Visit Double Springs's Historic Sites
It’s hard to believe that Double Springs was once a busy and
important place, and the county seat to boot. Named for a pair of
springs located in a meadow amongst the low hills, grassy fields have
reclaimed the area now, dotted here and there with a few homes and ranch
buildings. It’s quiet here, being well off the main highway. But it
wasn’t always quiet.Discovered by Sonoran miners in the early summer of 1849, Agua Fria
was one of the earliest settlements on Frémont’s Las Mariposas grant.
Named for two springs of cold water located at a bend of the creek, the
placer deposits of the area were rich, but like most of the placer camps
in the region were soon worked out. As the miners drifted off to other
camps, Agua Fria’s importance dwindled, and in 1852 the county seat was
moved to Mariposa as the result of a county-wide vote, after a mandate
by the State Legislature required all county seats to be determined by
the registered voters of that county. Thereafter, the town vanished as
rapidly as it had appeared, eventually leaving no trace of its
existence.When Calaveras County was organized at the 1849/50 session of the
California State Legislature, it was one of the original twenty-seven
counties of the state. The county then included portions of what are now
Amador, Alpine, Fresno, and Mono counties. As the county seat, Double
Springs became a thriving center of activity for the entire area. Court
was held in a large tent at first, until a proper courthouse could be
built. It was constructed of camphor wood brought from China, and served
as the courthouse until 1851 when Double Springs “lost” its seat.
According to tradition, it happened like this. Even though the county
seat had been voted away to Jackson, the citizens of Double Springs
refused to give up the records. So late one night a party of stealthy
Jacksonians arrived and began treating the county clerk to numerous
libations at the local saloon. Meanwhile, other members of the party
slipped into the courthouse, loaded up the archives, and hustled back to
Jackson. Although illegal, Jackson held onto the county seat until April
16 of 1852, when the seat was transferred to Mokelumne Hill by an act of
legislation.Double Spring’s decline was as rapid as its rise, for when the
county seat left, so did everything else. Many people followed the seat
of government to whichever town it went, as their jobs were in some way
related; lawyers, clerks, county officials, etc. And as the people left,
so did the businesses which counted on their patronage. Eventually there
were only a few ranches and homes left at Double Springs, and the area
returned to its former pastural self.Double Springs is located nine miles from Mokelumne Hill via Hwy 26
and Double Springs Road.