Fiddletown, California

For the California wine region, see Fiddletown AVA.

Fiddletown
—  census-designated place  —
The Chew Kee Chinese Apothecary (historic rammed-earth structure) in Fiddletown
Fiddletown Location in California
Coordinates: 38°30′14″N 120°45′20″W / 38.50389°N 120.75556°W / 38.50389; -120.75556Coordinates: 38°30′14″N 120°45′20″W / 38.50389°N 120.75556°W / 38.50389; -120.75556
Country	United States
State	California
County	Amador County
Settled	1849
Area[1]
– Total	12.007 km2 (4.636 sq mi)
– Land	12.007 km2 (4.636 sq mi)
– Water	0 km2 (0 sq mi)  0%
Elevation[2]	513 m (1,683 ft)
Population (2010)
– Total	235
– Density	19.6/km2 (50.7/sq mi)
ZIP Code	95629
Area code(s)	209
GNIS feature ID	223482; 2583012
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fiddletown, California; U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fiddletown, California

Fiddletown (from 1878 to 1932, Oleta)^[3] is a census-designated place^[4] in Amador County, California. It lies at an elevation of 1683 feet (513 m). It is located at 38°30′14″N 120°45′20″W / 38.50389°N 120.75556°W / 38.50389; -120.75556. The town is registered as California Historical Landmark #35 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NPS-78000655). The community is in ZIP code 95629 and area code 209. Fiddletown's population was 235 at the 2010 census.

History

The town was first settled by Missourians in 1849 and in the 1850s served as a trading center for a number of mining camps in the area. The town also had one of the largest Chinese communities in the state (over 2,000 in the 1860 census).

At the time of its founding, placer mining was the most popular mining technique, which is heavily dependent on water. The local water source, Dry Creek, ran dry during the summer months, during which time the miners were said to be "fiddling around," thus the name. However, one local citizen was embarrassed to be known as the "Man from Fiddletown" and successfully lobbied to have the name changed to Oleta (after his daughter) in 1878. After his death in 1932, town residents petitioned to have it restored to Fiddletown.

A post office first opened in Fiddletown in 1853.^[3]

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census^[5] reported that Fiddletown had a population of 235. The population density was 50.7 people per square mile (19.6/km²). The racial makeup of Fiddletown was 215 (91.5%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 5 (2.1%) Native American, 1 (0.4%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 8 (3.4%) from other races, and 6 (2.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22 persons (9.4%).

The Census reported that 235 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 102 households, out of which 23 (22.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 55 (53.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 8 (7.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 9 (8.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2 (2.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 26 households (25.5%) were made up of individuals and 9 (8.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30. There were 72 families (70.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.75.

The population was spread out with 48 people (20.4%) under the age of 18, 12 people (5.1%) aged 18 to 24, 42 people (17.9%) aged 25 to 44, 78 people (33.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 55 people (23.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.6 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males.

There were 126 housing units at an average density of 27.2 per square mile (10.5/km²), of which 77 (75.5%) were owner-occupied, and 25 (24.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%. 174 people (74.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 61 people (26.0%) lived in rental housing units.

Politics

In the state legislature Fiddletown is located in the 1st California State Senate District, and in the 10th California State Assembly District. Federally, Fiddletown is located in California's 3rd congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +7^[6] and is represented by Republican Dan Lungren.

References

1. ^ U.S. Census
2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fiddletown, California
3. ^ ^{a b} Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 484. ISBN 9781884995149. 
4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fiddletown, California
5. ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.
6. ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html. Retrieved 2007-10-20. 

External links

• Fiddletown Preservation Society
• A History of Chinese Americans in California: Fiddletown's Chinese American Community