Collection: Newspapers > Nevada County Nugget

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Title: April 19, 1972 Collection Type: Newspapers Collection Name: Nevada County Nugget Published: April 19, 1972 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Physical Format: Newspaper # of Pages: 12 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Printed or handwritten: All printed text Date Scanned: 2023-04-11 09:36:20 Scanning Equipment: Professionally Scanned OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: JPGs First Created: 2025-03-17 04:09:35 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 04:09:35

Original Held At: Doris Foley Library Location: 211 North Pine Street, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 12  

. ’ . * , ‘ . ’ ’ —s <> = “ail! C2ASS VALLEY "The chain of valleys of which Grass Valley is one of the largest and best located extends from Greenhorn Creek, just above what is known as "Buena Vista Ranch,’ in a southwesterly course nearly twelve miles, and embraces in its meanderings much very fine arable land, an ample supply of the best water, and quantities of pine and oak timber. A portion of the emigration that came over the plains in 1849, by the Truckee route, were the first settlers, The worn and famished cattle belonging to eniigrants who had encamped at or near the junction of Steep Hollow Creek with Bear River, wandered off for food, and were found, after considerable search, living luxuriantly in good grass in the valley from which the town took its name. Being so good a camping ground, the valley became a kind of oasis for many emigrants, some eight or ten of whom, in September, 1849, built cabins on Boston Ravine, a half-mile below the town, and commenced mining there. In December of the same year a Boston company of four persons came to the ravine, and were very successful miners until the water gave out in the spring of 1850, when they left, A gentleman names Baldwin, a law student, was the principal person of the company. The ravine was named by this company. "Early in November, 1849, Samuel and George Holt and James Walsh came with wagons, tools, machinery, etc., to a place about four miles below Grass Valley, for the purpose of erecting two sawmills-the one by the Messrs, Holt, a water mill, and Judge Walsh's a steam mill, Mr. Zenas Wheeler was of the party, and two others. The Holts finished their mill in March, 1850, and were sawing lumber on the 3rd of May. While working in the mill they were attacked by Indians, of whom there were 2 great many in the vicinity. We are informed that as many as 700 men and as many women attended their annual meetings or dances. The elder Holt (Samuel) was pierced and at once killed by their arrows. George Holt escaped with life, fighting eight or ten Indians up the hill between the two mills, with only a small pocket knife in his hands, and fell into the arms of Judge Walsh covered with blood and wounded in thirteen places with arrows. Only three ». the company were at home at the time of the attack, Mr. Wheeler having gone below for the engine, and two others to the Yuba, The property was plundered and burnt the night after the attack on the Holts, and the camp of Judge Walsh was threatened. The Indians kept up an indescribable howling all night, and raised fires all over the hills. But the tenants of the camp were well armed with old United States muskets, and with the help of a fine dog named 'Brutus,' of which the Indians were peculiarly shy, kept them at bay, ‘Brutus,’ for his courage and watchfulness, was worth five soldiers; he would seize an Indian by the throat who was too obtrusive, and indiverse ways evinced that he was a dog for the occasion, We will not dismiss him without remarking that he is still a resident of Grass Valley, is a mixture of Newfoundland and terrier, and, resting upon his early well-earned laurels, is of a very pacific disposition, A few friendly Indians gave their assistance during the night, and Captain Day, (present county surveyer,) and another man came in on noticing the fires and disorder, Old Chief Wemeh behaved very well in the matter, gave the party his counW.B. Lardner History of Nev Published . tenance, and furnished the guar brought the dead body of Holt was friendly, so far as could be Captain Day and his friend starte: son's Ranch at Bear River; and United States soldiers arrived, manding at that station, A hunc also poured in, and in a couple « off all the Indians, Mr. George store-in Deer Creek, and recove went to mining on Deer Creek, bel "A less cause than these I State to issue $600,000 war bond posa Indian wars, but we believe t! Walsh and Holt anything for th Perhaps it was because they did n that secured the success of many . "Judge Walsh removed to (¢ a sawmill in July, 1850. Amor Wheeler, C. W. Wood, C. B, Lar others, The first cabin built o1