Vallecito, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vallecito
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Location in Calaveras County and the state of California
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 Vallecito, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Calaveras |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.566 sq mi (22.184 km2) |
| • Land | 8.561 sq mi (22.172 km2) |
| • Water | 0.005 sq mi (0.012 km2) 0.05% |
| Elevation | 1,762 ft (537 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 442 |
| • Density | 51.60/sq mi (19.924/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes |
95229, 95251
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| Area code(s) | 209 |
| FIPS code | 06-81652 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 268654, 2409394 |
| Reference #: | 273 |
Vallecito (pronounced "Vah-yeh-SEE-toh") means "Little Valley" in Spanish. It is a small community located in Calaveras County, California, in the United States. It is called a census-designated place (CDP) because it's a special area defined for collecting population data.
In 2010, about 442 people lived in Vallecito. This was a small increase from 427 people in 2000. Vallecito is also recognized as California Historical Landmark #273 because of its important history.
Close to Vallecito, you can find Moaning Cavern. This is the biggest cave chamber in California. The Miwok Native American people used this cave as a burial ground long ago.
Contents
History of Vallecito
Vallecito was once a very important mining town in California. In 1849, the Murphy brothers found gold here. They first called the area "Murphys Diggings." Later, they moved to a new spot and called this place "Murphys Old Diggings." Their new spot became the town of Murphys.
Vallecito became busy again in 1852. This happened when a lot of gold was found right in the middle of the town. A post office was opened in 1854, and it is still used today!
The Vallecito Bell
The famous Vallecito Bell was made in Troy, New York in 1853. It traveled all the way around Cape Horn by ship to reach California. People living in Vallecito bought the bell together. In 1854, they hung it in a large oak tree.
The bell was used to call people together for meetings and events. It stayed in the tree until February 16, 1939. On that day, a strong wind blew the old oak tree down.
The first post office in the town opened in 1854 and was called "Vallicita." The town's name was officially changed to Vallecito in 1940.
Geography and Location
Vallecito is located in Calaveras County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the total area of Vallecito is about 8.6 square miles (22.3 square kilometers). Almost all of this area is land.
People of Vallecito
In 2010, the population of Vallecito was 442 people. Most of the people living there were White. There were also smaller groups of Native American, Asian, and other races. About 7.5% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background.
The population included 84 young people under 18 years old. The average age of people in Vallecito was about 47.7 years. Most people lived in homes that they owned.
See also
In Spanish: Vallecito (California) para niños
