Volume 047-1 - January 1993 (10 pages)

The Protohistory of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad ~ This article was prepared by Jessie Caldweil as a term paper for a history class at Sacramento State College and is dated June I, 1958. I thank Brita Rozynski for bringing this story to my attention and Mrs. Caldwell for permitting to use the story for the Bulletin. —The Editor EVADA COUNTY from its early history as part of the ‘‘westering’’ movement and the development of California found transportation one of its major problems. Flung as it is over the upthrust shoulder of the Sierra Nevada it varies in elevation from 250 feet on the edge of the Great Sacramento Valley to over 9000 feet at the crest of the mountain. This crest rises abruptly on the east from the high mountain valley which stretches into Nevada, like a veritable wall of granite, The streams and rivers are young, are swift flowing and rocky, with many deep chasms. Deep winter snows on the summits and heavy rainfall on the mountain slopes make this a beautiful land of tall pines and blossoming chapparal. But, this lovely land was not to be easily won. It was late in October 1846, that one of the first groups of emigrants tried to cross this country and was stopped by the high mountain wall and the winter snows. This Donner party spent a tragic winter camped by the lake in this high valley. In the spring the remnants of the group passed through Nevada County along the Bear River on their way to Sacramento. This early Emigrant Trail and the Henness Pass trail which branched at the eastern end of the county, wandered into Sierra County and back into the foothill area of Nevada County, soon flowed with fortune seekers as the news of the discovery of gold became known. Many small stores were set up along these trails to trade with the emigrants. Then the tide began to flow in the other direction as gold seekers from the valley began to follow the streams in search of gold. The Yuba River and its great Middle Fork forms the northern boundary of the county for many miles, while the South Fork cuts the county in two. Along half of the south boundary lies the Bear River. These two rivers with their multitudinous feeder streams and creeks form a network over all the western slopes of this county. Up these waters tramped the prospector, panning here or pausing there to set up a rocker or a sluice box for a few days or months. Methods of gold mining developed as new sources were found and new conditions 2 BY JESSIE CALDWELL encountered. The gravel beds of North San Juan and North Bloomfield centered in the county were part of an ancient river channel in which gold bearing gravel was deposited many millions of years ago to a depth of about 500 feet. This area became Nevada County’s golden heart producing many millions of dollars until the debris deposited in streams by hydraulic miners became so objectionable to agricultural interests that the method was stopped by injunction in 1884." In the meantime quartz gold had been discovered in the county. Legend tells us that in October of 1850 a George McKnight, while seeking a cow that had strayed, struck his foot against an outcropping of rock. A piece broke off, which upon examination was found to be streaked with gold. Wild excitement followed, and much activity. ‘From this one spot $1,500,000 in gold was taken?’? Thus began the great quartz gold mines of this area that were to dig more than 300 miles of tunnels under the two towns which sprang up around them. These two towns were Nevada City and Grass Valley. Nevada City has been settled early, its nucleus was a store owned by Dr. A.B. Caldwell. The little town had grown quickly, and with the security stemming from long playing gold ventures became a real town of board and stone buildings when many mining camps were of the tent variety. Women and families joined the miners and roots were pressed down into this land. The quartz mines in the Grass Valley area brought a growth that challenged that of Nevada City, but not before Nevada was chosen as county seat, when an act of legislature, approved May 18, 1851, formed the county out of part of Yuba County. The growth in population and business, and the difficulty of tending to legal matters because of distance from the courts made this division seem desirable.’ This same growth coupled with a feeling of separation from the rest of the state had manifested itself in a desire for an improved means of transportation in and out of the hills. The first effort made in California towards the building of a railroad was the formation of a company by citizens of Nevada, Placer, and Sacramento Counties. Articles of Incorporation of the Sacramento, Auburn and Nevada Railroad Company were filed in the office of the Secretary of State on August 17, 1852. The Articles contained the names of twenty-six subscribers of twenty-eight shares each, at a value of $100 per share. Amongst the names of the nine Directors were those of T.O. Dunn, John R. Coryell, Charles Marsh, Isaac Williamson, and H. Lyons of Nevada County. A line was surveyed from Sacramento through Folsom, Auburn and Grass Valley to Nevada City. This was sixty-eight miles long with an estimated cost of construction at $2,000,000. From Nevada City the survey continued through Henness Pass. The enterprise proved too costly for the means at command of the subscribers and they were compelled to abandon the project.