(95640)
Located in western Amador County near the junction of Highways 104 and 124, this community with a population of 2,667 did not originate as a gold mining town. Rather, it was a supply center and state/rail stop. In early years the Ione Valley had farms where watermelons, vegetables, hay and grain grew. The imposing old Preston Castle looms above the town. The Preston School of Industry houses 950 youthful offenders. Ione is also home to Mule Creek State Prison, with 4,000 adult inmates. Nearby is the championship Castle Oaks Gold Course.At first, the town was nicknamed Bedbug and Freezeout. Eventually the town took on the name of Ione Valley, named after the heroine of Thomas Lytton Bulwer's flamboyant novel, The Last Days of Pompeii.Do not copy without permission.