BlockBefore

Melones, California

37 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1891 and the latest in 2001. It stands in the Angels City census division. It lies in ZIP code area 95222. It lies near Squirrel Gulch. The Survey maps it on the Columbia quadrangle. It stands 955 feet above sea level.

Melones within Calaveras County

Then and now

1891 to 2001

The same ground, surveyed 110 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Melones, surveyed 2001
Topographic sheet of Melones, surveyed 1891

Compare 1891 against another survey:

Topographic sheets covering this place

13 surveys from 37 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

315 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 315 fires within 5 miles of Melones between 1992 and 2020, burning about 4,733 acres in total. 17 started naturally. 21 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined105
Equipment and vehicle use71
Debris and open burning54
Arson/incendiarism21
Natural17
Power generation/transmission/distribution16
Recreation and ceremony12
Smoking10
Misuse of fire by a minor8
Fireworks1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2002Arson/incendiarismunder an acreCentral California DistrictPARROTS
9 September 1999Natural10 acresCentral California DistrictLIGHTNING 28
9 September 1996Misuse of fire by a minorunder an acreTuolumne-Calaveras UnitCOX
9 September 1992Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresTuolumne-Calaveras UnitFERENCZY
8 September 2015Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreTuolumne-Calaveras UnitRAWHIDE
8 September 2004Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCentral California DistrictNATURAL BRIDGES
6 September 2012Natural2.0 acresTuolumne-Calaveras Unit2-6
6 September 2012Natural7.5 acresTuolumne-Calaveras Unit2-7

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Calaveras County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 515 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 515 workings within 5 miles of Melones: 189 past producers, 138 unknowns, 118 occurrences, 59 producers. 60 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Silver, Chromium, Gold, Silver. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Bowery BarMagnesiteProspect
Carson CreekGold, Silver, ZincPast ProducerGold, Silver, Tetrahedrite
DepositsLimestone, DimensionOccurrence
Golden StarGold, Copper, Lead, SilverPast Producer
Hard To FindGold, Silver, CopperPast Producer
Iron RockSilicaUnknown
Kahl RanchChromium, CopperOccurrence
Melones & MorganGold, BismuthOccurrence
Mother Lode Central MinesGold, Silver, Copper, LeadPast ProducerGold
PeiranoGold, StonePast ProducerGold, Soapstone

Every working recorded in Calaveras County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Carson Hill1.2 miles29
Angels Camp4.4 miles29
Vallecito5.5 miles37
Altaville6.0 miles29
Douglas Flat7.4 miles37
La Honda Park7.5 miles37
Copperopolis7.9 miles21
Copper Cove Village8.1 miles21

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on MelonesAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q3305269The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1656158. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.