Nevada City, California

History

It was first settled in 1849, during the California Gold Rush, as Nevada (Spanish for "snow-covered", a reference to the snow-topped mountains in the area). The Gold Tunnel on the north side of Deer Creek was the city's first mine, being located in 1850. The first saw mill built in Nevada City was on Deer Creek, just above the town, in August, 1850, and was built by Lewis & Son, with a water wheel. In 1850-51, it was the most important mining town in the state, Nevada County being the leading gold-mining county in the state. In 1851, The Nevada Journal became the first newspaper published in the town and county. The town of Nevada was incorporated on April 19, 1856. In 1864, the word “City” was added to the name to relieve confusion with the nearby state of Nevada, and the town has legally been known as “Nevada City” ever since. The former town of Coyoteville, California, later became Nevada City's northwestern section.

Buildings and structures

The Nevada City Downtown Historic District covers the downtown section roughly bounded by Spring, Bridge, Commercial, York, Washington, Coyote, and Main Streets. Several historical buildings have received National Register of Historic Places or California Historical Landmark status, and have been preserved. Some of these include:

Geography

Nevada City is located at 39°15′41″N 121°01′07″W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), 99.83% of it land and 0.17% of it water.

Nevada, Missouri, is named after Nevada City.

Most of Nevada City lies on brown sandy loam soils of the Hoda series which developed on granitic rock.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada City had a population of 3,068. The population density was 1,399.7 people per square mile (540.4/km²). The racial makeup of Nevada City was 2,837 (92.5%) White, 26 (0.8%) African American, 28 (0.9%) Native American, 46 (1.5%) Asian, 0 (0%) Pacific Islander, 40 (1.3%) from other races, and 91 (0.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 205 persons (6.7%).

The Census reported that 2,829 people (92.2% of the population) lived in households, 56 (1.8%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 183 (6.0%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,356 households, out of which 317 (23.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 510 (37.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 155 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 79 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 97 (7.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 15 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 488 households (36.0%) were made up of individuals and 168 (12.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09. There were 744 families (54.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.67.

The population was spread out with 517 people (16.9%) under the age of 18, 199 people (6.5%) aged 18 to 24, 720 people (23.5%) aged 25 to 44, 1,075 people (35.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 557 people (18.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.5 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.

There were 1,510 housing units at an average density of 688.9 per square mile (266.0/km²), of which 786 (58.0%) were owner-occupied, and 570 (42.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 1,678 people (54.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,151 people (37.5%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,001 people, 1,313 households, and 740 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,425.0 people per square mile (549.1/km²). There were 1,415 housing units at an average density of 671.9 per square mile (258.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.3% White, 0.4% African American, 1.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

There were 1,313 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.6% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.71.

In the city, the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,667, and the median income for a family was $46,149. Males had a median income of $32,070 versus $29,183 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,399. About 1.7% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Nevada City elects a five-member City Council. Council members select the mayor and vice mayor from their ranks. Council members appoint residents to a five-member Planning Commission.

County, state, and federal representation

Nevada City is in Nevada County. The current District 1 Supervisor is Nate Beason.

In the state legislature, Nevada City is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Ted Gaines, and the 1st Assembly District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle.

Federally, Nevada City is in California's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa.

Economy

Tourism, government services, resource extraction (timber) and commercial services are the basis of the local economy.

Tourism

Tourists visit Nevada City for outdoor recreation, history, fine arts and entertainment and special events. Nevada City attracts vacationers in all four seasons and is a popular weekend getaway for visitors in Northern California and Nevada. Nevada City serves as a base for recreation in the nearby Tahoe National Forest, South Yuba River and High Sierra. Nevada City is just 45 minutes from Donner Summit area skiing and 60–90 minutes from Lake Tahoe ski areas. Nevada City's popular tourist attractions include:

Culture

Live music, theater and dance are performed nearly continually at Miners Foundry Cultural Center and the historic Nevada Theatre. Many bars and restaurants feature live music.

Museums and galleries

The Nevada County Historical Society operates Historic Firehouse No. 1 Museum downtown and the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum in the Seven Hills Business District area. There is a small museum at Miners Foundry Cultural Center. Many businesses also have displays of photos and historic artifacts dating back to the Gold Rush and pioneer eras. In addition, there are several art galleries and businesses that exhibit fine art.

Recurring events

There are several annual major cultural events which include Victorian Christmas (street faire), Summer Nights (street faire), Mardi Gras, Fourth of July Parade, Teddy Bear Convention, and Psychic Faire.

Twin town

Nevada City is twinned with Penzance, a seaside town in Cornwall, UK and the nearby tin and copper mining town of St Just in Penwith, Cornwall, UK. The twinning is a result of Cornish migration during the Californian gold rush in which Cornish mining expertise migrated to the area. In the City Hall of Nevada City there is a room dedicated to the twinning and houses Cornish memorabilia and items donated on various exchanges. Penzance Youth Wind Band under the direction of Paul Carter have joined forces with Nevada Union High School instrumental music department on two occasions.

Film location

An abundance of historic buildings, autumn leaf color and attractive natural surroundings have made Nevada City an ongoing setting for film and television productions, including feature films and commercials. The area is also a popular location for photography. Modern day Nevada City was the setting for the 2006 Hallmark Channel original movie, The Christmas Card.

Education

Nevada City has a its own school district with 3 schools: Deer Creek (K-4), Seven Hills (5-8) and Nevada City Charter School (K-8). Other large schools in the area include Nevada City School of the Arts, Yuba River Charter School, and Forest Charter School

After 8th Grade, the majority of students attend Nevada Union High School in nearby Grass Valley as part of the Nevada Joint Union School District. Other high schools in the area include Silver Springs High School, Ghidotti High School, Bear River (located closer to Auburn) and other smaller private and charter schools.

Higher education

There is a branch of Sierra College located in Grass Valley, close to Nevada Union High School where students can take courses on their way to earning an associate degree.

Other local schools include the California College of Ayurveda.

Climate

Owing to its exposed location on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, Nevada City receives moderate to heavy rainfall for California at 59 inches (1.5 m), though its climate is otherwise fairly typical for the state, being classified as Mediterranean (Csa/Csb). Although exceedingly heavy snow falls on the nearby mountains, it very rarely falls in the city. During a typical year, there are 31 days with temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and, conversely, 75 freezing nights and 60 days where the temperature fails to reach 50 °F (10 °C). The record high temperature is 111 °F (44 °C), set on August 14, 1933, and the record low temperature is −1 °F (−18 °C), set on January 21, 1937 and on December 9, 1972.