Amador County, officially the County of Amador, is a county in the U.S. state of California, in the Sierra Nevada. 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
Amador County was created by the California Legislature on May 11, 1854. The county later split into Amador, 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 José MarÃa Amador, a soldier, rancher, and miner, 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 Keystone.
In popular culture
"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
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 606 square miles (1,570Â km2), of which 595 square miles (1,540Â km2) is land and 11.4 square miles (30Â km2) (1.9%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in California by land area and second-smallest by total area. 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 is located approximately 45 miles (72Â km) southeast of Sacramento in the part of California known as the Mother Lode, or Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada.
Amador County ranges in elevation from approximately 250 feet (76Â m) in the western portion of the county to over 9,000 feet (2,700Â 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.
Shenandoah Valley
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. 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 their 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 their existence in 1869. These old vines produce intense flavors allowing winemakers to make outstanding Zinfandels.
National protected area
- Eldorado National Forest (part)
- Mokelumne Wilderness (part)
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. The federal government closed all of the Mother Lode's mines in 1942 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.
Demographics
2011
Places by population, race, and income
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%).
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
Voter registration statistics
Cities by population and voter registration
Overview
Historically Amador was a Democratic-leaning county that voted Republican only in landslide victories. Between 1876 and 1976, Amador voted Republican only in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1920, 1952 and 1972 â€" and even in George McGovern’s landslide loss it voted more Democratic than the nation. Currently 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 California State Senate, the county is in the 8th Senate District, represented by Republican Tom Berryhill.
Crime
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.
Cities by population and crime rates
Transportation
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 nearby communities. Connections to Calaveras County and Sacramento are additionally provided.
Airport
Amador County Airport is a general aviation airport located near Jackson.
Attractions
Amador County is home of the California Gold Rush, and many century-old gold-mining sites in the county are now popular tourist destinations, as are other attractions such as:
- Campgrounds areas with gold-panning activities
- Historic sites: Chew Kee Store in Fiddletown, Kennedy Mine in Jackson, Knight Foundry in Sutter Creek, Roaring Camp Mining Company
- Amador City Main Street â€" antique shops, historical buildings, wine tasting
- Amador City Amador Whitney Museum â€" collections and displays about history and culture of the Mother Lode region
- Jackson Main Street â€" antique shops
- Jackson Rancheria â€" casino and hotel built in 1986 by Larry Graham Construction
- Lakes for boating and fishing
- Mace Meadows Golf Course in Pioneer
- Mokelumne River â€" fishing, gold panning, whitewater kayaking, swimming, picnics, water play
- Old Mill Shopping Center in Martell
- Outdoor Activities â€" camping, fishing, picnicking, ATV riding, backpacking, hiking, lake kayaking, horseback riding, whitewater kayaking, birding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, rock climbing, etc.
- Sutter Creek Main Street â€" antique shops, [2] Sutter Creek Theater
- Underground caves with tours (Black Chasm in Volcano)
- Volcano Theater Company and the Cobblestone Theater and the St. George Hotel in Volcano
- Wineries with wine-tasting activities
- Winter Ski Resorts â€" for skiers, snowboarders, etc.
Communities
Cities
- Amador City
- Ione
- Jackson (county seat)
- Plymouth
- Sutter Creek
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Amador County.
†county seat
See also
- List of school districts in Amador County, California
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Amador County, California
- Amador High School
Notes
References
External links
- Official website
- Amador County Chamber of Commerce
- Amador County Wineries