The Rio de las Calaveras (“River of Skulls”) was named by members of the 1806 Moraga expedition who are said to have seen skulls of Native Americans along its banks. After the discovery of gold on the American River in January of 1848, strikes were made in Calaveras County along the banks of Carson’s and Angels Creeks, and the Mokelumne, Calaveras, and Stanislaus rivers. Mining accounts for the locations and names of most of the county’s towns and communities, the larger settlements located where major strikes occurred, or where supply camps provided necessities for the surrounding encampments.
The mining industry led to the formation of Calaveras County in 1850, and it was the main pillar of the local economy for nearly 75 years thereafter. Settlers soon turned to agriculture as a more sustaining endeavor, and the cattle and lumber provided additional employment for the county’s population.
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Website Accessibility Statement
Calaveras Heritage Council (the "District") is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to all
members of the public. As part of this commitment, the District strives to provide an accessible website compatible with
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, AA, and commercial screen reading software. Features of the
website are created to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same
degree as someone without disabilities.
If you need any special assistance or accommodations:
Contact our compliance support team via telephone at: (888) 765-1970
Ongoing Compliance Information
Compliance Coordinator
The District has designated a Compliance Coordinator for website disability-related accommodations. The Compliance
Coordinator has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best
practices and requirements.
Compliance Procedures
The District is working to ensure all website content complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act
and controlling State laws. In an ongoing effort to continually improve and remediate accessibility issues,
the website is regularly scanned to ensure ongoing compliance, and timely changes are made to any inaccessible
content if found.
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