First settled in the early summer of 1849 by Sonoran miners,
Agua Fria was one of the
earliest settlements on Colonel John C. Frémont's Las Mariposas grant.
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| 1850s view, from a
California Pictorial Lettersheet |
In 1849, James Savage built his first trading post nearby. It
became the county seat of Mariposa County after California became a United
States of America territory.
The town of Agua Fri was located one-quarter mile north of Carson Creek, a tributary of Agua
Fria Creek. In October 1851, a post office was established. The town served as the Mariposa county seat from
Feb. 18, 1850 to Nov. 10, 1851.
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| California's original 27 counties |
Mariposa was of one of the original twenty-seven
counties in California. It was also the largest of California’s first counties.
In 1850, this county, which has since been broken up into several other
counties, comprised one-sixth of the state.
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| Agua Fria |
At its peak, as
hundreds of miners scoured the area in search of gold, the town boasted of a
dozen stores plus all the usual “recreations” typically found in the early
mining towns, including monte and faro banks, a billiard room, bowling alley, assay
offices, express mail service, and
a hotel. According to an eyewitness, miners were "camped in every
direction for five miles from the common center...in tents and huts of every
description."
Named for two springs
of cold water located at a bend of the creek, the placer deposits of the area
were rich. Like most placer camps in the region, they were soon depleted and miners
drifted off to other camps. Gradually, Agua Fria's importance dwindled. In
spite of a 6-stamp quartz mill having been installed in upper Agua Fria, by 1853,
most miners had moved on.
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| Mariposa County map |
In 1852, the
California State Legislature mandated that all county seats be determined by
the registered voters of each county. As the result of a county-wide vote, the
county seat was moved to the town of Mariposa, four miles to the northwest of Agua Fria.
Not long after, the town slowly vanished.
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| Agua Fria 1874 |
Between the 1850s and 1860s, fires destroyed most of Agua
Fria’s wooden buildings. The most devastating fire occurred on June 22, 1866.
Originating in a building occupied by Chinese residents, that conflagration burned
nearly all of Lower Agua Fria, destroying an estimated seventy-five structures.
Businesses like Gossner & Co. Brewery and merchants Egenhoff and Ketkin
suffered major losses. Only one house remained standing.
For the most part, the town was never rebuilt. It became a
ghost town, although this 1874 photograph shows a few hardy buildings still standing.
Today, nothing remains of the town of Agua Fria.
The Historical
Marker, installed by the Native Daughters of the Golden West, reads:
One fourth mile north of Carson Creek,
tributary of Agua Fria, was located Agua Fria, first county seat of Mariposa
County in 1850-1851 one of original 27 counties in California. Until 1852,
while mining was main industry of region, Mariposa County comprised ⅙ of the state and included all of what
is now Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Kern Counties. Town of
Mariposa became seat of government in 1852 & the courthouse was completed
in 1854.
Since Yosemite National Park is partly in Mariposa County,
the region plays a role in my three National Park Brides books.
AntheliaYosemite Bride and Ardith Yosemite Bride have been published and are available.
Emily Yosemite Bride is currently on pre-order. To find the book descriptions
and purchase options, please click onto the hyperlinked titles.
Sources:
https://landmarkquest.com/omeka/items/show/939
https://prairierosepublications.blogspot.com/2017/04/mariposa-courthouse-by-zina-abbott.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agua_Fria,_California
https://westernmininghistory.com/towns/california/agua-fria/
https://www.exploratography.com/blog-49/agua-fria-california-hwy49
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=51554
