Volume 025-4 - October 1971 (2 pages)

Stages to WASHINGTON pass at the junction on top of Washington Ridge. During it’s hey-day WASHINGTON was served by three separate stagelines from the railhead at Nevada City. Several stage lines soon were running on a regular schedule between Washington and Nevada City. In summer months the run of twenty-four miles, via Alpha, was often made in 2 1/2 hours. Completion of the railroad over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the 1860’s brought many Chinese into the area looking for employment. Washington developed a Chinatown with several stores and even a Chinese Temple or Joss House. “‘The Chinese population in Washington out-numbered the white population.’? May 14, 1870. Contrary to the popular tradition of today, Washington was not a true version of a television show mining town. The ‘“‘law’’ consisted of a Justice of the Peace and one or two constables. It was not until 1898 that a twocell jail was built. A few robberies did occur in the town. Only four murders were recorded. Two were caused by disputes over girls living in the notorious Rocky Bar House, one in a saloon brawl] and one ‘‘during a difficulty with another man,’’ . “‘Thomas Muller has been lodged in the county jail in Nevada City upon the charge of grand larceny. The prisoner carried off a bridle in Washington with a mule attached to it!’? June 21, 1865. A jealous woman cowhided her husband for dancing with an old sweetheart. She was fined three-dollars and costs for disorderly conduct and threats of violence, Washington never had a Hang-Man’s Tree and there are no records of any lynchings. ‘‘Washingtonites have a peculiar method of punishing gross offenders by plunging them into a large trough of freezing water.”’ The men of the town may have been true to the tradition -‘‘fast on the draw’’, but they do not seem to have been marksmen. ““A very serious affair occured at Washington on Friday last. A stranger came into the place to purchase provisions and some of the citizens became suspicious that he might be one of the Tom Bell gang of robbers. They undertook to arrest him. He was armed with a revolver and resisted arrest. Some twenty or thirty shots were fired. One of the citizens was wounded in the side and the stranger received a flesh wound in the leg. He made his escape, however, and got away. Sept. 3, 1856.”” Although religious services were often held in private homes by different denominations, Washington never had a church until the Catholic church was built in 1903. Even this was really a mission, never having a resident priest. Services were held, weather permitting, several times a month by a priest from Nevada City. In 1859 the Washington School had an attendance of 46. 1865-44; 1868-51; 1869-57; 1880-60; 1890-51. WASHINGTON’S Exchange Hotel on Main Street served this community for 70 years having burned and rebuilt and burned again in the 20’s but not rebuilt. Only one teacher was employed. “‘The Washington school hasno play ground, as lots are scarce and small there. The desks need ink wells.’’ October 12, 1881. “Citizens of Washington held a party at Foster’s Hall, the net proceeds to go toward buying new desks for the school there.’’ May 15, 1888, The school house in the town of Washington is in such a dilapidated condition that a new one is needed. August 25, 1903. The town seemed to have difficulty in keeping a résident physician. “Nearly everybody in Washington is either sick or has a cold. If the weather does not moderate some soon there is no telling what will happen in the way of sickness. There is a good opening up here for a doctor. Send one to locate with us. He can acquire a good practice if he understands his profession.”? Dec. 16, 1884, Washington started to die-slowly and reluctantly after the ‘‘Big Fire of August 16, 1867.7 The business section from ‘‘the Washington brewery to Brimskill’s residence were gone in 1 1/2 hours.”” The rich gravel along the river, creeks and ravines was playing out. Fewer and fewer rich chunks and nuggets of gold were being brought into the stores. The day of the rich strikes being made, when a pan of dirt was good for a weeks board, were over. Quartz mines were being opened up, but they required capital to develop and employed only a few men. Roads built in God’s country, above Gaston, in the construction of the North Bloomfield ditch, tosupply water to the Malakoff, turned all the business of the mines in that area to Graniteville. A road was built from the Eagle Bird mine, along the west side of Diamond Creek, making the distance around two-miles to Towle Bros, railroad. This was a logging railroad, thirty-five miles long, extending along the ridge from Cotton Hill, near White Cloud, to the Southern Pacific R.R. at Dutch Flat. ‘‘ Persons wishing to travel by way of the Towle Bros. narrowguage railroad will find the cars leaving the upper sawmill, head of Steep Hollow, at 8 A.M. and 1 P.M. daily, except Sundays.”’ Picture of Mrs. Suey Chung and son, formerly of Washington. The Chung’s were leading Chinese merchants and were also active in mining, employing many Chinese laborers. ‘‘Machinery can be taken into the Washington Mining District at small cost, it having been connected with the S.P.R.R. by means of the Towle Bros. narrow-guage railroad. Fewer and fewer freight teams came down the long grade into Washington. Then in 1886 Alf. Tredigo founded the town of Ormonde, on the river about five-miles above Washington. In 1888 this town boldy announced it was to build a wagon road to Omega to connect with Towle Bros. railroad. Travel and freight for this section would go in by this point as it is much nearer than by way of Washington and Nevada City. Besides saving a day’s travel between here and San Francisco. Ormonde was more centrally located and will have a big advantage over the town of Washington on account of being nearer to the leading quartz mines of the district.’’ Washington’s Day was over. It settled for one store, a tiny post office, the paint peeling from the signWashington over the porch anda sagging hotel.

