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

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The Nevada evada County d in 1924 the guard of friendly Indians, He also of Holt to the camp, and in all things could be observed, The next morning nd started for camp Far West, on Johnver; and the morning after, twenty-four arrived, supplied by Major Day, com. A hundred miners from Deer Creek 1 couple of days they had killed and run George Holt was removed to Stocking's id recovered in ten days, He afterwards ‘reek, below Nevada. 1 these Indian troubles influenced the war bonds for the El Dorado and Maribelieve the legislature refused Messrs, ¢ for their losses and their services, hey did notresort to the modus operandi of many legislative acts. ved to Grass Valley, where he built 50. Among the early settlers were Z, >, B, Lamarque, F, Squire, Fowler and 1 built on Main Street, Grass Valley, M.J. Brock was built by a man named Scott, nearly opposite where the Grass Valley Hotel stood before the fire. The first hotel was built by J. B, Underwood, and call ‘The Mountain Home.' "As late as January, 1851, there were but three or four cabins in Grass Valley proper. Shortly after, the population increased rapidly, and an attempt was made by the people to change the name to Centerville. As there were so many places known as Grass Valley, it was difficult to have letters properly sent, The growth of Grass Valley in 1851 was most remarkable, Probably no town in the State has ever sprung so suddenly into importance. Much of this was owing to an excitement in reference to quartz mining, then in full operation." An account of the discovery which led to the excitement here mentioned will be given in the succeeding chapter, on Gold-Mining in the Grass Valley District. "The first quartz mill was built in January, 1851, on Wolf Creek, nearly opposite the present Empire Mill, by two Germans, for Mr. J. Wright, Jr. The building still stands. The mill (a water mill) was a small affair and not successful; but it was the second one built in the State, the first mill being built in 1850, in Mariposa County, which also proved a failure, Grass Valley claims the first successful quartz mills in California, In the winter of 1850 and 1851, Messrs, Sowers, Abby and Ridgell built a small steam mill, In the spring of 1851 Judge Walsh erected a quartz mill, which he afterwards sold to Collins & Crossett, which mill has always paid, The Gold Hill Company, about a month after, commenced the erection of a mill, and Judge Walsh another one still later. 4n English company, called the 'Agua Frio,‘ bought or leased the interest of the proprietors in the mills and leads, in August 1852, and still conduct the business under the superintendence of Messrs, Hepburn and Atwood, The new Helvetia Mill was erected by Conway & Preston in the fall of 1851, and it is now working profitable, Col Richardson erected one in the summer of 1851. The Mount George Mill was erected about the same time, In 1852 the French Company erected a mill, and the Rocky Bar Mining Company, and James Winchester, in the same year, The latter has been used only for lumber, though originally designed for quartz, The Union Company constructed a mill in 1852, but the lead was abandoned and the mill removed, "The first quartz mining was done on Gold Hill; the next on Massachusetts Hill, where the first claims were taken up in December, 1850, by A, Delano, generally known as ‘Old Block.' We believe the 'chips' did not suit him; so he turned his attention to expressing for Wells, Fargo & Company, in which position he occasionally expresses the ideas that have made him so generally known in the State, "There is more machinery at work in Grass Valley district than in any equal extent of territory in the county, if not in the State, outside of the cities, There are a number of excellent sawmills, and the lumber trade is extensive, and an excellent flouring mill; but the place is probably more noted for quartz mining than for anything else. The quartz men of Grass Valley have shown their ‘faith by works," in an unwavering pertinacity adhering to a once dubious branch of business through immense expense and over apparently insurmountable difficulties, During the year 1852, owing to the water in the hills, a large expense was incurred to drain the claims; and taking the entire revenue and expenses for the year, not a dollar was made out of the business, But 1853 gave better encouragments; and the business has been good, with little fluctuation, ever since. (To be continued next week) County Nugget Wednesday, April 19, 1972 .7