More than 150 years after the gold rush first began, some Americans are still digging for riches all over California.

Chase Sexton and Jett Lawrence each crashed on Lap 1 of a moto in the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Rancho Cordova, California, but Sexton recovered to sweep the races and earn maximum points.

That amount is doubled at Sam’s Grill, where owner Peter Quartaroli sells about 40 plates of Hangtown fry ($21) each month. Quartaroli believes that Sam’s Grill, which opened in 1867, added ...