Samuel Clemens, 29, hid from San Francisco police for months after being broke. He spent 88 days mining, drinking, and storytelling in Gold Country, where he heard a tale about a jumping frog. He developed the story upon returning to San Francisco and launched his alter ego Mark Twain, becoming America's most beloved author and humorist.
88 Days in the Mother Lode: Mark Twain Finds His Voice
Mark Twain spent 88 days in Angels Camp, California, taking refuge from the rain in 1864/65 during his winter retreat to Calaveras and Tuolumne counties.
