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C+History
History · Copperopolis

Copperopolis dates to 1860, and 4 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 38% of U.S. towns · #248 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Copperopolis was built recently: 0.7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. Below: 19 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 2000.

1860founded
4on the National Register
0.7%homes built before 1940
19old photos & papers
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Copperopolis’ archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Copperopolis began

When was Copperopolis founded?

1860

Copperopolis dates its founding to 1860 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 2000.

First census: 2,363 in 20002020 census: 3,400166 years

How historic is Copperopolis?

C+

More historic than 38% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1861.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Copperopolis’ History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Copperopolis is more historic than 38% of U.S. towns, #248 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Copperopolis’ overall grade.
Founding era1860, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19400.7% of homes (±1.0) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register4 listings, 9.3 per 10,000 residents · typical CA town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 38%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 71%

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 Copperopolis’ 9.3 sits above most of its state (91% of California towns have fewer) while its 4 listings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1860.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B. The pre-1940 share (±1.0 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Copperopolis’ past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A town in old photos19 old photos, postcards and papers, 1968–1990.Mapped building by building3 fire insurance maps, 1890 to 1908, drew every building in Copperopolis.On the map since 19165 editions of the USGS map, 1916 to 1987. Watch Copperopolis change.Landmarks on the Register4 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · By decade

Copperopolis, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1960s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1960s–1980s12 items
BIRD'S EYE VIEW - Royal Consolidated Gold Mine and Mills, Royal Mill, 4.0 Air Miles Northwest of Copperopolis, Copperop…1968BIRD'S EYE VIEW - Royal Consolidated Gold Mine and Mi…BIRD'S EYE VIEW - Royal Consolidated Gold Mine and Mills, Royal Mill, 4.0 Air Miles Northwest of Copperopolis, Copperop…1968BIRD'S EYE VIEW - Royal Consolidated Gold Mine and Mi…VIEW OF LOWER MILL FLOOR FOUNDATION, SHOWING, LEFT TO RIGHT, EDGE OF MILLING FLOOR, TABLE FLOOR, VANNING FLOOR, LOADING…1988VIEW OF LOWER MILL FLOOR FOUNDATION, SHOWING, LEFT TO…VIEW OF MILLING FLOOR WITH HENDY BALL KILL IN FOREGROUND, LOOKING FROM THE WEST, - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.…1988VIEW OF MILLING FLOOR WITH HENDY BALL KILL IN FOREGRO…VIEW OF THE WILBUR-WOMBLE MILL SITE, LOOKING NORTHEAST FROM LITTLE JOHNS CREEK. THE THREE CONCRETE MORTAR BLOCKS MARK T…1988VIEW OF THE WILBUR-WOMBLE MILL SITE, LOOKING NORTHEAS…VIEW SHOWING FOUNDATIONS OF HOISTING WORKS, ROYAL MINE, 1988, LOOKING SOUTHEAST. GLORY HOLE DROPS OFF TO LEFT, AND EXCA…1988VIEW SHOWING FOUNDATIONS OF HOISTING WORKS, ROYAL MIN…VIEW, LOOKING FROM THE EAST, OF THE GOLD KNOLL SITE. MILL FOUNDATIONS ARE AT CENTER, WITH REMAINS OF THE TRESTLE ABOVE.…1988VIEW, LOOKING FROM THE EAST, OF THE GOLD KNOLL SITE. …VIEW, LOOKING FROM THE NORTHEAST. THESE THREE CONCRETE MORTAR BLOCKS WERE FOR THE MILL'S 3-STAMP BATTERIES ERECTED IN 1…1988VIEW, LOOKING FROM THE NORTHEAST. THESE THREE CONCRET…VIEW, LOOKING FROM THE SOUTHEAST, OF THE DEFIANCE MILL. THE STEAM BOILER AND VANNER ARE UNDER THE COLLAPSED TIMBERS OF …1988VIEW, LOOKING FROM THE SOUTHEAST, OF THE DEFIANCE MIL…VIEW, LOOKING NORTHEAST, SHOWING THE SITE OF THE EMPIRE MILL. THE ADIT IS AT TOP, ABOVE THE TERRACES FOR THE CRUSHER AN…1988VIEW, LOOKING NORTHEAST, SHOWING THE SITE OF THE EMPI…VIEW, LOOKING SOUTH, SHOWING DOUBLE-DRUM HOIST WORKS JUST EAST OF SHAFT - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.3 Air mil…1988VIEW, LOOKING SOUTH, SHOWING DOUBLE-DRUM HOIST WORKS …VIEW, LOOKING WEST, AT THE SITE OF THE PINE LOG MILL. THE STONE RETAINING WALL ON THE RIGHT MARKS THE LOCATION OF THE 1…1988VIEW, LOOKING WEST, AT THE SITE OF THE PINE LOG MILL.…
1990s6 items
Flow Sheets - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.3 Air miles Northwest of Copperopolis1990Flow Sheets - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.3 A…Flow Sheets - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.3 Air miles Northwest of Copperopolis1990Flow Sheets - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.3 A…Plan, Section AA - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.3 Air miles Northwest of Copperopolis1990Plan, Section AA - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, …Site Plan - Madam Felix-Hodson District Gold Mines and Mills, Southern Edge Salt Spring Valley1990Site Plan - Madam Felix-Hodson District Gold Mines an…Site Plan - Royal Consolidated Mine and Mills, 4.0 Air miles Northwest of Copperopolis1990Site Plan - Royal Consolidated Mine and Mills, 4.0 Ai…Site Plan and Diagrammatic Cross-Section Showing Ore Handling Methods - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.3 Air miles…1990Site Plan and Diagrammatic Cross-Section Showing Ore …
Date unknown1 to date
Historic American Buildings Survey V. Covert Martin Collection, Stockton, Calif. Re-photo- April, 1940 GENERAL VIEW - S…Date?Historic American Buildings Survey V. Covert Martin C…
Today5 recent
Farm around Telegraph City2014Farm around Telegraph City2009-0724-CA-CopperopolisCongregational20092009-0724-CA-CopperopolisCongregational2009-0724-CA-052-ReedsStore20092009-0724-CA-052-ReedsStore2009-0724-CA-052-HonigsbergerStore20092009-0724-CA-052-HonigsbergerStore2009-0724-CA-052-CopperopolisArmory20092009-0724-CA-052-CopperopolisArmory
Every building

