here, and are extremely excited about the opportunity to again eat and play at the Broken Bit.

            The Broken Bit will be a place where all can come and enjoy.  It still has the beautiful bar in by the fireplace, but it will no longer be serving alcohol, instead it will be the place where many smiles are had as it will be an ice-cream bar, with non-alcoholic drinks only being served.  There are too many accidents on the 41 corridor involving drunk driving, so we have decided not to have a liquor license.

            Inside the building there will be many more things than just a restaurant and banquet facility.  There will be a small gift shop, where visitors may purchase mementos of not only the Broken Bit, but the Gold Gulch Museum and of course Yosemite National Park.  There will be a general store.  An old time photography area will be housed there as well.  As I mentioned earlier there will also be an ice-cream bar, as well as our banquet room doubling as a state of the art conference room, complete with audio, video, and multi-media equipment. 

            Outside the Bit, we will have patio dining on both the banquet side and the dining room side.   A nickel arcade, which will only be a nickel, will be available along with a weight room.  We would like the Broken Bit to be a destination point, but most importantly, we want everybody to feel welcome and safe and to know that there is always something happening here.  All employees of the Broken Bit and Gold Gulch Museum are finger printed and back-ground checked.  We are all Meagan’s law compliant, and that is the way it will stay.  If an employee cannot pass a background check or doesn’t want their finger prints taken, then we don’t want them here.

            The Broken Bit and the Gold Gulch Museum want to be team players in the community.  We have been involved in different events benefiting not only the community, but other people as well.  We have donated items to promote other businesses in the area, as well as to the chamber of commerce, and community members that have children that are crippled.   The Broken Bit sponsored a car show that earned $3,000.00 for Children’s Hospital of the Central Valley.  We have been proactive in providing free crafts for all children, for three years, at the Coarsegold Rodeo.  We have helped with fund-raisers at Coarsegold Elementary School, and participated in activities for other museums in the foothill area.

            Located on the property as well is our Gold Gulch Museum, an inter-active, hands-on, living history museum, where students, community members, and the public can come and not only have a great time, but learn a lot as well.  The museum was originally located one mile down the road, and had been in existence for about 12 or 14 years.  It closed for a couple of years when the one of the owners got MS, and decided it was time for them to retire.  They contacted us and we decided it would be an asset to the community to keep it, so we bought it, and brought it up to the Broken Bit property.   We teach according to California State Standards, we are curriculum based.   During our first season, we entertained, instructed, and helped 3,500 students from many different schools.  We are into our second season, and we have already done close to 5,000 students, and now we are able to do not only students, but the public as well.  We have had many visitors, and several really nice articles written about us in the Fresno Bee.  It makes us happy for people to come and enjoy our property, whether it be somebody having a picnic lunch or going through the entire museum, we enjoy the smiles that are found here.

            The current stations that we now have at the museum are as follows:  Gold panning, mine shaft tour, native American village, candle making, 1850’s science / electromagnets, archaeological dig, treasure hunts, crafts, Dutch oven cooking, zipline,  gemstone search, animal track plaster casting.

            We have been invited to several different fairs, including the Santa Barbara Fair, the Big Fresno Fair, the Madera District Fair, and the State Fair.  We were also invited by the Yosemite Visitors Bureau to attend a travel show in Santa Clara, CA.

            As an additional asset to the museum, and the Broken Bit, we have a real gold mine on the property.  We don’t know how old it is, but there are evidences of the use of a star drill, which was used during the gold rush era.  Also on the property is “Old Stage Road,” we believe we own the biggest stretch of Old Stage Road that is not paved.  This is the road that was used before Highway 41 was built, and is also the road that President Theodore Roosevelt rode on in the Cannon Ball, to make Yosemite National Park, a National Park.

            The Broken Bit will again come alive with the tummy-tickling gourmet food from Chef Rigo’s recipes.  We have had many people try some of his dishes and rave about the savory taste.

            We have all the necessary permits from Madera County already.  Our parking is adequate, but, if needed, we have room for expansion.

            The demographer estimates that we will be doing 320 meals per day, 365 day per year on average.

            We already have the permit from Cal-Trans to put a left turn lane and a deceleration lane in, and the plans have been sent out to bid.

            Phase 1 of the Broken Bit is as follows:  The dining room, the banquet room, ice-cream bar/soda fountain, gift shop, general store, photographer, and the “Garden of Eden.”  (Landscaping)

            Phase 1 of the Museum includes the following:  All weather covers for the different areas, an old town with 9 buildings, four of which will be used for retail, handicap accessibility, feel of the old west including farm animals and wagons, for traveling on Old Stage Road. Completion of upper amphitheater, increase earth science curriculum, school history tours, birthday parties, summer day camps, special events, and completion of an archery course.

            We have already had many fun activities, with people asking when we are going to do them again.  We are excited about the positive feedback, and eagerness of the people that have visited the Broken Bit and Gold Gulch Museum.

Written July of 2007 by Retha Crumpton, owner

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