Coarsegold, California

Coarsegold
census-designated place
Coarsegold Show map of California Coarsegold Show map of the US Location in California
Coordinates: 37°15′44″N 119°42′04″W / 37.26222°N 119.70111°W / 37.26222; -119.70111Coordinates: 37°15′44″N 119°42′04″W / 37.26222°N 119.70111°W / 37.26222; -119.70111
Country	United States
State	California
County	Madera County
Area[1]
• Total	10.988 sq mi (28.459 km2)
• Land	10.988 sq mi (28.459 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation[2]	2,218 ft (676 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	1,840
• Density	170/sq mi (65/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP Code	93614
GNIS feature IDs	258494; 2628719
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Coarsegold, California; U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Coarsegold, California

Coarsegold is a census-designated place^[3] in Madera County, California.^[2] The population was 1,840 at the 2010 census.^[4] The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, a federally recognized tribe, is headquartered in Coarsegold.^[5]

History

Coarsegold has previously had several names, including Coarse Gold, Gold Gulch, Michaels, Oro Grosso, Texas Flat,^[6] and Coarse Gold Gulch.^[7] The place was first called Texas Flat after miners from Texas discovered gold there in 1849.^[7] By 1874, the name had changed to Michaels, honoring Charles Michaels, a local merchant.^[7] A rival mining camp inhabited by Mexicans there was called Oro Grosso.^[7]

The current name derives from the California Gold Rush of the mid-19th century, when prospectors discovered coarse nuggets of gold in a nearby creek.^[8] At one time, several dozen gold mines operated in the area.

The Coarse Gold Gulch post office opened in 1878, changed the name to Goldgulch in 1895 and to Coarsegold in 1899.^[7]

Geography

Coarsegold is located on Highway 41 between Fresno and the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, at an elevation of 2,218 ft (676 m).^[2] Nearby communities include Oakhurst, around 7 miles (11 km) away, Yosemite Lakes Park, and Indian Lakes Estates.

Climate

Coarsegold has a Mediterranean climate (Csa according to the Köppen climate classification system) with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.^[9] Its average annual precipitation is 27.29 in (693 mm).^[10] It is located in hardiness zone 8b.^[11]

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census^[4] reported that Coarsegold had a population of 1,840. The population density was 167.5 people per square mile (64.7/km²). The racial makeup of Coarsegold was 1,617 (87.9%) White, 11 (0.6%) African American, 50 (2.7%) Native American, 32 (1.7%) Asian, 6 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 47 (2.6%) from other races, and 77 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 156 persons (8.5%).

The Census reported that 1,840 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 766 households, out of which 184 (24.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 452 (59.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 70 (9.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 28 (3.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 29 (3.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 4 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 186 households (24.3%) were made up of individuals and 104 (13.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40. There were 550 families (71.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.79.

The population was spread out with 338 people (18.4%) under the age of 18, 116 people (6.3%) aged 18 to 24, 295 people (16.0%) aged 25 to 44, 585 people (31.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 506 people (27.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.3 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

There were 864 housing units at an average density of 78.6 per square mile (30.4/km²), of which 617 (80.5%) were owner-occupied, and 149 (19.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 1,492 people (81.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 348 people (18.9%) lived in rental housing units.

Culture

Chukchansi language classes have been taught at the elementary school in Coarsegold since 2008.^[13] As of 2012, Chukchansi classes are available for children and adults.^[14]

Every year from mid-October to mid-November, tarantula mating season takes place and the town is full of tarantulas. Locals go out of their way to protect and respect the arachnids during this time. A Coarsegold Tarantula Festival is held in late October, traditionally the Saturday before Halloween, including tarantula racing, a competition for the hairiest legs of both men and women, and a pumpkin dessert contest.^[15]

Notable residents

• Creed Bratton – Actor and musician was raised in Coarsegold
• Richard Kiel – Actor lived in Coarsegold from 1980–2002 when he moved to Clovis, California for medical reasons^[16]
• Lee Newton – Actress raised in Coarsegold until moving to Pasadena, California after high school to pursue an acting career^[17]
• Billy Vukovich III – Indianapolis 500 1988 rookie of the year grew up in Yosemite Lakes Park
• Grace Lee Whitney – Actress lived in Coarsegold from 1993 until her death on May 1, 2015^[18]

Media

The 1993 computer-based adventure game Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, is set in a fictionalized Coarsegold, California in the 1880s. The game was published by Sierra On-Line which was, at the time, based in nearby Oakhurst; the same company, under its prior name On-Line Systems, in 1981 published On-Line Adventure #3: Cranston Manor, also set in Coarsegold.

Coarsegold is the destination for stars Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in the 1962 film Ride the High Country.

References

External links

• Coarsegold website

Municipalities and communities of Madera County, California, United States
County seat: Madera
Cities	Chowchilla Madera
CDPs	Ahwahnee Bass Lake Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos Coarsegold Fairmead La Vina Madera Acres Nipinnawasee Oakhurst Parksdale Parkwood Rolling Hills Yosemite Lakes
Unincorporated communities	Ahwahnee Estates Bass Lake Annex Berenda Bonadelle Ranchos Bonadelle Ranchos Five Bonadelle Ranchos Nine Bonita Borden Cascadel Woods Central Camp Dairyland Daulton Fine Gold Fresno Crossing Gregg Hildreth Indian Lakes Estates Indian Springs Irrigosa Italian Swiss Colony Kismet Knowles Knowles Junction Lake Madera Country Estates Madera Country Club Estates Madera Highlands Madera Ranchos Minturn North Fork Notarb Old Corral O'Neals Raymond Ripperdan River Road Estates San Joaquin River Estates Sharon Sierra Vista South Fork Storey Sugar Pine Sumner Hill The Pines Trigo Valley Lake Ranchos Whisky Falls Yosemite Forks Yosemite Lakes Park
Indian reservations	Northfork Rancheria Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians
Ghost towns	Ash Bailey Flats Bethel Birch Buchanan Califa Cascadel Femmon Fort Miller Gertrude Gold Grub Gulch Herbert Hillside Jesbel Lankershim Lincoln Magnet Medano Miami Millerton Minarets Narbo Oak Ovejo Plains Rallsville Starville Talbot Tharsa Tillman Tyler Watt Willow Glen Wishon