Amador City: A Haunting History

Amador City is a small Gold Rush era town in Amador County, which has more dead than living. The .3 square mile hamlet of just 201 “living” souls is the smallest incorporated city in California. It was once the center of a thriving mining industry, with over 1000 residents. The town has seen its population ebb and flow, along with mining. It has experienced several fires, and frequent deaths. It is a city with much history lying buried along with many who once called it home. It is a city where fortunes were made. There was Alvinza Hayward, who consulted mediums before staking a mining claim, and well-known individuals such as Leland Stanford and George Hearst. However, there were many who never found the elusive gold that evaded them in life. Perhaps their spirits are responsible for the orbs of light seen flashing through Amador City’s buildings, and the ethereal voices still heard echoing along the banks of Amador Creek. Some spirits have been seen in physical form, others seemingly expressing themselves through moving objects, cold spots and unexplained noises. Then there are those wandering souls still seeking a resolution to their murder, restless miners whose deaths could have been avoided, and suicides who ended their lives abruptly.It is a city where the past still haunts the present. Read and explore tales of the dead and more — forgotten byways, neighboring towns that have disappeared, robberies, saloon brawls and how 1872 mining claim laws are still in effect, and how you too, may become rich by becoming a present-day gold miner. Read more