Volume 023-5 - October 1969 (4 pages)

DORIS FOLEY The story of the South Yuba Canal Company, appearing in two parts, is the work of Mrs. Doris Foley of Nevada City. She is a formost historian and has completed many bulletins for the Nevada County Historical Society; the California Historical Soc{ety Quarterly; and was the author of the pictorial guide for Grass Valley and Nevada City, the ‘‘Gold Cities’’. Her recent book is ‘‘The Divine Eccentric’, about Lola Montez and the newspapers, (Western Press 1969) Doris, as she its affectionately known in the Gold Country, was the daughter of hydraulic mining people. She attended schools in Nevada and El Dorado Counties and graduated from San Francisco State as a teacher. She taught school in Nevada City and later became Art Consultant in the bay area. She has had a lifelong interest in Nevada County history andis acharter member and past president of the Nevada County Historical Society. She has also served as museum chairman and editor of the bulletin. Doris has great interest in the general ar:s, particularly water and its history, the development, storage, delivery and its use, first for mining and later for domestic, irrigation and recreational use. Her writings, ‘‘The 1883 Flood on the Middle Yuba River.’’ and now “The Saga of the South Yuba Canal Company, Part I and II’? radiate the thoroughness of her research and the great personal interest she has devoted to her. work. I trust this short insight about the author will enhance your reading of this Part I and you will look forward to Part II of the ‘‘Saga of the South Yuba Canal Company’’, Clinton H. Lee Editor, 1969 OFFICERS OF THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: President: Robert A. Gates, Route 2, Box 318 G.V. 273-4185 Vice President: George Brooks 302 Brock Road, Nevada City 265-4204 Secretary: Esther Hartung 303 S. Church GV. 2130890 8t Treasurer: Winifred C. Creegan P.0.Box 704.N.C_ 265-2996 Past President: Albert L. Johnson 202 N. Pine St. N.C. 265-4760 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ISABEL HEFELFINGER ADELAIDE ELLIOTT ARLIE HANSEN GLENN JONES JOHN TREMEWAN JOSEPH W. WESELSKY CHESTER MELL Bulletin Editor: Clinton H. Lee, Nevada City VISIT The Nevada County Historical Societies MINING EXHIBIT in Grass Valley and MUSEUM in Nevada eA Open regularly during the Tourist Season and in the winter by appointment. Nevada County Historical Society Vol. 23 No. 5 OCTOBER 1969 A SAGA OF THE SOUTH YUBA CANAL COMPANY BY DORIS FOLEY The headquarters of the South Yuba Canal Company had its beginnings as a crockery store in 1855. It was after one of the destructive Nevada City fires (1854), that A. W. Potter and Dwight Crittenden, in partnership with Dr. John Lark, local druggist, built a foot-thick common wall on their burned-over lots, and erected new stores against it, one on each side.* Potter and Crittenden’s pretentfous building, with its imitation marble front and wooden balcony, was two stories high. It housed the new district attorney, A. A. Sargent, and the doctor-brothers, Robert M. and Harvey Hunt on the second level. The main floor, aglow with brightpatterned pottery and useful household wares, became a favorite shopping place of homemakers. An added attraction was the Pioneer Book and Stationery store of George Welch in the same building. The year following its grand opening in 1855, Potter sold his interest to Crittenden, who in turn sold the building to James Whartenby, agent for the South Yuba Canal Company in 1857'** The second floor was utilized as the company expanded, and the operation of its extensive system of reservoirs and ditches was carried on in this building for twenty-three years. Unfortunately, the interior was badly gutted in the fire of 1863, and the room arrangements are not the same. The iron-laced balcony replaced the wooden one burned in the 1856 fire. Today, a group, named ‘‘Save the Ott Assay Office’? committee, is also interested in the preservation of the South Yuba Canal building. It is hoped that their restoration will include a display of some momentoes of the flourishing business places once located in this famous duplex: Dr. Lark’s Drug Store, known as the City Drug Store, J. J. Ott’s Assay Office, Potter and Crittenden’s crockery store, later called ‘‘Crit-

