Amador County, California

County of Amador
—  County  —
Foothills of Amador County
Seal
Nickname(s): The Heart of the Mother Lode
Location in the state of California
California's location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Sierra Nevada
Incorporated	May 11, 1854
County seat	Jackson
Largest city	Ione
Area
• Total	604.69 sq mi (1,566.1 km2)
• Land	592.97 sq mi (1,535.8 km2)
• Water	11.73 sq mi (30.4 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	38,091
• Density	Bad rounding here63/sq mi (Bad rounding here24/km2)
Time zone	Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
Area code(s)	209
Website	www.co.amador.ca.us

Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,091. The county seat is Jackson.

Amador County bills itself as "The Heart of the Mother Lode" and lies within the Gold Country. There is a substantial viticultural industry in the county.

History

The Amador County Courthouse consists of two buildings, the second courthouse (built 1864) and the Hall of Records (1893), that were enclosed and combined in 1939 with an Art Deco exterior.

Amador County was created by the California Legislature on May 11, 1854 from parts of Calaveras and El Dorado Counties. It was organized on July 3, 1854. In 1864, part of the county's territory was given to Alpine County.

The county is named for Jose Maria Amador, soldier, rancher and miner, who was born in San Francisco in 1794, the son of Sergeant Pedro Amador (a Spanish soldier who settled in California in 1771) and younger brother to Sinforosa Amador.

In 1848, Jose Maria Amador, with several Native Americans, established a successful gold mining camp near the present town of Amador City. In Spanish, the word amador means "one who loves." Some of the Mother Lode's most successful gold mines were located in Amador County, including the Kennedy, Argonaut and the Keystone.

"The Luck of Roaring Camp" is a short story by American author Bret Harte. It was first published in the August 1868 issue of the Overland Monthly and helped push Harte to international prominence. Harte lived in this area during his "Gold Rush" period, and possibly based the story in a mining camp on the Mokelumne River.

Geography

Amador County is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) southeast of Sacramento in the part of California known as the Mother Lode, or Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 604.69 square miles (1,566.1 km²), of which 592.97 square miles (1,535.8 km²) (or 98.06%) is land and 11.73 square miles (30.4 km²) (or 1.94%) is water. Water bodies in the county include Lake Amador, Lake Camanche, Pardee Reservoir, Bear River Reservoir, Silver Lake, Sutter Creek, Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River, and Tabeaud Lake.

Amador County ranges in elevation from approximately 250 feet (76 m) in the western portion of the county to over 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in the eastern portion of the county. The county is bordered on the north by the Cosumnes River and El Dorado County and on the south by the Mokelumne River and Calaveras County, on the west by Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties, and the east by Alpine County.

Cities and towns

• Amador City
• Ione
• Jackson
• Plymouth
• Sutter Creek

CDP

• Buckhorn
• Buena Vista
• Camanche North Shore
• Camanche Village
• Drytown
• Fiddletown
• Kirkwood
• Martell
• Pine Grove
• Pioneer
• Red Corral
• River Pines
• Volcano

Unincorporated places

• Allen
• Barton
• Bonnefoy
• Bunker Hill
• Carbondale
• Clarsona
• Clinton
• Dagon
• Edwin
• Electra
• Enterprise
• Firebrick
• Kit Carson
• New Chicago
• Pine Acres
• Plasse
• Roaring Camp
• Scottsville
• Sunnybrook
• Sutter Hill

Adjacent counties

• Calaveras County, California – south
• San Joaquin County, California – southwest
• Sacramento County, California – west
• El Dorado County, California – north
• Alpine County, California – east

National protected area

• Eldorado National Forest (part)
• Mokelumne Wilderness (part)

