| Agua Fria | |
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| — Unincorporated community — | |
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Agua Fria
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Mariposa County |
| Elevation[1] | 2,001 ft (610 m) |
Agua Fria (formerly, Agua Frio, Agua Frie, and Aqua Fria)[2] is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California.[1] It is located 5.25 miles (8.4 km) northeast of Catheys Valley,[2] at an elevation of 2001 feet (610 m).[1] Agua Fria is the former county seat of Mariposa County located approximately three miles west of Mariposa, California.
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Agua Fria was mainly a mining camp divided into Lower Agua Fria and Upper Agua Fria. The name was derived from two springs of cold water about a quarter mile below Lower Agua Fria (the main part of town). It may have been here that John C. Fremont's men discovered gold in 1849. In 1850, it was a booming trade center and the final destination for many new arrivals in California. It was Mariposa County's first Seat of Justice from February 18, 1850 to November 10, 1851. A post office was established October 7, 1851. In 1853, a 6-stamp quartz mill was established in Upper Agua Fria. The camp boasted a hotel, express office, assayers, billiard room, bowling alley, monte and faro banks, about a dozen stores, numerous tents and log cabins by the fall of 1850. The population started to decline by the mid-19th century, and the city suffered destructive fires and was never rebuilt. Agua Fria means "cold water" in Spanish.
A post office operated at Agua Fria from 1851 to 1862.[2]
Agua Fria is a ghost town with little to see but grassy meadows. It is accessible via Agua Fria Road to Mount Bullion and the site of Princeton. It's also a nice alternate route into Mariposa. The site today is private property, and is a California Historical Landmark (#518).
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