‘ When the Sacramento Valley road was completed to Folsom in 1856, hope was held that the line would be extended to Grass Valley and Nevada City. In 1859 a survey was commenced from Folsom to Auburn with the intention of extending the line to Nevada City. Merchants subscribed a sum sufficient to survey a route from Auburn to Nevada City. ‘‘From this time the railroad question was never entirely laid aside; every year it was brought out, rubbed and polished and laid carefully away within easy athe, reach?’* Alternate routes were also under discussion. A" route through Lincoln leading up through the Henness Pass was one of these. In 1870, a road to Marysville and Colusa was seriously considered and a bill was presented to the Legislature to authorize the issuance of bonds for the Colusa, Marysville and Nevada Railroad Company. Nevada County was to give $150,000 of the $400,000 needed. The bill failed to find favor with the Legislature. A survey of a line from Nevada City to Marysville was made by Robert L. Harris for which the cost of construction was estimated at $717,938. However, the cheapest thing about a railroad is the survey ‘‘and it is always easier to make one . than it is to build the road, . . . no money was at hand to construct the desired line, and the project was abandoned?’* In the meantime the fortunes of the area had been rising and falling as problems had arisen and been solved. The rich quartz strike of the fifties was overcand although there was much gold in the quartz which lay deep within the earth of this country the ore was less valuable. The early strike had been so rich that hand methods could be used to retrieve the gold. Now machinery and new processes must be used. Much of the early effort proved unsuccessful, and smaller operators and less optimistic miners were driven away. Better methods were developed and there was a brief period of prosperity into the last of the fifties. In 1859 ore was brought to N.C. Ott’s Assay office in

The Protohistory of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad ~ This article was prepared by Jessie Caldweil as a term paper for a history class at Sacramento State College and is dated June I, 1958. I thank Brita Rozynski for bringing this story to my attention and Mrs. Caldwell for permitting to use the story for the Bulletin. —The Editor EVADA COUNTY from its early history as part of the ‘‘westering’’ movement and the development of California found transportation one of its major problems. Flung as it is over the upthrust shoulder of the Sierra Nevada it varies in elevation from 250 feet on the edge of the Great Sacramento Valley to over 9000 feet at the crest of the mountain. This crest rises abruptly on the east from the high mountain valley which stretches into Nevada, like a veritable wall of granite, The streams and rivers are young, are swift flowing and rocky, with many deep chasms. Deep winter snows on the summits and heavy rainfall on the mountain slopes make this a beautiful land of tall pines and blossoming chapparal. But, this lovely land was not to be easily won. It was late in October 1846, that one of the first groups of emigrants tried to cross this country and was stopped by the high mountain wall and the winter snows. This Donner party spent a tragic winter camped by the lake in this high valley. In the spring the remnants of the group passed through Nevada County along the Bear River on their way to Sacramento. This early Emigrant Trail and the Henness Pass trail which branched at the eastern end of the county, wandered into Sierra County and back into the foothill area of Nevada County, soon flowed with fortune seekers as the news of the discovery of gold became known. Many small stores were set up along these trails to trade with the emigrants. Then the tide began to flow in the other direction as gold seekers from the valley began to follow the streams in search of gold. The Yuba River and its great Middle Fork forms the northern boundary of the county for many miles, while the South Fork cuts the county in two. Along half of the south boundary lies the Bear River. These two rivers with their multitudinous feeder streams and creeks form a network over all the western slopes of this county. Up these waters tramped the prospector, panning here or pausing there to set up a rocker or a sluice box for a few days or months. Methods of gold mining developed as new sources were found and