Cool, California
Encyclopedia
Cool, formerly known as Cave Valley, is a small unincorporated community
in El Dorado County
, California
, about 40 miles (64.4 km) from Sacramento
, the state capital. Cool is at an elevation of 1532 feet (467 m).
The population is about 4100, and the community is inside area code 530
with a ZIP code
of 95614.
between Auburn
and Placerville
on a hill at an elevation more than 1500 feet (450 m), and in an area full of trees, trails, camping
and other recreational activities.
The temperature ranges from 75° to 115° degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 25°F to 50°F in the winter.
There is no entirely clear history of how the town came to be called Cool. Some locals believe that a beatnik named Todd Hausman coined the name in early 1947 on a cross country road trip, and appended it to the town. However, most local historians claim that the town was named during the days of the Gold Rush
after Aaron Cool, a preacher who often travelled through the area.
Recently, Jerry L. Pozo (a resident of Cool) has done extensive research on the origin of the town's name. Pozo believes that the town was named after a traveling missionary named B.Y. Cool who ministered in the area under the authority of the Methodist Church in the 1800s. Pozo's letter to the editor of the Georgetown Gazette from June 2011 has been transcribed and can be found.
run starts and ends in the town in early March. It follows sections of the Western States Trail with more than a 7000 ft (2100 m) elevation change along its 31-mile length.
Cool is located in the 1st Senate
District, represented by Republican
Dave Cox
, and in the 4th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Ted Gaines
. Federally, Cool is located in California's 4th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +11 and is represented by Republican Tom McClintock
.
serves Cool. Cool currently has just one school - Northside School - catering for elementary (K-6) and middle school (7-8) grades. Residents are zoned to Golden Sierra High School.
Until 2007 there was also another K-5 and middle school - Cool Christian School.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in El Dorado County
El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County is a county located in the historic Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills of the U.S. state of California. The 2010 population was 181,058. The El Dorado county seat is in Placerville....
, 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...
, about 40 miles (64.4 km) from Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, the state capital. Cool is at an elevation of 1532 feet (467 m).
The population is about 4100, and the community is inside area code 530
Area code 530
North American area code 530 is a California telephone area code that covers Auburn, Chico, Colfax, Davis, Grass Valley, Marysville, Oroville, Placerville, Redding, Red Bluff, Susanville, Truckee, Woodland, Yuba City and South Lake Tahoe....
with a ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 95614.
Geography
It is built on State Route 49California State Route 49
State Route 49 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California that passes through many historic mining communities of the 1849 California gold rush. Highway 49 is numbered after the "49ers", the waves of immigrants who swept into the area looking for gold, and a portion of it...
between Auburn
Auburn, California
Auburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
and Placerville
Placerville, California
Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,389 at the 2010 census, up from 9,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
on a hill at an elevation more than 1500 feet (450 m), and in an area full of trees, trails, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
and other recreational activities.
The temperature ranges from 75° to 115° degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 25°F to 50°F in the winter.
History
The first post office was established in 1885. Penobscot Public House, established in 1850, was a way station and stage coach stop during the days of the Gold Rush. The famous Penobscot Ranch still exists today. Today the historic site, including the house built during the days of the Gold Rush and the barn built in 1923, can be viewed by driving down Highway 193 four miles outside of the business center of Cool. Cool offers residents and visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful rural residential environment, including small restaurants, as well as the Auburn State Recreational Area which is open to the public for hiking and horsebackriding.There is no entirely clear history of how the town came to be called Cool. Some locals believe that a beatnik named Todd Hausman coined the name in early 1947 on a cross country road trip, and appended it to the town. However, most local historians claim that the town was named during the days of the Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
after Aaron Cool, a preacher who often travelled through the area.
Recently, Jerry L. Pozo (a resident of Cool) has done extensive research on the origin of the town's name. Pozo believes that the town was named after a traveling missionary named B.Y. Cool who ministered in the area under the authority of the Methodist Church in the 1800s. Pozo's letter to the editor of the Georgetown Gazette from June 2011 has been transcribed and can be found.
Ultramarathon
The Way Too Cool 50 KilometerWay Too Cool 50 Kilometer
The Way Too Cool 50 Kilometer run is an annual ultramarathon run that starts and ends in Cool, California. The race course follows sections of the Western States Trail. The course has greater than 7000 ft of vertical elevation change along its 31-mile length. Most of the course is held on...
run starts and ends in the town in early March. It follows sections of the Western States Trail with more than a 7000 ft (2100 m) elevation change along its 31-mile length.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Cool is located in the 1st Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Dave Cox
Dave Cox
David E. Cox was an American politician from Holdenville, Oklahoma. A Republican, he served as a California State Senator, representing the 1st district from December 2004 until his death in July 2010, and also served as an California State Assemblyman for the six years immediately before his...
, and in the 4th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Republican Ted Gaines
Ted Gaines
Edward M. Gaines is a California State Senator, representing the 1st Senate district. He won a January 4, 2011, special election to replace the late Dave Cox and took office two days later...
. Federally, Cool is located in California's 4th congressional district
California's 4th congressional district
California's 4th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. It covers the northeastern corner of California along Route 395, encompassing El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc counties, as well as parts of Butte County...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +11 and is represented by Republican Tom McClintock
Tom McClintock
Thomas Miller McClintock II is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator...
.
Education
The Black Oak Mine Unified School DistrictBlack Oak Mine Unified School District
Black Oak Mine Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Georgetown, unincorporated El Dorado County, California....
serves Cool. Cool currently has just one school - Northside School - catering for elementary (K-6) and middle school (7-8) grades. Residents are zoned to Golden Sierra High School.
Until 2007 there was also another K-5 and middle school - Cool Christian School.
External links
- Way Too Cool 50k webpage
- http://www.historichwy49.com