Location high in the Sierra Nevada; alpine refers to the Alps or other mountains. General Law 1,129: 739 sq mi (1,914 km 2) Amador County: 005: Jackson: 1854: Calaveras: Jose Maria Amador (1794–1883), a soldier, rancher, and miner who, along with several Native Americans, established a successful gold mining camp near present-day Amador City .…