new conditions 2 BY JESSIE CALDWELL encountered. The gravel beds of North San Juan and North Bloomfield centered in the county were part of an ancient river channel in which gold bearing gravel was deposited many millions of years ago to a depth of about 500 feet. This area became Nevada County’s golden heart producing many millions of dollars until the debris deposited in streams by hydraulic miners became so objectionable to agricultural interests that the method was stopped by injunction in 1884." In the meantime quartz gold had been discovered in the county. Legend tells us that in October of 1850 a George McKnight, while seeking a cow that had strayed, struck his foot against an outcropping of rock. A piece broke off, which upon examination was found to be streaked with gold. Wild excitement followed, and much activity. ‘From this one spot $1,500,000 in gold was taken?’? Thus began the great quartz gold mines of this area that were to dig more than 300 miles of tunnels under the two towns which sprang up around them. These two towns were Nevada City and Grass Valley. Nevada City has been settled early, its nucleus was a store owned by Dr. A.B. Caldwell. The little town had grown quickly, and with the security stemming from long playing gold ventures became a real town of board and stone

buildings when many mining camps were of the tent variety. Women and families joined the miners and roots were pressed down into this land. The quartz mines in the Grass Valley area brought a growth that challenged that of Nevada City, but not before Nevada was chosen as county seat, when an act of legislature, approved May 18, 1851, formed the county out of part of Yuba County. The growth in population and business, and the difficulty of tending to legal matters because of distance from the courts made this division seem desirable.’ This same growth coupled with a feeling of separation from the rest of the state had manifested itself in a desire for an improved means of transportation in and out of the hills. The first effort made in California towards the building of a railroad was the formation of a company by citizens of Nevada, Placer, and Sacramento Counties. Articles of Incorporation of the Sacramento, Auburn and Nevada Railroad Company were filed in the office of the Secretary of State on August 17, 1852. The Articles contained the names of twenty-six subscribers of twenty-eight shares each, at a value of $100 per share. Amongst the names of the nine Directors were those of T.O. Dunn, John R. Coryell, Charles Marsh, Isaac Williamson, and H. Lyons of Nevada County. A line was surveyed from Sacramento through Folsom, Auburn and Grass Valley to Nevada City. This was sixty-eight miles long with an estimated cost of construction at $2,000,000. From Nevada City the survey continued through Henness Pass. The enterprise proved too costly for the means at command of the subscribers and they were compelled to abandon the project.‘ When the Sacramento Valley road was completed to Folsom in 1856, hope was held that the line would be extended to Grass Valley and Nevada City. In 1859 a survey was commenced from Folsom to Auburn with the intention of extending the line to Nevada City. Merchants subscribed a sum sufficient to survey a route from Auburn to Nevada City. ‘‘From this time the railroad question was never entirely laid aside; every year it was brought out, rubbed and polished and laid carefully away within easy athe, reach?’* Alternate routes were also under discussion. A" route through Lincoln leading up through the Henness Pass was one of these. In 1870, a road to Marysville and Colusa was seriously considered and a bill was presented to the Legislature to authorize the issuance of bonds for the Colusa, Marysville and Nevada Railroad Company. Nevada County was to give $150,000 of the $400,000 needed. The bill failed to find favor with the Legislature. A survey of a line from Nevada City to Marysville was made by Robert L. Harris for which the cost of construction was estimated at $717,938. However, the cheapest thing about a railroad is the survey ‘‘and it is always easier to make one .. than it is to build the road, . . . no money was at hand to construct the desired line, and the project was abandoned?’* In the meantime the fortunes of the area had been rising and falling as problems had arisen and been solved. The rich quartz strike of the fifties was overcand although there was much gold in the quartz which lay deep within the earth of this country the ore was less valuable. The early strike had been so rich that hand methods could be used to retrieve the gold. Now machinery and new processes must be used. Much of the early effort proved unsuccessful, and smaller operators and less optimistic miners were driven away. Better methods were developed and there was a brief period of prosperity into the last of the fifties. In 1859 ore was brought to N.C. Ott’s Assay office in