From time to time there ha s been considerable discussion regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the attendance areas as they have developed in Calaveras County. Occasionally a change has been made and a school has been closed for lack of pupils or two or three school districts have been merged in an effort to strengthen the educational program for those districts but no study has ever been made with the purpose of placing schools in the county from the standpoint of building a sound and strong educational program for all children. This is the first study that has been made along these lines.

The rush to California brought a variety of people. There were the outcasts, the adventurers, the abandoned, the vigorous, the enterprising, and the progressive. They came from the east, south, New England, and the frontier of 1849. Many came from Europe. They came solely for gold. Man were single, many were married. Some never intended to return to their families; others planned on making their fortune and returning quickly. The thought of schools found little place in their minds. This lack of thought sprang from two sources. First, their own lack of education tended to keep back any interest in schools. More important was the simple fact that there were very few children on hand. However, after a year or two under the influence of such a uniform climate, the marvelous fertility of the soil, and the incredible mineral wealth, they began to ask themselves if this California did not offer advantages worthy of development. Soon families started arriving on the scene. Many men went back after their families; other sent for them for fear of financial lost during an absence from the gold fields. The frequent sight of children soon brought up the questions of schools and aroused a sense of responsibility in providing a means of educating them.

A person living in Calaveras County is constantly reminded of the glorious past when the mines and camps were in full swing. The old buildings with their iron shutters, the great piles of worked-over gravel, and the stories of the old-timers all stimulate a person's curiosity about the romantic past. Therefore, it has been my ambition since first coming into the county to make a serious study of the early days and put down my findings in an organized paper. There are no printed works at all complete on the county as a whole. Mason's History of Amador County and Buckbee's Pioneer Days of Angels Camp have been helpful. Mason, however, deals with Calaveras County only before 1854, when Amador became a separate county, and his interest was with that area that later became Amador. Mrs. Buckbee deals only with Angel's Camp. Therefore, I believe that I have brought together in this paper the most complete history of the county up to 1866 that has ever been written.

The present study represents an investigation of the administration of the statutory provisions in California’s Education Code which allow pupils resident in one school district to attend school in another. What are the financial and educational implications resulting from the administration of California’s statutory provisions allowing pupils resident in one school district to attend school in another? This question sums up the problem. The purposes of this study were, therefore, as follows: (1) To determine the effect of interdistrict school attendance upon the apportionment of State moneys to school districts; (2) To determine the effect of interdistrict school attendance upon the life and program of the school; (3) To determine the true intent of the statutory law permitting interdistrict attendance of school pupils; (4) To determine whether departures from the true intent of the law exist; (5) To organize the available information and raw data into a usable form; and (6) to assist in developing a method of equalizing educational opportunities in California in terms of fiscal support.

Much work has been done on the remarkably diverse flora of California but few specific studies of the foothills of the Central Sierra Nevada Range have been undertaken. One such area is Calaveras County, a region rich in the early history of California. The site chosen for this study ranges from approximately 2350 to 2700 feet in elevation. It is well defined by survey and accessible at all times of the year. The primary objective of the study was to determine what vascular plant species occur naturally in the area. This was accomplished by extensive collections made from April 1970 to July 1971. In addition, recommendations are made to introduce various species that are normally native to the area and to eradicate the noxious species, This will enhance the area for future use as a University of the Pacific field site.

This investigation was undertaken to determine if there were morphologic characters that would allow rapid field identification of Allium tribracteatum Torrey and A. obtusum Lemmon, or if, in the absence of such characters, it would be possible to separate the two species on the basis of plant associations that might be unique to each. Allium tribracteatum is restricted or nearly restricted to volcanic soils of the Mehrten Formation in Tuolumne County, California and is a species of concern to the United States Forest Service because of this restricted distribution. Allium obtusum, on the other hand, is found both on the Mehrten Formation and on other soil types in the Sierra Nevada and has a much wider geographic distribution. I found that the only reliable way to differentiate the two species morphologically was by the cell pattern on the bulb coats, a difficult characteristic to ascertain in the field. However a number of species of vascular plants were found that were associated only with one or the other of the species in question and were reliable indicators of the Allium species identity. Environmental impacts facing Allium tribracteatum include winter recreation activities, illegal off highway vehicles, power line maintenance, seasonal wood cutting, some livestock grazing, and activities associated with the Bald Mountain Helitack fire base. Currently, these activities have minimal impacts on the Allium tribracteatum populations.

The history of a school district is usually presented as a local history. This type of history is very thorough in naming names, locating sites, and explaining events as they affected the local scene. History does not occur in a vacuum, and often the explanation for certain behaviors or events lies beyond the local phenomena. It is the intention of this study to present the history of the Big Trees and Avery School Districts within a larger context of national forces which were also at work and sometimes, dominated the events. It is hoped that the effort to bring education to the Big Trees Road area will be appreciated not only as a local struggle but also as a part of a greater movement.