Volume 017-2 - April 1963 (2 pages)

ANNUAL CITIZEN DINNER Mr. Elmer Stevens will be honored as Nevada County Citizen of the Year at a Dinner Meeting Thursday, May 2, 1963 at the Veterans Memorial Building in Grass Valley at 6:30 p.m. The price is $2.75, Roast Turkey Dinner, tax and tips included. General Chairman, Elza Kilroy, states this grand event is open to the public as it is a community affair and everyone interested is cordially invited to attend. This is an annual event of the Nevada County Historical Society. Table service is limited to 200 persons. Tickets may be secured from the following: Grass Valley — Mrs. Florence Kelly, 127 Winchester St, Phone 273-3512 (evening); Pengelly's Shoe Store, 112 Mill St., Phone 273-4646; Mr. Gilbert Tennis, 124 Winchester St., Phone 273-2338. Nevada City — Mrs. Gwen Anderson, Chamber of Commerce, Phone 265-2692; Elza Kilroy, 318 Drummond St., Phone 265-2071; Dickerman Drug Store. HELP TO PRESERVE OUR COUNTY'S IMPORTANT AND ROMANTIC PAST — JOIN THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Membership only $1 per year — Payable January Ist each year Send $1.00 to Esther Hartung, 303 S. Church St., Grass Valley, California 1963 OFFICERS OF THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY President—Gilbert T. Tennis, 124 Winchester Sreet, Grass Valley, Phone 273-2328 Vice President — Mrs. Gwen Anderson, 529 W. Broad Street, Nevada City, Phone 265-4253 Secretary — Miss Esther Hartung, 303 South Church St., Grass Valley, Phone 273-6830. Treasurer — Mrs. Adelaide Elliott, P.O. Box 1002, Nevada City, Phone 265-4701. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Grass Valley — Miss Bernice Glasson, Mrs. Florence Kelly, Gunnar Williams. Nevada City — Mrs. Isabel Hefelfinger, Elza Kilroy, Richard Nickless. County-at-Large — Mrs. Richard Shoemaker, Dow Alexander, C. A. Scharschu, John Trauner, Robert Wyckoff, John Nettell, Mrs. L. G. Monian Bulletin Editor, Elmer Stevens, P.O. Box 653, Grass Valley, Phone 265-4102 VISIT THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM Located at the Corner of Main & Commercial Streets, Nevada City. Open 11 A.M. to 5 P.M., Every Day, June through August. Winter season by appointment — phone Caretaker, Richard Nickless, Nevada City, 265-2424. { Nevada County Historical Society Vol. 17, No. 2 May, 1963 THE EMPIRE MINES OF GRASS VALLEY “Ai SAGA OF THE GOLD COUNTRY" By William E. Carman EN ENN ON PE ON PO OPO I OE BO OE IO ON OY OO OE OLE OE OO BIG OE ODIO OO al OL OOD f On Sunday, March 17, 1963, the Grand Officers of the Native Daughters of the Golden West dedicated a bronze plaque which commemorated . } THE EMPIRE MINES as a historic site in Western Nevada Connty. id atid atin atin atl atl eta el th eat atid aa ait) ated ee atid el “and they came to Ophir and fetched from thence gold." 11 gs, LX, 28. The relationship of Gold, Power and Wealth was a concept over two thousand years old as described in the reigns of King Soloman and Queen of Sheba in the Scriptures. The pioneers of the West, being Godfearing men, knew their Bible, and the naming of OPHIR HILL was more by intent than by “happenstance.” The word “EMPIRE” was probably used in deference to the prominence of the French Empire at that time and the large number of Frenchmen who had selected this area for their pioneering effort. There is very little of the printed word that tells the 112 year story of the part that the EMPIRE MINES portrayed in developing the West and helping to finance the gold requirements of our country. Some sources relate that George D. Roberts had purchased the hill east of Grass Valley early in 1850. This purchase may have been for the stand of timber which could be sold at a profit to those who were building houses and stores at Boston Ravine. In October of 1850 Roberts is credited with the discovery of a gold bearing ledge which he located as the OPHIR HILL LEDGE. It is presumed that he worked the ledge for several months and became discouraged with separation of the gold from the ledge quartz. In 1851, he sold out to a group of men, which included Woodbury, Parks and others. These men did well, as the ledge yielded liberally, but ihe venture failed in 1852 due to mismanagement. It took a great many years to convince the miners that they should put some of the profits back into the mine to develop new ore shoots to work when the older ones were depleted. The mine was placed on the auction block to pay off its debts. John R. Rush bid in a half-interest, and the other half was bid in by THE EMPIRE COMPANY, a firm which had already built its first mill on Wolf Creek. In May of 1854, Rush sold his half interest to the Empire Mining Company for $12,000. During the next ten years, 1854 to 1864, the records tabulated a production of $1,056,234 by the Empire Mining Company. After the year 1867 there appeared to be a general decline in the Grass Valley mines, as the whole camp was supposed to have ‘“‘petered out’. In 1879, there were only three active mines in the area: The Empire, The Idaho and The New York Hill. During the next year the New York Hill Elosed. leaving only the Empire and the Idaho. At about this time, the Empire, which was controlled by the Estate of W. P. Bourn, was about to shut down. W. B. Bourn, Jr. took over the management and formed a new company, incorporated in 1879 as THE ORIGINAL EMPIRE MILL AND MINING COMPANY. New money, new equipment, new ideas, and the Empire shaft was sunk deeper and exploration

