[5] Coarsegold holds historical significance as Madera County's last surviving "gold town" and is notable for its Native American heritage, particularly as the headquarters of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, a federally recognized tribe.

They are part of a larger group known as the Yokuts, classified by anthropologists based on linguistic similarities among approximately 60 tribes in the Central Valley.

[7] The discovery of gold marked a period of significant disruption for the Chukchansi, characterized by loss of land, spread of diseases, and societal upheaval.

These events, coupled with policies of forced assimilation like the removal of children to boarding schools, led to a marked decline in the native population.

By 1852, a settlement had formed at the river's only fordable point, marked by the establishment of a trading post by John Ledford and George M. Carson.

[9] The Crossing also served as a launch point for the first tourist group to Yosemite Valley and was central to the community's history, including the first private school in California.

Notable individuals from this era include Theodore Thure Strombeck, an early settler and member of the Mariposa Battalion and the local vigilantes.

However, in the 1880s, Coarsegold saw less traffic after a new road was built directly from the valley to the mining areas in Grub Gulch and Ahwahnee, leading straight to Yosemite.

The Rancheria at Picayune was specifically allocated to the Chukchansi in 1912, representing a federal recognition of their land rights, albeit in a limited form.

[35] Coarsegold stands out from state averages with its older population, high homeownership rates, and unique cultural traits.

This event corresponds with the mating season of local tarantulas, marking the transition to cooler temperatures and the start of autumn rains.

[40] The 1993 adventure game Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist is set in a fictional 1880s Coarsegold and was published by Sierra On-Line, then based in nearby Oakhurst.

[47] The Coarsegold (Coarse Gold) mining site is the destination for stars Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in the 1962 film Ride the High Country.