Angels to Renovate Historic “Chicken Ladder”

Angels Camp officials vowed to preserve the “chicken ladder” on Hardscrabble Street during their city council meeting Tuesday night.

The City Council voted 4-0, with Councilman George “Curly” Middleton absent, to restore the narrow and old wooden sidewalk that runs along the south side of the steep street.

It was used to get up and down the steep road, Tim Shearer, city administrator, said.

The walk has raised, horizontal slats that make it look like a walkway you might see leading up to a chicken coop.

The “chicken ladder” is in a state of disrepair, Shearer said, looking for direction from the council. The council could have decided to restore, demolish or maintain the structure.

It encroaches on the road and is a tripping hazard, Shearer said.

The council toured the site in May and asked an infrastructure and facility committee to make a recommendation on the future of the “chicken ladder.”

The committee sent it back to the council Tuesday with no recommendation.

The council decided to preserve the historic structure, but sent it back to the committee to come up with the cost and a plan of action for the renovation.

“History, you only get it once,” Councilman Lee Seaton said. “If you tear it down it´s gone.”

“It´s part of the city,” Councilman Paul Raggio said. “It´s been there one-hundred years. I´d like to see it there till I die.”

The rest of the council concurred it was worth saving as long as it didn´t exceed the $10,000 set aside in this year´s budget.

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