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California State...
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California Counties
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California Counties
The U.S. state of California is divided into fifty-eight counties.
On January 4, 1850, the California constitutional committee recommended the formation of 18 counties. They were
Benicia, Butte, Fremont, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Monterey, Mount Diablo, Oro, Redding, Sacramento, San Diego, San
Francisco, San Joaquin, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Sutter. On April 22, the counties
of Branciforte, Calaveras, Coloma, Colusi, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Trinity, and Yuba were added. Benicia was
renamed Solano, Coloma to El Dorado, Fremont to Yola, Mt. Diablo to Contra Costa, San Jose to Santa Clara, Oro
to Tuolumne, and Redding to Shasta. One of the first state legislative acts regarding counties was to rename
Branciforte County to Santa Cruz, Colusi to Colusa, and Yola to Yolo.
The last California county to have been established is Imperial County in 1907. |
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Sierra County, California
Sierra County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Downieville
Year Organized: 1852
Square Miles: 953 |
Court House: P.O. Box D
County Courthouse
Downieville, CA 95936-0398
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
Sierra nevada in Spanish means "snow saw," applied to the
Sierra Nevada mountain chain because of the jagged, serrated, sawtooth peaks
forming the skyline.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Sierra County was formed from parts of Yuba County in 1852. The county derives its name from the Sierra Nevada. The
Washoe and Maidu Indians lived peacefully in the area before gold was discovered 100 years ago in November,1849 on the
North Fork Yuba River.
It was a direct result of the discovery and continuous search for gold in California, that the development of Sierra
County began. As the roads improved, people began to travel to the more primitive environment to enjoy the beauty and
wildlife. In the 1800's a surge of interest arose from the city people for recreation and relaxation as a temporary
relief from the frantic pace of urban life.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 962 square miles (2,491 kmē), of
which, 953 square miles (2,469 kmē) of it is land and 9 square miles (22 kmē) of it (0.89%) is water.
Neighboring Counties:
- North: Lassen County
- Northeast: Washoe County, Nev.
- Southwest: Nevada County; Yuba County
- Northwest: Plumas County
Cities and Towns:
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- Downieville
(County Seat) |
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- Loyalton |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
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