Name of Plaque The Town of Copperopolis
Location of Plaque, Highway / Road No., City and County Main Street, Copperopolis, Calaveras County
Explain the Design of the Plaque and Base Black granite plaque mounted on a native rock base.
Date of Dedication June 17, 2000
Name of Dedicating Humbug NGH Ron Wells, E Clampus Vitus – Matuca Chapter 1849
Exact Wording of Plaque
The Town of Copperopolis
WITH THE DISCOVERY OF COPPER ORE IN 1860 BY THOMAS McCARTY AND WILLIAM K. REED,
THE TOWN OF COPPEROPOLIS SPANG INTO EXISTENCE AND SOON BECAME THE LARGEST
PRODUCER OF COPPER IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. THE POPULATION OF COPPEROPOLIS
GREW TO EXCEED 10,000 BY 1863. THE UNION MINE WAS THE LARGEST PRODUCING MINE IN
THE AREA, WORKING THREE SHIFTS AND HUNDREDS OF MEN ON THE PAYROLL. DURING THE
NATIONS THREE RECENT WARS, THE CIVIL WAR, WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II, MUCH OF
THE COPPER ORE THAT WAS SO VITAL TO THE IMPLEMENTS OF WAR WAS SUPPLIED BY THIS
AREA. DURING THE CIVIL WAR THE PRICE OF COPPER REACHED AN ALL TIME HIGH OF 55
CENTS A POUND, FALLING TO 19 CENTS WHEN THE WAR DREW TO A CLOSE. ALTHOUGH SIX
MINES WERE OPERATING IN 1866, THEY DID NOT HOLD OUT FOR LONG, FOR THE GRADE OF
ORE HAD ALSO FALLEN. FROM 1861 UNTIL 1976, THE CAMP HAS PRODUCED ABOUT
72,500,000 POIUNDS OF COPPER VALUED AT THE TIME AT $12,000,000. 1960 MARKED THE
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF COPPER WHICH ALSO MARKED THE BEGINNING OF
MINING ASBESTOS FOR THIS UNIQUE LITTLE “NEARLY GHOST” TOWN OF COPPEROPOLIS.
DEDICATED BY MATUCA CHAPTER 1849 E CLAMPUS JUNE 17, 2000 -6005-
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM