▁Gold ▁R ush . ▁It ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁the ▁abund ant ▁ash ▁trees ▁( Span ish : ▁fres no ) ▁l ining ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River . ▁▁ ▁Mill erton , ▁then ▁on ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁free - flow ing ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River ▁and ▁close ▁to ▁Fort ▁Miller , ▁became ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁after ▁becoming ▁a ▁foc al ▁point ▁for ▁sett lers . ▁Other ▁early ▁county ▁settlement s ▁included ▁Fire b augh ' s ▁Fer ry , ▁Scot ts burg ▁and ▁El kh orn ▁Spr ings . ▁ ▁The ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River ▁flo oded ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁in und ating ▁Mill erton . ▁Some ▁residents ▁re built , ▁others ▁moved . ▁Flo oding ▁also ▁destroyed ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Scot ts burg ▁on ▁the ▁nearby ▁Kings ▁River ▁that ▁winter . ▁Reb u ilt ▁on ▁higher ▁ground , ▁Scot ts burg ▁was ▁renamed ▁Center ville . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁Anthony ▁" Mc Que en " ▁E aster by ▁purchased ▁land ▁bounded ▁by ▁the ▁present ▁Ch est nut , ▁Bel mont , ▁Clo vis ▁and ▁California ▁a ven ues , ▁that ▁today ▁is ▁called ▁the ▁S unn ys ide ▁district . ▁Unable ▁to ▁grow ▁whe at ▁for ▁lack ▁of ▁water , ▁he ▁h ired ▁sheep ▁man ▁Mos es ▁J . ▁Church ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁to ▁create ▁an ▁ir rig ation ▁system . ▁Building ▁new ▁can als ▁and ▁purch asing ▁existing ▁d itch