HISTORY
Originally inhabited by Miwok Indians, the valley of Volcano was first entered by white men during the winter of 1848. Finding a few flakes of gold was enough for the soldiers of Jonathan Stevensons' New York 7th Regiment to make camp until spring when the pickin's would be easier ~ thus the town was first known as "Soldiers Gulch". The word "gold" was like a magnet and attracted people from all over the world. Quite impressed with the strange appearance of the crater-like valley, the limestone rock formation, and the morning mist rising from the valley floor, the new settlers tagged it "Volcano" and Volcano it remained. The earth was dug, picked and mined for its rich deposits of placer gold, but not until the hydraulic monitor, were the hills ripped open and ravaged for over 90 million dollars work of "color".
Volcano became a leading cultural center as one of the first to offer a leading cultural center as one of the first to offer a lending library, theater group, private law school, debate society, several dance halls, and an astronomical observatory site. With a population of 5000 by 1858, the city included 5 churches, 1 public school, a Masonic and Odd Fellows Hall, 3 butcher shops, 2 bakeries, 2 breweries, 2 expresses offices, a public hall and theater, a fire company, and 5 saloons.
Even now, during the early morning hours, as the mist magically rises from the mountains, time and space become blurred and the imagination returns to those days. nature has healed itself from man's fever for gold and Volcano "the most picturesque of the Mother Lode towns," continues to be a thriving community of living history.
Volcano became a leading cultural center as one of the first to offer a leading cultural center as one of the first to offer a lending library, theater group, private law school, debate society, several dance halls, and an astronomical observatory site. With a population of 5000 by 1858, the city included 5 churches, 1 public school, a Masonic and Odd Fellows Hall, 3 butcher shops, 2 bakeries, 2 breweries, 2 expresses offices, a public hall and theater, a fire company, and 5 saloons.
Even now, during the early morning hours, as the mist magically rises from the mountains, time and space become blurred and the imagination returns to those days. nature has healed itself from man's fever for gold and Volcano "the most picturesque of the Mother Lode towns," continues to be a thriving community of living history.
Volcano almost became the county seat for Amador county in 1854 and again in 1857, but the newspaper closed in 1857 and afterwards, the town began to decline, eventually becoming a Ghost Town.
Volcano is also home to Black Chasm Caverns, a National Natural Landmark.
The St George Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Many Firsts for California
Although small, Volcano is a town of many "Firsts" for California history:
- 1852: Volcano boasts one of the longest running General Stores in continuous use
- 1854: First theater group in California continues as the Volcano Theater Company.
- 1854: First debating society in California
- 1854: First circulating library in California
- 1855: First private schools in California
- 1855: First private law school in California
- 1856: First legal hanging in Amador County
- 1856: Cobble Stone Theater (continues in use today by the Volcano Theater Company
- 1860: First astronomical observatory in California: established by George Madeira, who discovered the Great Comet of 1861, it is registered as California Historical Landmark #715
- 1880: The Union Billiard Saloon & Boarding House opened and was also the site of the Volcano Justice Court presided by Judge Peter Jonas. (Today it is known as the Volcano Union Inn)
- 1978: First solar still in California
Resources for history of Volcano come from: Volcano California: Most picturesque of the Mother Lode Towns, by Mary Edith Crosley, 1957
California Gold: Story of the Rush to Riches,
1994, Zanel Publications, Phillis and Lou Zauner
Society of California Pioneers, California Historical Society, California State Library, Bancroft Library, Muriel Thebaut of Volcano and William Wintle of Volcano
California Gold: Story of the Rush to Riches,
1994, Zanel Publications, Phillis and Lou Zauner
Society of California Pioneers, California Historical Society, California State Library, Bancroft Library, Muriel Thebaut of Volcano and William Wintle of Volcano