Collection: Books and Periodicals > Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins

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Title: Volume 053-4 - October 1999 Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Collection Name: Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins # of Pages: 6 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

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

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NCHS Bulletin October 1999 were fired. Later, the governor spoke and a large fireworks display entertained guests. Seven or eight years later, the flume was lowered to 65 feet because it was feared that strong winds might cause the collapse of the original structure. Anne continued to live in the Magenta House for many years. In the 1860s the road through the gap became one of the main arteries of the Henness Pass Road. Magenta House was one of primary stopping points along the route. Here the drivers rested, fed and watered their horses and dined on Anne’s well-known food. Magenta House had one large room the full width of the house with stairways to a cellar beneath and to an upper floor furnished with about 24 beds on each side. The mattresses were straw ticks, but comfortable enough to give tired men a rest. Back of the large lower room were the living quarters of the family and a dining room that could serve 30 people at a sitting. Near the house a large tank was built on the side of the hill. It measured 15 or 20 feet in length, 9 feet in width and on the downhill side of the slope was 6 or 8 feet deep. On the lower side a bung hole was bored and water was taken from the tank to water the vegetables and fruit trees in the garden. Some 100 feet from the house was a large barn that could accommodate 60 horses. The loft was filled with hay. Back of the barn were pens for cows, pigs and chickens. A stream ran through the corral so that there was always water available. The Magenta Flume House continued to be a very busy place, particularly during the rush to the Comstock and later to Meadow Lake. It was a frequent occurrence for a runner on horseback to appear hours ahead of a wagon train to tell Anne in advance how many men would need a meal. One night a runner arrived, woke the family from sleep and said the wagon train would be there in about three hours. Anne roused Emily and they went to work. About 4:00 a.m. the wagon train arrived and found the meal ready for them. After the meal the leader passed his hat, first placing a $5 gold piece in it. Every man in the group did the same. Anne protested that it was too much, but the leader said that not every person would be so generous and helpful and she deserved all she got. John Shand died in the late 1860s. Anne married Michael Quinn in 1875. The Quinns are listed in Thompson and West’s 1880 History of Nevada County, California as occupying the Magenta Flume House. In the Days of Yore by J. M. Irwin (The following letter was submitted by Rudolph W. Root’ who found it in the Mining and Scientific Press, v. 77, no. 20, November 12, 1898, p. 481, col. 2.) . eae YOUR DESCRIPTION OF the Granite Hill mine, one-half mile east of Wolf Creek, Grass Valley. In September, ‘49, I was one of a company of ten who camped on Wolf Creek, and gave it that name. The circumstances in connection with the naming of this creek are as follows: We ten arrived at the head of the little creek some time in September, ‘49, and camped, turning our cattle out to graze on that little valley. Having subsisted on three crackers each, a few dried apples and a little coffee for seven days previous, we became wolfish. Finding nothing for sale there to eat (and if we had found it were about 40 cents short of any kind of change), we concluded to kill one of our faithful animals that had toiled so hard and patiently in the yoke to land us there. We had but one animal that looked as if he had fat enough on his bones to grease a gimlet. His name was “Dan Rice” because of his cuteness and funny tricks. We name[d him] after that great Pennsylvania showman and joker. Perhaps not one animal in ten thousand that made that wonderful trip across the American desert arrived in as good condition to feed ten/™\ almost starved men as did Dan. We prepared to kill him, It was a solemn task and many tears were shed. We drew lots as to who should commit the terrible deed. It was done and the hide, head and entrails were left on the bank of the creek below our camp. Nearly all through that night from the noise they made we thought there were about a thousand wolves fighting and howling over the remains of Dan. So we named the creek Wolf Creek, and so it remains. From there we went over and camped on Gold Run, prospected there, but did not dive deep enough, consequently lost the chance of claims that yielded from $100,000 to $300,000 every 60 feet. So you see such was life in the most wonderful gold country the world ever knew. In the spring of ’50 two men by the name of Walker built a sawmill and two houses on Wolf creek near the site of our old camp, each of them having a family. They finished up the mill and houses in the evening and intended to start in the moming down to the valley close to Sacramento after their families. The Indians came that night and killed both men and burned the mill and houses. In the morning some runners came over to Nevada City and told the news. A drummer and fifer were secured, who paraded the streets, <™ and Capt. Tom Hocker (Oregon Tom) called for volunteers __ to hunt the Indians down. One hundred of us volunteered, and by noon we were on their trail. About fifty miles south-