Downieville, California

Downieville
	; Main Street in Downieville (2009)
Location in California
	Downieville
	Downieville
Basic data
State :	United States
State :	California
County :	Sierra County
Coordinates :	39 ° 34 ′ N , 120 ° 50 ′ W Coordinates: 39 ° 34 ′ N , 120 ° 50 ′ W
Time zone :	Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 )
Residents :	282 (as of 2010)
Population density :	34.2 inhabitants per km 2
Area :	8.252 km 2 (approx. 3 mi 2 ) of; which 8.238 km 2 (approx. 3 mi 2 ) is land
Height :	904 m
Postal code :	95936
Area code :	+1 530
FIPS :	06-19794
GNIS ID :	2583000

Downieville on the upper reaches of the Yuba River

Downieville is a census-designated place and the county seat in Sierra County in the US state of California . In 2010 the population was 282.

history

The place was founded in 1849 during the California gold rush . The settlement was first called because of its geographical location at the confluence of the Downie River and the North Fork in the northern Yuba "The Forks" (= confluence), but was then renamed after Major William Downie (1820-1893), the first mayor of Scotland the city. Downieville had a population of over 5,000 in 1851, but the number declined rapidly after 1865, after private gold prospecting practically came to a standstill. While many gold rush settlements in the northern hinterland of the city, such as Brand City, Whiskey Diggins, Poverty Hill or Poker Flat, were abandoned and fell into disrepair, Downieville was able to hold onto its favorable geographical location and its status as the seat of the government of Sierra County.

geography

Downieville is located at the confluence of the two small rivers North Yuba River and Downie River . The heavily forested mountains of the Sierra Nevada reach a height of over 2000 meters in the Downieville region.