A Short History of Diamond Springs
Before the Gold Rush, the area that would become Diamond Springs was an important burial ground for the
local Northern Miwok and Southern Nisenan Indians. (The Northern Miwok inhabited the upper watersheds of
the Mokelumne River and the Calaveras River, and the Nisenan or Southern Maidu occupied the whole of the
American, Bear and Yuba river drainages.)These California tribes had lived in the area for thousands of
years before the inrush of people from around the world nearly obliterated them. Small numbers of Miwok
still live in the area, while the Nisenan are gone. Artifacts such as grinding rocks (where natives
milled acorn flour) and petroglyphs can still be found, and there is a
state park
preserving such sites.
Our history of Diamond Springs, like so many communities in the Mother Lode, begins with the Gold Rush
era. With the discovery of gold in
Coloma
(just over eleven miles away on California Highway 49),
thousands upon thousands of people came to the Sierra foothills. In 1850, a group of emigrants
traveling along the old Carson Emigrant Trail liked the pasture land and abundant water found here,
and decided to settle. Finding a 25 pound gold nugget here sealed the deal (worth about $231,000 in
2006 dollars).
Taking its name from the many springs with water glistening like diamonds, Diamond Springs began to grow. (Today the springs are gone, buried or drained.) By 1860 the town was important enough to be a stop on the famed Pony Express route, with a population over 500. It also became a stop on the major stage coach route through the Sierras. Sadly, when the Transcontinental Railroad was being built, the track was laid far to the north. With the playing out of major gold deposits, Diamond Springs settled for life as a small town.
Today, the unincorporated town of Diamond Springs has about 2800 people. At an elevation of 1778 feet, it enjoys hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. On California 49 (the Mother Lode Highway) about five miles south of Placerville (pop. 10,000), Diamond Springs is one of many former gold rush boom towns that have made it into the 21st century by adapting to the times. Now known for its restaurants and antique shops, residents mine gold from the river of tourists like the town founders mined it from the local waterways.