In 1849, Sandy Gulch was a trading center for pioneer miners of northwestern Calaveras County. It took its name from the gulch where William and Dan Carsner found large nuggets embedded in the coarse sand. Water for mining was brought from the Middle Fork of the Mokelumne River through the Sandy Gulch and Kadish ditches. Quartz mining began in the early fifties, and the first custom stamp mill stood at the head of Sandy Gulch. School and election precincts were established early, Hangman’s Tree stood near the center of town, numerous Mi-Wuk Indians lived there then, and many pioneers were buried in the cemetery.