Charles Michael is said to be the first resident to arrive with Gold Fever. He started to raise cattle and sheep to help feed the miners. Some accounts say the first business was founded by Roney and Thornburg in 1851 and was later bought by Charles Michael.

Coarse Gold Gulch was considered to be an early prosperous placer mining camp. Figures of the early population vary from as many as 10,000 people to as few as 1,500. One Hundred and fifty voters turned out for an election that was held in 1851. In the fall of 1851 there was the Mariposa Indian War that drove many miners and their families from the area. In 1878 the first post office was established called Coarse Gold Gulch.

By 1863, the Texas Flat Gold and the Silver Co. for $1,500,000.00 was incorporated and was said to recover their investment many, many times over. The incorporation was later purchased by George Hearst, father of William Randolph Hearst.

Placer mining dwindled rapidly 10 years after it was discovered. Early miners stripped away the easy gold and large numbers of Chinese moved into the area reworking the old claims by hand. Mining continued on a small scale until 1940. In 1940 partners in the Rich Hill Mine were notified that the stamp mill had been completed at the Golden Ribbon Mine and was placed into production. Fred Geddes, a partner in one of the operations during that time, said in 1991 that with one blast a “golden ribbon” of pure, soft gold was revealed. This caused the enterprise to continue.

In 1889 the community of Coarsegold Gulch boasted of the St. Charles Hotel (with 20 rooms) a general merchandise store, blacksmith shop, saloon, dance hall and a few small dwellings. In the middle of the road stood the original town water system, a dug well. A roofed platform covered the old hand pump. Many tourists traveling on their way to Yosemite stopped by the well for refreshment..

Today 154 years after its founding Coarsegold remains a community leader of Eastern Madera County. It was started as a gold mining area and we are still finding gold dust, pickers, and gold nuggets in the nearby streams and the Fresno River.

Madera County Centennial 1893-1993 100 Years Looking Forward

Copyright 1993 Madera Newspaper, Inc.