More historic than 17% of U.S. towns · #527 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Coarsegold was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. Below: 2 old photos and papers and maps from 1953 on.
The Coarsegold post office opened in 1899, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Coarse Gold Gulch (1878) and Goldgulch (1895), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 4,144127 years
How historic is Coarsegold?
C−
More historic than 17% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Coarsegold post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade
What drives Coarsegold’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Coarsegold is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns, #527 of 847 in California. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Coarsegold’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Coarsegold’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share (±2.0 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Coarsegold’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Coarsegold’s post office has been open since 1899. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Coarse Gold Gulch
1878–1895
Goldgulch
1895–1899
Coarsegold
1899–today
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Indian Lakes EstatesNarboWillow Glen
Gone or out of use
Lily MinemineTexas Flat Minemine
1cemetery inside Coarsegold
Picayune
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Coarsegold, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Coarsegold yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Coarsegold, California, is a census-designated place in Madera County, situated in the central part of the state. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 4,144. Coarsegold holds historical significance as Madera County's last surviving "gold town" and is notable for its Native American heritage, particularly as the headquarters of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, a federally recognized tribe. The community celebrates its frontier culture with annual events such as the Coarsegold Rodeo and the Tarantula Awareness Festival. Positioned between Fresno and Yosemite National Park, the town appeals to both retirees and commuters, thanks to its strategic location along Highway 41.
Its first post office opened in 1899. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 1,840 to 4,144 (+125%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Coarsegold, 1878 to 1953
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Coarsegold post office opened in 1899, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Coarsegold rank for history?
Coarsegold is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns, #527 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Coarsegold?
2% of Coarsegold’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1992.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2021
2017
2011
