Altaville

Altaville is ideally situated at 1,429 feet with a population of 664. It is incorporated with Angels Camp. Altaville is high enough to be above the winter valley fog and the extreme summer heat and below most of the winter snow. Located 72 miles from Sacramento and three hours from the bay area on highway 4. Our Map of Altaville.

Altaville was first known as “Cherokee Flat” (because it is located close to Cherokee river). A Mr. D.D. Demarest built an iron foundry here in 1854, producing most of the stamp mills, and a large percentage of the mining equipment erected in Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties. Of particular interest to tourists is the old section of Altaville cemetery which contains many interesting monuments from gold rush days. Submitted by Bob Stelow to ghosttowns.com.

The Altaville School is a brick building erected in 1858, thus it is one of the oldest schools of California. Used as a school until 1950 it is now operated by the Calaveras County Historical Museum. For more about the museum and other museums in the area visit the destination guide. Greenhorn Creek Golf Course is nearby in Angels Camp, as well as a Vintage Movie Theater, Limestone Caves and plenty of places to go hiking and fishing.

History of Altaville

The Matison Mine in Altaville is the location where the “Calaveras Skull” was unearthed about 1865. It now seems clear that is was not an ancient skull. Ralph Dexter author of Historical Aspects of the Calaveras Skull Controversy concludes that “The desire on the part of miners to play a practical joke, the anxiety of archaeologists to prove the existence of early humankind in North America, the firm convictions and good faith of those involved in an honest mistake, and the confusion resulting from a mix-up of skulls, led to this long drawn-out controversy, unique in the annals of American archaeology.” For more information visit Archaeology Institute of America

Altaville Zip Code: 95221

US Post Office –
380 South Main Street
209-736-4095