Wandering Lizard
The Sierra Nevada Mountains

During the Gold Rush in the middle of the nineteenth century, gold was discovered in several of the creeks in this part of the Sierra Mountains. In 1850 George W. Coulter established a tent store to supply the miners working the rich placer deposits. A settlement grew up around the store and was called "Banderita." In 1853 a post office was established and the name of the settlement was changed to Maxwell Creek. In 1854 the name was changed to Coulterville.