DORIS FOLEY The story of the South Yuba Canal Company, appearing in two parts, is the work of Mrs. Doris Foley of Nevada City. She is a formost historian and has completed many bulletins for the Nevada County Historical Society; the California Historical Soc{ety Quarterly; and was the author of the pictorial guide for Grass Valley and Nevada City, the ‘‘Gold Cities’’. Her recent book is ‘‘The Divine Eccentric’, about Lola Montez and the newspapers, (Western Press 1969) Doris, as she its affectionately known in the Gold Country, was the daughter of hydraulic mining people. She attended schools in Nevada and El Dorado Counties and graduated from San Francisco State as a teacher. She taught school in Nevada City and later became Art Consultant in the bay area. She has had a lifelong interest in Nevada County history andis acharter member and past president of the Nevada County Historical Society. She has also served as museum chairman and editor of the bulletin. Doris has great interest in the general ar:s, particularly water and its history, the development, storage, delivery and its use, first for mining and later for domestic, irrigation and recreational use. Her writings, ‘‘The 1883 Flood on the Middle Yuba River.’’ and now “The Saga of the South Yuba Canal Company, Part I and II’? radiate the thoroughness of her research and the great personal interest she has devoted to her. work. I trust this short insight about the author will enhance your reading of this Part I and you will look forward to Part II of the ‘‘Saga of the South Yuba Canal Company’’, Clinton H. Lee Editor, 1969 OFFICERS OF THE NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: President: Robert A. Gates, Route 2, Box 318 G.V. 273-4185 Vice President: George Brooks 302 Brock Road, Nevada City 265-4204 Secretary: Esther Hartung 303 S. Church GV. 2130890 8t Treasurer: Winifred C. Creegan P.0.Box 704.N.C_ 265-2996 Past President: Albert L. Johnson 202 N. Pine St. N.C. 265-4760 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ISABEL HEFELFINGER ADELAIDE ELLIOTT ARLIE HANSEN GLENN JONES JOHN TREMEWAN JOSEPH W. WESELSKY CHESTER MELL Bulletin Editor: Clinton H. Lee, Nevada City VISIT The Nevada County Historical Societies MINING EXHIBIT in Grass Valley and MUSEUM in Nevada eA Open

regularly during the Tourist Season and in the winter by appointment. Nevada County Historical Society Vol. 23 No. 5 OCTOBER 1969 A SAGA OF THE SOUTH YUBA CANAL COMPANY BY DORIS FOLEY The headquarters of the South Yuba Canal Company had its beginnings as a crockery store in 1855. It was after one of the destructive Nevada City fires (1854), that A. W. Potter and Dwight Crittenden, in partnership with Dr. John Lark, local druggist, built a foot-thick common wall on their burned-over lots, and erected new stores against it, one on each side.* Potter and Crittenden’s pretentfous building, with its imitation marble front and wooden balcony, was two stories high. It housed the new district attorney, A. A. Sargent, and the doctor-brothers, Robert M. and Harvey Hunt on the second level. The main floor, aglow with brightpatterned pottery and useful household wares, became a favorite shopping place of homemakers. An added attraction was the Pioneer Book and Stationery store of George Welch in the same building. The year following its grand opening in 1855, Potter sold his interest to Crittenden, who in turn sold the building to James Whartenby, agent for the South Yuba Canal Company in 1857'** The second floor was utilized as the company expanded, and the operation of its extensive system of reservoirs and ditches was carried on in this building for twenty-three years. Unfortunately, the interior was badly gutted in the fire of 1863, and the room arrangements are not the same. The iron-laced balcony replaced the wooden one burned in the 1856 fire. Today, a group, named ‘‘Save the Ott Assay Office’? committee, is also interested in the preservation of the South Yuba Canal building. It is hoped that their restoration will include a display of some momentoes of the flourishing business places once located in this famous duplex: Dr. Lark’s Drug Store, known as the City Drug Store, J. J. Ott’s Assay Office, Potter and Crittenden’s crockery store, later called ‘‘Crit-