Collection: Books and Periodicals > Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins

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Title: Volume 025-4 - October 1971 Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Collection Name: Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins # of Pages: 2 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2013-12-08 16:05:20 OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 04:05:33 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 04:05:33

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

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ARLIE HANSEN,PRESIDENT 303 SOUTH CHURCH STREET -GRASS VALLEY Typical early day street scene in WASHINGTON. Horses the sole means of travel is shown by the water tank in the center of Main Street of whichthere were three. Picture prior to 1900. Today’s WASHINGTON does not reflect her past glory although the town has become an attraction for visitors and summer homes are at a premium. The present population is nearly 300. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NEVADA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY CLINT LEE, EDITOR Nevada County Historical Society Vol. 25 No. 4 OCTOBER 1971 WASHINGTON, Nevada County A Condensed History By ROBERT . . and GRACE SLYTER WASHINGTON from Phelps Hill looking Northeast showing Cemetery in Grove of trees and mined out river channel on left,about 1911. The first miners arrived at the flat, on which Washington is located, late in the fall of 1849, Prospecting between storms, during the winter, gave such good results, that in the spring of 1850, together with others, who had been attracted to the spot, they started to dig a canal to turn the river from its bed. Results proved unsatisfactory and soon the whole neighborhood was depopulated. John Steele mentions in his diary of visiting the deserted village of Washington in December 1850. ‘‘Witha large number of deserted cabins, several store buildings and quite a large hotel, closed and silent.’’ But in the spring of 1851 a new rush of miners came into the surrounding area. Gravel in the ravines and creeks of the South Yuba River proved very rich. By the fall of 1852 it was estimated that nearly 3,000 men were prospecting and mining the gravel of the river and creeks in the area. Washington being on the only sizeable flat land became the business center. Hotels, stores and all the accessories of a successful mining camp were established, Here the estimated 3,000 traded their nuggests and gold dust for provisions and supplies. “It is not knownhow much gold is shipped from Washington by mail. but it is noted that the mail carrier always leaves town with a guard.’’ “In 1852 the main street of Washington reminded one of Montgomery Street in San Francisco. In the summer troops of donkeys started from here, loaded, for the mines higher above.’’ The town soon contained every line of business from abrewery to a slaughter house. Population: 1858, In the neighborhood of 200. 1866. A population, including a number of Mongolians of about 350. Nevada County Voting Record: Votes Cast: Washington 1855 183; 1864 125; 1872 54; 1879 81; 1880 88; 1890 90. A post office was established November 15, 1852. Although the name of Washington had been selected for the town on July 4, 1850; the post office was officially named Washington South Yuba. It was digcontinued April 1854, The town was without a post office until the post office at Alpha was moved here permanently on September 4, 1862. Supplies had to be brought in by pack train or snubbed in wagons, from tree to. tree, down the Alpha Hill until the Alpha Toll Road was built in 1855. **Not one foot of county road entered the town of Washington as late as 1872,”” A toll bridge was built across the South Yuba River by Lennox and Murphy in the early 1850’s. The first county bridge was built in 1875,