It was a rough-and-tumble life scrabbling for gold along the banks of the Mokelumne River in 1876.

And when the miners of Amador County needed medical help, they found care and comfort at Amador County Hospital, one of the oldest organized hospitals in the West, and the predecessor to today's Sutter Amador Hospital.

Several facilities have borne the name Amador County Hospital, all operating from the same picturesque spot overlooking the historic gold rush community of Jackson. Only a couple of generations ago, hospital staff decided to abandon the long-held practice of raising livestock, chickens and vegetables to feed patients.

More than a hundred years after the mining boom, the picturesque Mother Lode region continues to grow, its new residents drawn these days not by gold nuggets but by golden, peaceful hills and a quiet, rural lifestyle. They're also taking comfort and pride in a brand new Sutter Amador Hospital, which in 2000 replaced the little old hospital on the hill.

Read more history:

• Our Barbary Coast Roots
• Trio of Women Left a Lasting Heritage of Health
• Pioneers in Health Insurance
• A Rich Tradition of Medical Research