ANNUAL CITIZEN DINNER Mr. Elmer Stevens will be honored as Nevada County Citizen of the Year at a Dinner Meeting Thursday, May 2, 1963 at the Veterans Memorial Building in Grass Valley at 6:30 p.m. The price is $2.75, Roast Turkey Dinner, tax and tips included. General Chairman, Elza Kilroy, states this grand event is open to the public as it is a community affair and everyone interested is cordially invited to attend. This is an annual event of the Nevada County Historical Society. Table service is limited to 200 persons. Tickets may be secured from the following: Grass Valley — Mrs. Florence Kelly, 127 Winchester St, Phone 273-3512 (evening); Pengelly's Shoe Store, 112 Mill St., Phone 273-4646; Mr. Gilbert Tennis, 124 Winchester St., Phone 273-2338. Nevada City — Mrs. Gwen Anderson, Chamber of Commerce, Phone 265-2692; Elza Kilroy, 318 Drummond St., Phone 265-2071; Dickerman Drug Store. HELP TO PRESERVE OUR COUNTY'S IMPORTANT AND ROMANTIC PAST — JOIN THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Membership only $1 per year — Payable January Ist each year Send $1.00 to Esther Hartung, 303 S. Church St., Grass Valley, California 1963 OFFICERS OF THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY President—Gilbert T. Tennis, 124 Winchester Sreet, Grass Valley, Phone 273-2328 Vice President — Mrs. Gwen Anderson, 529 W. Broad Street, Nevada City, Phone 265-4253 Secretary — Miss Esther Hartung, 303 South Church St., Grass Valley, Phone 273-6830. Treasurer — Mrs. Adelaide Elliott, P.O. Box 1002, Nevada City, Phone 265-4701. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Grass Valley — Miss Bernice Glasson, Mrs. Florence Kelly, Gunnar Williams. Nevada City — Mrs. Isabel Hefelfinger, Elza Kilroy, Richard Nickless. County-at-Large — Mrs. Richard Shoemaker, Dow Alexander, C. A. Scharschu, John Trauner, Robert Wyckoff, John Nettell, Mrs. L. G. Monian Bulletin Editor, Elmer Stevens, P.O. Box 653, Grass Valley, Phone 265-4102 VISIT THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM Located at the Corner of Main & Commercial Streets, Nevada City. Open 11 A.M. to 5 P.M., Every Day, June through August. Winter season by appointment — phone Caretaker, Richard Nickless, Nevada City, 265-2424. { Nevada County Historical Society Vol. 17, No. 2 May, 1963 THE EMPIRE MINES OF GRASS VALLEY “Ai SAGA OF THE GOLD COUNTRY" By William E. Carman EN ENN ON PE ON PO OPO I OE BO OE IO ON OY OO OE OLE OE OO BIG OE ODIO OO al OL OOD f On Sunday, March 17, 1963, the Grand Officers of the Native Daughters of the Golden West dedicated a bronze plaque which commemorated . } THE EMPIRE MINES as a historic site in Western Nevada Connty. id atid atin atin atl atl eta el th eat atid aa ait) ated ee atid el “and they came to Ophir and fetched from thence gold." 11 gs, LX, 28. The relationship of Gold, Power and Wealth was a concept over two thousand years old as described in the reigns of King Soloman and Queen of Sheba in the Scriptures. The pioneers of the West, being Godfearing men, knew their Bible, and the naming of OPHIR HILL was more by intent than by “happenstance.” The word “EMPIRE” was probably used in deference to the prominence of the French Empire at that time and the large number of Frenchmen who had selected this area for

their pioneering effort. There is very little of the printed word that tells the 112 year story of the part that the EMPIRE MINES portrayed in developing the West and helping to finance the gold requirements of our country. Some sources relate that George D. Roberts had purchased the hill east of Grass Valley early in 1850. This purchase may have been for the stand of timber which could be sold at a profit to those who were building houses and stores at Boston Ravine. In October of 1850 Roberts is credited with the discovery of a gold bearing ledge which he located as the OPHIR HILL LEDGE. It is presumed that he worked the ledge for several months and became discouraged with separation of the gold from the ledge quartz. In 1851, he sold out to a group of men, which included Woodbury, Parks and others. These men did well, as the ledge yielded liberally, but ihe venture failed in 1852 due to mismanagement. It took a great many years to convince the miners that they should put some of the profits back into the mine to develop new ore shoots to work when the older ones were depleted. The mine was placed on the auction block to pay off its debts. John R. Rush bid in a half-interest, and the other half was bid in by THE EMPIRE COMPANY, a firm which had already built its first mill on Wolf Creek. In May of 1854, Rush sold his half interest to the Empire Mining Company for $12,000. During the next ten years, 1854 to 1864, the records tabulated a production of $1,056,234 by the Empire Mining Company. After the year 1867 there appeared to be a general decline in the Grass Valley mines, as the whole camp was supposed to have ‘“‘petered out’. In 1879, there were only three active mines in the area: The Empire, The Idaho and The New York Hill. During the next year the New York Hill Elosed. leaving only the Empire and the Idaho. At about this time, the Empire, which was controlled by the Estate of W. P. Bourn, was about to shut down. W. B. Bourn, Jr. took over the management and formed a new company, incorporated in 1879 as THE ORIGINAL EMPIRE MILL AND MINING COMPANY. New money, new equipment, new ideas, and the Empire shaft was sunk deeper and exploration