Shenandoah Valley

Amador Vineyard

Though not as well known as the Napa Valley AVA or Sonoma Valley AVA viticultural regions of California, the Shenandoah Valley was once the principal viticultural region of California.^{[citation needed]} With the discovery of gold, the area quickly became a mecca for those trying to make their fortune. In the process numerous wineries sprouted up many of whose vineyards are still in use by wineries today. The decline of the California Gold Rush coupled with the onset of Prohibition devastated the wine-making region of Amador County. Today this area has been resurrected and is now home to over 40 different wineries. Amador County is renowned for its Zinfandel, but many other varietals are produced as well. Amador County has a high percentage of old Zinfandel vines. Some of the Zinfandel vineyards in this county are more than 125 years old, including the original Grandpère vineyard, planted with Zinfandel before 1869 and believed to be the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in America. This 10-acre (40,000 m²) vineyard is home to some of the oldest Zinfandel vines on Earth, with proof of existence dating to 1869 when it was listed as a descriptor on a deed from the U.S. Geological Survey. A grant deed in Amador County records further proves its existence in 1869. These old vines produce intense flavors allowing winemakers to make outstanding Zinfandels.

Gold mining

There are numerous gold mines in Amador County including the Argonaut Mine, the Kennedy Mine, the Central Eureka, and the Lincoln. The Kennedy Mine in Jackson was the deepest gold mine of its time. All of the Mother Lodes's mines were closed in 1942 by the government because they were considered non-essential to the war effort. Recently the Sutter Gold Mining Company has attempted to re-open the Lincoln Mine just north of Sutter Creek. if the mine successfully reaches the operation phase, it will be the first corporately funded, large scale underground gold mine in the area in over 70 years.

Attractions

Silver Lake in Amador County CA

Amador County is home of the Gold Rush era in California. Many century-old gold-mining places in the county are now popular tourist destinations. Amador County offers several tourists destinations and things to do:

• Jackson Main Street – antique shops
• Sutter Creek Main Street – antique shops, [2] Sutter Creek Theater
• Jackson Rancheria – casino and hotel built in 1986 by Larry Graham Construction
• Volcano Theater Company and the Cobblestone Theater and the St. George Hotel in Volcano
• Mace Meadows Golf Course in Pioneer
• Old Mill Shopping Center in Martell
• Underground caves with tours (Black Chasm in Volcano)
• Campgrounds areas with gold-panning activities
• Wineries with wine-tasting activities
• Mokelumne River – fishing, gold panning, whitewater kayaking, swimming, picnics, water play
• Lakes for boating and fishing
• Winter Ski Resorts – for skiers, snowboarders, etc.
• Outdoor Activities – camping, fishing, picnicking, ATV riding, backpacking, hiking, lake kayaking, horseback riding, whitewater kayaking, birding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, rock climbing, etc.
• Historic sites: Kennedy Mine in Jackson, Chew Kee Store in Fiddletown, Knight Foundry in Sutter Creek

Roaring Camp Mining Company

Transportation infrastructure

Major highways

• State Route 16
• State Route 26
• State Route 49
• State Route 88
• State Route 104
• State Route 124

Public transportation

Amador Regional Transit System (ARTS) provides service in Jackson and the nearby communities. Connections are available to Sacramento and to Calaveras County.

Airports

Amador County Airport is a general aviation airport located near Jackson.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	10,930		—
1870	9,582		−12.3%
1880	11,384		18.8%
1890	10,320		−9.3%
1900	11,116		7.7%
1910	9,086		−18.3%
1920	7,793		−14.2%
1930	8,494		9.0%
1940	8,973		5.6%
1950	9,151		2.0%
1960	9,990		9.2%
1970	11,821		18.3%
1980	19,314		63.4%
1990	30,039		55.5%
2000	35,100		16.8%
2010	38,091		8.5%

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Amador County had a population of 38,091. The racial makeup of Amador County was 33,149 (87.0%) White, 962 (2.5%) African American, 678 (1.8%) Native American, 419 (1.1%) Asian, 77 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 1,450 (3.8%) from other races, and 1,356 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4,756 persons (12.5%).

