Drytown, California

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Drytown is an unincorporated community in Amador County, California. The town sits at 640 feet above sea level and the current population is approximately 50. It is located at 38.4371 degrees north latitude and 120.8594 degrees west longitude. The town is registered as California Historical Landmark #31.

Drytown is the oldest community and the first in which gold was discovered in Amador County. It took its name from Dry Creek, which runs dry during the summer. However, it was certainly not "dry," as stories tell of there being up to 26 saloons. The gold started to peter out by 1857 and when a fire destroyed most of the town that year, most of its inhabitants packed up and moved to more successful mines elsewhere in the county. The town was only saved by the construction of California State Route 49, which went through it, in 1920.