Ione

History

Ione is the historical home of the Sierra Miwok Indians. In 1840, the future town site became part of the Mexican land grant Rancho Arroyo Seco in Alta California. The town is located in the fertile Ione Valley; it is believed to have been named by Thomas Brown around 1849 after one of the heroines in Edward Bulwer-Lyttons drama The Last Days of Pompeii, but conflicting legends and sources for the name exist. During the days of the California gold rush, the miners knew the town by the names of "Bedbug" and "Freezeout." Unlike other communities in Amador County that were founded on gold mining, Ione was a supply center, stage and rail stop, and agricultural hub. The first post office opened in 1852. The town of Ione continued to grow and prosper after its gold rush founding. The first school was built in 1853. The historic Methodist Church was organized in 1853 and the structure was completed in 1862. The first flour mill was built in 1855. The first brick building was built by Daniel Stewart, D. Stewart Company Store, in 1855 for his general merchandise store. It is still owned and operated by Stewart family descendants. In March 1865, Camp Jackson was built nearby. It was garrisoned by Company D, 2nd California Volunteer Cavalry, who stayed for three months before moving to a new post. At the centennial celebration of 1876, Ione had a population of about 600, which included about 100 Chinese who lived in Ione's Chinatown. The town included one public school, four churches, four general stores, one meat market, one laundry, one brewery, a restaurant, millinery shop, an art gallery, six saloons, a drug store and barber shop, and many other business establishments. The centennial also celebrated the completion of the Stockton and Ione Railroad, which had been…

Geography

Ione is located at .

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,348
• Acorn Woodpecker

  Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  2,691
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,398
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  2,356
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,309
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  2,279
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  2,205
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,093

Largest nearby schools

• Amador High
  High · Sutter Creek · 702 students · 21.3:1 ratio
• Argonaut High
  High · Jackson · 536 students · 17.9:1 ratio
• Ione Elementary
  Elementary · Ione · 524 students · 23.8:1 ratio
• Jackson Elementary
  Elementary · Jackson · 500 students · 22.7:1 ratio
• Ione Junior High
  Middle · Jackson · 393 students · 19.6:1 ratio
• Sutter Creek Elementary
  Elementary · Sutter Creek · 380 students · 23.8:1 ratio
• Jackson Junior High
  Middle · Jackson · 346 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Plymouth Elementary
  Elementary · Plymouth · 186 students · 23.3:1 ratio