The Calaveras connection to such famed figures as Gentleman Bandit Black Bart, singer Jenny Lind, accused ax murderer Lizzie Borden and more are explored in Volume IV of the popular magazine series Something From Nothing: The Early History Of West Calaveras County. 

Among the other fascinating stories in the 48-page publication authored by local historian Sal Manna concern the last Chinese gold miner, the first woman doctors, the mysterious Lost City, the building of Hogan Dam, our Civil War veterans, the original environmental disaster of the Penn Mine, a sensational murder, and his discovery of the man who was instrumental in establishing our first county seat at Double Springs.  The only authoritative color publication ever produced about the area’s history, most of the magazine’s subjects had never been written about before the original columns were published in The Valley Springs News from January 2011 to August 2012.