About Rough and Ready

Rough and Ready is a census-designated place in Nevada County, California, United States. It is located west of Grass Valley, California, approximately 62 miles (100 km) from Sacramento. The population was 963 at the 2010 census.

The first established settlement in Rough and Ready was made in the fall of 1849 by a mining company from Wisconsin known as the Rough and Ready Company. Their leader, Captain A. A. Townsend, named the company after General Zachary Taylor (nicknamed "Old Rough and Ready") who had recently been elected the 12th President of the United States. Captain Townsend had served under Taylor when he commanded the American Forces during the U.S.-Mexican War.

The post office at Rough and Ready was established by February 1851; the first postmaster was Marcus Nutting. The ZIP Code is 95975. The community is inside area code 530.

Rough and Ready is the only mining town to have "seceded" from the Union and then voted itself back in. Populated mostly by miners from the state of Wisconsin, the town hoped to rid itself of a recently-introduced tax on new mining claims and the prohibition of alcohol in Nevada County. Residents were also frustrated that the US Postal Service was demanding they change the name of the town to either "Rough" or "Ready", but not both. Another incentive for secession is found in the legend of a local con man. The con man would wager with miners that if he was able to prospect a certain amount of gold from their claims, he would pay them far more than their claim was worth. He would prospect until he had slightly less than the amount of gold needed to make good on his wager, then quit and keep the gold. Since he technically hadn't committed a crime, the courts were unable to prosecute him. It was decided in a town meeting in April 1850 to draw up articles of secession, forming the "Great Republic of Rough and Ready" (and according to legend, the con man was immediately hanged). Less than three months later, when preparing for an Independence Day celebration, community members realized that they were no longer entitled to celebrate US independence, and the secession was rescinded by popular vote.