Copperopolis, building by building, 1890–1908

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Copperopolis fire insurance map, 1890, sheet 11890Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the map

Copperopolis on the map, 1916 to 1987

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Copperopolis. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Copperopolis on the 1916 USGS mapCopperopolis on the 1942 USGS mapCopperopolis on the 1954 USGS mapCopperopolis on the 1962 USGS mapCopperopolis on the 1987 USGS map1916Copperopolis sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Copperopolis.

The story

How Copperopolis came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Copperopolis.

Read it all →

Unlike most of the mining towns in the Calaveras County, Copperopolis' claim to fame is not gold, but copper. It was founded in 1860 by William K. Reed, Dr. Allen Blatchly, and Thomas McCarty, at the site of the second major discovery of copper ore in the region (the first was nearby Telegraph City).

William K. Reed and Thomas McCarty founded the Union Copper Mine (and later the Keystone & Empire mines). In 1862, Reed sold out his interest in the mines and built a toll road from Copperopolis through Telegraph City. It connected with a road running westerly into Stockton. This road was called "Reeds Turnpike" and remained a toll road until 1865. Copperopolis was on the main stage road from Sonora to Sacramento.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Copperopolis, 1855 to 1990

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1855Born hereJames O. Barrows is born here
  3. 1860
    FoundingCopperopolis is established
  4. 1861Post officeThe Copperoplis post office opens
  5. 20th century
  6. 1916On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1968In the archiveBIRD'S EYE VIEW - Royal Consolidated Gold Mine and Mills, Royal Mill, 4.0 Air Miles North…
  8. 1988In the archiveVIEW OF LOWER MILL FLOOR FOUNDATION, SHOWING, LEFT TO RIGHT, EDGE OF MILLING FLOOR, TABLE…
  9. 1990In the archiveFlow Sheets - Mountain King Gold Mine and Mill, 4.3 Air miles Northwest of Copperopolis
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

BIRD'S EYE VIEW - Royal Consolidated Gold Mine and Mills, Royal Mill, 4.0 Air Miles Northwest of Copperopolis, Copperop…
Retake this viewBIRD'S EYE VIEW - Royal Consolidated Gold Mine and Mills, Royal Mill, 4.0 Air Miles Northwest of Copperopolis, Copperop…, 1968

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Copperopolis’ page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

4 historic places in Copperopolis

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1992
Honigsberger Store
Honigsberger StoreReed's StoreCopperopolis ArmoryCopperopolis Congregational Church
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Mid 19th Century2
Greek Revival1
Gothic Revival1
Honigsberger StoreMid 19th Century
Reed's StoreMid 19th Century
Copperopolis ArmoryGreek Revival
Copperopolis Congregational ChurchGothic Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Copperopolis, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,00020002020Peak: 3,671

Between 2,363 and 3,671 people in every census since 2000.

3 censuses, 2000–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Copperopolis’ Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Copper Cove VillageThe Shores of Poker Flat
Gone or out of use
Discovery MinemineEmpire MinemineMcCarty MinemineO'Byrnes FerrycrossingO'Byrnes SchoolschoolSouth ShaftmineUnion Minemine
1cemetery inside Copperopolis
Copperopolis

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Copperopolis’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewBIRD'S EYE VIEW - Royal Consolidated Go…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Copperopolis’ history

What year was Copperopolis founded?

In 1860, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Copperopolis’ post office opened in 1861, and the census of 2000 counted 2,363 people here.

How does Copperopolis rank for history?

Copperopolis is more historic than 38% of U.S. towns, #248 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.

What is on the National Register in Copperopolis?

4 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Honigsberger Store (listed 1992, the first).

How old are the homes in Copperopolis?

0.7% of Copperopolis’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1997.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (24), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.