Angels Camp, California

Angels Camp, also known as City of Angels (formerly Angel's Camp, Angels, Angels City, Carson's Creek and Clearlake), is the only incorporated city in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 3,667 at the 2020 census. It lies at an elevation of 1381 feet (421 m).

Angels Camp, California Angels
City
Downtown Angels Camp in 2008
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Frogtown, City of Angels
Motto:  "Redefining The Rush"
Location of Angels in Calaveras County, California
Angels Camp, California Location in the United States
Coordinates: 38°04′06″N 120°32′23″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Calaveras
Mining camp	1848[1]
Incorporated	January 24, 1912[2]
Government
• Mayor	Michael Chimente[3]
• Vice Mayor	Caroline Schirato[3]
• City Administrator	Pamela Caronongan[4]
Area [5]
• Total	3.64 sq mi (9.42 km2)
• Land	3.63 sq mi (9.41 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)  0.25%
Elevation [6]	1,381 ft (421 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,667
• Density	1,009.64/sq mi (389.78/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	95222
Area code	209
FIPS code	06-02112
GNIS feature IDs	1667877, 2409709
Website	angelscamp.gov
California Historical Landmark
Reference no.	287[7]

Mark Twain based his short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" on a story he claimed to have heard at the Angels Hotel in 1865.^[8] The event is commemorated with a Jumping Frog Jubilee each May at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, just east of the city. Because of this, Angels Camp is sometimes referred to as "Frogtown."

The city is California Historical Landmark #287.^[7]

History

Angels Camp around 1900

Henry Angell, a native of Rhode Island, set up a tent store on the banks of the creek. The placers around his camp were productive but gave out after a few years, and the population began to dwindle until gold-bearing quartz veins were discovered in the town, which brought people back. Those mines operated for the next few decades, producing more than $20 million worth of gold, processed by stamp mills in town. It was said that when the last mill finally ceased operations, the townspeople couldn't sleep, the silence was so loud.^[1]

The first post office was established in 1851 (and called Carson's Creek). It was renamed along with the town in 1853. The city was incorporated under the name of "Angels" in 1912.^[9]

Geography

Angels Camp is located at 38°04′06″N 120°32′23″W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), all land.

Angels Camp is about 1,400 feet (430 m) above sea level, with Angels Creek flowing through the middle of town.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Angels Camp has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.^[10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	330		—
1890	917		177.9%
1920	941		—
1930	915		−2.8%
1940	1,163		27.1%
1950	1,147		−1.4%
1960	1,121		−2.3%
1970	1,710		52.5%
1980	2,302		34.6%
1990	2,409		4.6%
2000	3,004		24.7%
2010	3,836		27.7%
2020	3,667		−4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

The 2020 United States census reported that Angels Camp had a population of 3,667. The population density was 1,009.6 inhabitants per square mile (389.8/km²). The racial makeup of Angels Camp was 81.1% White, 0.7% African American, 2.1% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.8% from other races, and 10.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.5% of the population.

The census reported that 98.4% of the population lived in households, 1.6% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 1,635 households, out of which 24.5% included children under the age of 18, 46.5% were married-couple households, 7.3% were cohabiting couple households, 30.0% had a female householder with no partner present, and 16.1% had a male householder with no partner present. 29.4% of households were one person, and 17.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.21. There were 1,036 families (63.4% of all households).

The age distribution was 18.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% aged 18 to 24, 19.6% aged 25 to 44, 26.1% aged 45 to 64, and 30.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males.

There were 1,907 housing units at an average density of 525.1 units per square mile (202.7 units/km²), of which 1,635 (85.7%) were occupied. Of these, 68.2% were owner-occupied, and 31.8% were occupied by renters.^[12][13]

The median household income was $60,353, and the per capita income was $31,454. About 10.5% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line.^[14]

Government

In the state legislature, Angels Camp is in the 4th senatorial district, represented by Republican Marie Alvarado-Gil,^[15] and the 8th Assembly district, represented by Republican David Tangipa.^[16] Federally, Angels Camp is in California's 5th congressional district, represented by Republican Tom McClintock.^[17]

Notable people

• Sara Carter — musician and entertainer, Carter Family
• T.J. Dillashaw — former UFC bantamweight champion^[18]
• Amanda Folendorf — first deaf female mayor in the United States^[19]
• Mike McCormick — Major League Baseball player
• Catfish Metkovich — Major League Baseball player
• Tommy Orange — Native American writer and novelist
• Kyle Rasmussen — United States Ski Team member and two-time Alpine skiing World Cup Downhill champion
• Frank Elbridge Webb — Engineer and presidential candidate in 1928 and 1932

See also

• Prince-Garibaldi Building
• California Historical Landmarks in Calaveras County
• Birthplace of Archie Stevenot
• Robinson's Ferry