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Amador County	38,091	33,149	962	678	419	77	1,450	1,356	4,756
Incorporated cities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Amador City	185	171	0	4	2	0	2	6	11
Ione	7,918	5,826	824	173	110	21	678	286	1,991
Jackson	4,651	4,090	32	94	60	4	185	186	520
Plymouth	1,005	850	3	18	6	2	70	56	183
Sutter Creek	2,501	2,272	10	34	65	5	40	75	219
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Buckhorn	2,429	2,259	9	37	25	4	47	48	168
Buena Vista	429	365	1	23	0	0	12	28	35
Camanche North Shore	979	860	3	14	12	3	38	49	150
Camanche Village	847	762	0	9	8	4	31	33	121
Drytown	167	153	0	0	1	0	2	11	11
Fiddletown	235	215	0	5	1	0	8	6	22
Kirkwood‡	61	59	0	1	1	0	0	0	2
Martell	282	234	0	14	0	5	14	15	36
Pine Grove	2,219	2,027	9	36	9	6	49	83	202
Pioneer	1,094	1,017	0	34	1	2	12	28	52
Red Corral	1,413	1,259	24	15	12	3	33	67	147
River Pines	379	324	0	5	4	0	8	38	31
Volcano	115	109	0	2	2	0	0	2	7
Unincorporated communities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	11,182	10,297	47	160	100	18	221	339	848
‡ - census results for the portion of this CDP in Amador County

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 35,100 people, 12,759 households, and 9,071 families residing in the county. The population density was 59 people per square mile (23/km²). There were 15,035 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.8% White, 3.9% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.0% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. 8.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.9% were of German, 12.6% English, 11.7% Irish, 8.8% Italian and 7.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.1% spoke English and 5.1% Spanish as their first language.

There were 12,759 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 122.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,280, and the median income for a family was $51,226. Males had a median income of $39,697 versus $28,850 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,412. About 6.1% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Presidential election results

Year	GOP	DEM	Others
2008	56.3% 10,561	41.7% 7,813	2.0% 395
2004	62.1% 11,107	36.6% 6,541	1.3% 243
2000	56.7% 8,766	38.2% 5,906	5.1% 792
1996	47.5% 6,870	40.6% 5,868	11.9% 1,714
1992	35.5% 5,477	34.3% 5,286	30.3% 4,671
1988	55.9% 6,893	42.1% 5,197	2.0% 148
1984	61.5% 6,986	36.9% 4,188	1.7% 189
1980	55.9% 5,401	33.0% 3,191	11.1% 1,078
1976	46.1% 3,699	50.4% 4,037	3.5% 282
1972	53.4% 3,533	40.9% 2,705	5.7% 378
1968	42.1% 2,269	45.3% 2,440	12.6% 681
1964	33.0% 1,682	66.9% 3,410	0.1% 6
1960	44.5% 2,175	55.0% 2,690	0.5% 22

Election results from statewide races
Year	Office	Results
2010	Governor	Whitman 52.4 - 41.6%
	Lieutenant Governor	Maldonado 52.1 - 33.4%
	Secretary of State	Dunn 50.5 - 38.5%
	Controller	Chiang 50.4 - 40.2%
	Treasurer	Walters 48.3 - 42.9%
	Attorney General	Cooley 59.1 - 27.8%
	Insurance Commissioner	Villines 50.6 - 35.1%
2006	Governor	Schwarzenegger 72.1 - 22.5%
	Lieutenant Governor	McClintock 56.8 - 38.3%
	Secretary of State	McPherson 62.0 - 31.2%
	Controller	Strickland 52.4 - 40.2%
	Treasurer	Parrish 49.0 - 42.5%
	Attorney General	Poochigian 52.7 - 42.0%
	Insurance Commissioner	Poizner 62.9 - 25.4%

Amador is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Amador County is in California's 4th congressional district, represented by Republican Tom McClintock. In the State Assembly, the county is in the 5th Assembly District, represented by Republican Frank Bigelow. In the State Senate, the county is in the 8th Senate District, represented by Democrat Leland Yee.

See also

• List of school districts in Amador County, California
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Amador County, California
• Amador High School

External links

• MyAmador: Search Amador County businesses, services, organizations and communities
• Amador County website