Town file
Grass Valley, California
Grass Valley, California (Nevada County, California) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 481, "Layers Of Evil" (4 April 2024). Grass Valley, California, sits in Nevada County in the foothills about an hour east of Sacramento, roughly halfway between Sacramento and Reno.
- Town
- Grass Valley
- County
- Nevada County
- State
- California
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 481
- Approximate location
- 39.220, -121.053
Episode 481 / 4 April 2024 / 172 min / full
Layers Of Evil
"We're going to Grass Valley, California... in eastern California, up by Sacramento... about an hour east of Sacramento... this is in Nevada County." about 0:04:15
The case: Murders of Dawn Donaldson and Chrissy Campbell (July 23, 1994). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2024
- Population
- 13,550
- Median household income
- $44,906
- Median home value
- $497,400
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,700
- Religious
- 31.6%
- Property crime
- ▲ more than twice
- Violent crime
- ▲ almost twice
History, in brief
- Grass Valley was first known as Boston Ravine. about 0:05:57
- It was later renamed Centerville. about 0:06:03
- Gold was discovered in October 1850 at Gold Hill. about 0:06:20
- Within two years it had a post office and a name, and was renamed Grass Valley; no one knows why. about 0:07:10
- Gold mining around Grass Valley ended during the Second World War because it was not essential, under War Production Board Limitation Order 208. about 0:07:50
- Mining started again after the war, but by the mid-1950s it was no longer profitable in what had been the richest gold mining district in California. about 0:08:07
- Many of the people who came were tin miners from Cornwall in the United Kingdom. about 0:08:29
The reviews read out
4 stars
"Born and raised there; a beautiful area with rich mining history and plenty of quirks; the Del Oro Theater and Lazy Dog Ice Cream in downtown are a must, and there are some interesting folks."about 0:08:56
3 stars
"A very small town where everyone knows everyone and thinks everyone's business is their own; the trees are nice and Tahoe is an hour away, so just go to Tahoe."about 0:10:01
1 star
"Used to be a lovely place with nature and escape from Sacramento and Roseville, but in the past six or seven years has turned into an absolute pit, with drugs everywhere and gangsters who run the streets."about 0:10:35
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Antelope, California39 miles
- Incline Village, Nevada59 miles
- South Lake Tahoe, California61 miles
- Minden, Nevada71 miles
- Lemmon Valley, Nevada73 miles
- Sun Valley, Nevada73 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.