Stages to WASHINGTON pass at the junction on top of Washington Ridge. During it’s hey-day WASHINGTON was served by three separate stagelines from the railhead at Nevada City. Several stage lines soon were running on a regular schedule between Washington and Nevada City. In summer months the run of twenty-four miles, via Alpha, was often made in 2 1/2 hours. Completion of the railroad over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the 1860’s brought many Chinese into the area looking for employment. Washington developed a Chinatown with several stores and even a Chinese Temple or Joss House. “‘The Chinese population in Washington out-numbered the white population.’? May 14, 1870. Contrary to the popular tradition of today, Washington was not a true version of a television show mining town. The ‘“‘law’’ consisted of a Justice of the Peace and one or two constables. It was not until 1898 that a twocell jail was built. A few robberies did occur in the town. Only four murders were recorded. Two were caused by disputes over girls living in the notorious Rocky Bar House, one in a saloon brawl] and one ‘‘during a difficulty with another man,’’ . “‘Thomas Muller has been lodged in the county jail in Nevada City upon the charge of grand larceny. The prisoner carried off a bridle in Washington with a mule attached to it!’? June 21, 1865. A jealous woman cowhided her husband for dancing with an old sweetheart. She was fined three-dollars and costs for disorderly conduct and threats of violence, Washington never had a Hang-Man’s Tree and there are no records of any lynchings. ‘‘Washingtonites have a peculiar method of punishing gross offenders by plunging them into a large trough of freezing water.”’ The men of the town may have been true to the tradition -‘‘fast on the draw’’, but they do not seem to have been marksmen. ““A very serious affair occured at Washington on Friday last. A stranger came into the place to purchase provisions and some of the citizens became suspicious that he might be one of the Tom Bell gang of robbers. They undertook to arrest him. He was armed with a revolver and resisted arrest. Some twenty or thirty shots were fired. One of the citizens was wounded in the side and the stranger received a flesh wound in the leg. He made his escape, however, and got away. Sept. 3, 1856.”” Although religious services were often held in private homes by different denominations, Washington never had a church until the Catholic church was built in 1903. Even this was really a mission, never having a resident priest. Services were held, weather permitting, several times a month by a priest from Nevada City. In 1859 the Washington School had an attendance of 46. 1865-44; 1868-51; 1869-57; 1880-60; 1890-51. WASHINGTON’S Exchange Hotel on Main Street served this community for 70 years having burned and rebuilt and burned again in the 20’s but not rebuilt. Only one teacher was employed. “‘The Washington school hasno play ground, as lots are scarce and small there. The desks need ink wells.’’ October 12, 1881. “Citizens of Washington held a party at Foster’s Hall, the net proceeds

to go toward buying new desks for the school there.’’ May 15, 1888, The school house in the town of Washington is in such a dilapidated condition that a new one is needed. August 25, 1903. The town seemed to have difficulty in keeping a résident physician. “Nearly everybody in Washington is either sick or has a cold. If the weather does not moderate some soon there is no telling what will happen in the way of sickness. There is a good opening up here for a doctor. Send one to locate with us. He can acquire a good practice if he understands his profession.”? Dec. 16, 1884, Washington started to die-slowly and reluctantly after the ‘‘Big Fire of August 16, 1867.7 The business section from ‘‘the Washington brewery to Brimskill’s residence were gone in 1 1/2 hours.”” The rich gravel along the river, creeks and ravines was playing out. Fewer and fewer rich chunks and nuggets of gold were being brought into the stores. The day of the rich strikes being made, when a pan of dirt was good for a weeks board, were over. Quartz mines were being opened up, but they required capital to develop and employed only a few men. Roads built in God’s country, above Gaston, in the construction of the North Bloomfield ditch, tosupply water to the Malakoff, turned all the business of the mines in that area to Graniteville. A road was built from the Eagle Bird mine, along the west side of Diamond Creek, making the distance around two-miles to Towle Bros, railroad. This was a logging railroad, thirty-five miles long, extending along the ridge from Cotton Hill, near White Cloud, to the Southern Pacific R.R. at Dutch Flat. ‘‘ Persons wishing to travel by way of the Towle Bros. narrowguage railroad will find the cars leaving the upper sawmill, head of Steep Hollow, at 8 A.M. and 1 P.M. daily, except Sundays.”’ Picture of Mrs. Suey Chung and son, formerly of Washington. The Chung’s were leading Chinese merchants and were also active in mining, employing many Chinese laborers. ‘‘Machinery can be taken into the Washington Mining District at small cost, it having been connected with the S.P.R.R. by means of the Towle Bros. narrow-guage railroad. Fewer and fewer freight teams came down the long grade into Washington. Then in 1886 Alf. Tredigo founded the town of Ormonde, on the river about five-miles above Washington. In 1888 this town boldy announced it was to build a wagon road to Omega to connect with Towle Bros. railroad. Travel and freight for this section would go in by this point as it is much nearer than by way of Washington and Nevada City. Besides saving a day’s travel between here and San Francisco. Ormonde was more centrally located and will have a big advantage over the town of Washington on account of being nearer to the leading quartz mines of the district.’’ Washington’s Day was over. It settled for one store, a tiny post office, the paint peeling from the signWashington over the porch anda sagging hotel.