Camanche, California
Encyclopedia
Camanche is a former settlement in Calaveras County
, California
. It lay at an elevation of 220 feet (67 m). Once called Limerick, the town became Camanche (after Camanche, Iowa
) in 1849. Gold
mining
at nearby Cat Camp, Poverty Bar, and Sand Hill brought its population to a peak of 1,500. Mokelumne River
water was brought in by Lancha Plana
and Poverty Bar Ditch. A fire on June 21, 1873, destroyed Camanche's large Chinatown. Buhach, an insect powder made from a plant, was manufactured on the nearby Hill Ranch. Camanche is now inundated by Camanche Reservoir.
The settlement is registered as California Historical Landmark
#254.
Its location is at 38°12′48"N 120°56′07"W
A post office was opened in Clay's Bar in 1861 and renamed Camanche in 1864 before closing in 1886; it was re-established in 1887 and closed for good in 1962.
Calaveras County, California
Calaveras County is a county located in the Gold Country of the U.S. state of California. Calaveras is the Spanish word for skulls; the county was reportedly named for the remains of Native Americans discovered by the Spanish explorer Captain Gabriel Moraga. As of the 2010 census, the county had a...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It lay at an elevation of 220 feet (67 m). Once called Limerick, the town became Camanche (after Camanche, Iowa
Camanche, Iowa
Camanche is a city in Clinton County, Iowa, United States on the Mississippi River. The population was 4,215 at the 2000 census.-History:Camanche was founded by Dr. George Peck in the late 1830s, who is buried in the Rosehill Cemetery in Camanche....
) in 1849. Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
at nearby Cat Camp, Poverty Bar, and Sand Hill brought its population to a peak of 1,500. Mokelumne River
Mokelumne River
The Mokelumne River is a river in Northern California. The Upper Mokelumne River originates in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and flows into Pardee Reservoir and then Camanche Reservoir in the Sierra foothills. The Lower Mokelumne River refers to the portion of the river below Camanche Dam...
water was brought in by Lancha Plana
Lancha Plana, California
Lancha Plana was a small settlement in Amador County, California, formed as a result of a flatboat ferry crossing across the Mokelumne River. It was founded by Mexican settlers in 1848. It lay on the north bank of the Mokelumne River, south-southeast of Ione, at an elevation of 220 feet...
and Poverty Bar Ditch. A fire on June 21, 1873, destroyed Camanche's large Chinatown. Buhach, an insect powder made from a plant, was manufactured on the nearby Hill Ranch. Camanche is now inundated by Camanche Reservoir.
The settlement is registered as California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
#254.
Its location is at 38°12′48"N 120°56′07"W
A post office was opened in Clay's Bar in 1861 and renamed Camanche in 1864 before closing in 1886; it was re-established in 1887 and closed for good in 1962.