April 19, 1972 (12 pages)

Mrs, Charlotte Nelson, 91, died at her home at Soquel, Santa Cruz, April 7 following an illness of brief duration, She-was the last of her generation of one of the pioneer families in the Camptonville area, having been born at Brandy City, a mining town nine miles north of here, long extinct, on March 29, 1881. She married Harold Nelson and they resided on the Nelson Ranch in Garden Valley for many years, raising a large family and taking a prominent part in the affairs of the community. Their ranch is now several hundred feet under the water of Bullards Bar Dam, Several years ago they sold their ranch and moved to Soquel, adjacent to Santa Cruz where they continued successful ranching for many-years, and took a prominent part in their new location as they did in Yuba County, Her husband passed away several years ago, Charlotte Nelson had a host of friends both at her birthplace and in the Santa Cruz area, She possessed those pioneer qualities which are fast becoming extinct; she endured much hard work and hardship to help make the country what it is today; was loved by all. Her passing removes another link between the past and the present, She is survived by the fol-lowing children: Mrs, Phyllis Butz, Camptonville; Eloise Nelson, of Soquel; Isabel Sindle, of Foresthill; Carol Ames, ofCupertino; Harriet Servid, of Linden, Washington; Lewis Nelson, of Soquel; William Nelson, of Mountain View; and David Nelson, of Paradise; 26 grandchildren, 21 greatgrandchildren and 5 great, great grandchildren, 8 The Nevada County Nugget Camptonville News Wednesday, April 19, liam Bull Meek-William Morris Stewart Chapter No. 10, E Clampus Vitus. The affair will commence at 12:30-o'clock p.m. with aparade which will start at the Camptonville Union School grounds and proceed down Main Street to the site of the dedication. The parade will be made up those participating inthe affair; the Clampers on foot and with whatever mobile equipment they may have at hand; fire equipment, the Marysville Union High School Band, etc. The complete program will be published as the date nears. Following the dedication, the Clampers will continue their march to a nearby spot in the forest where they will conduct their ceremonial; which, of course, will be exclusive for their membership and candidates. Robert Campton came to Camptonville in the year 1852, just two years after the twon was started with people coming in large numbers seeking gold. This part of the state was a place of rich placer gold deposits, thus making it a mecca for those in guest of the riches these mountains contained. He opened a blacksmith shop, became a general favorite on account of his jovial and kind disposition; and, in 1854, the town was named "Camptonville" in honor of this sturdy artisan. In this day and age not much attention is given to the occupation of blacksmith; in fact, they are few and far between. In the days of the gold rush, the situation was entirely different. The blacksmith inthe community was the most vital and important man; and there had to be at least one in every early day mining town. It was he who kept Memorial services were held the horses’ and mules' shoes in Monday afternoon at the Congood condition; and it was he gregational Church in Santa who repaired all the wagons, Cruz, followed by cremation with buggies, carts, and.other forms inurnment in the family plot in of vehicles. It was he who manuSanta Cruz, Saturday, May 6th, is the date set for the dedication of a monufactured and repaired various tiems used in mining, such as picks, shovels, hammers, pipe ment to be placed in the Pelton lines, and candle sticks; and Lot, Main Street, Camptonville, many other items vital to the in honor of Robert Campton for g0ld rush days. The blacksmith whom the town was named. Ded not dress like the town dication to be made by the Wilbarrister, but he filled a much more important position and place in the community. The monument, which is of a light gray granite stone, is being made and will be placed by the Noel Monument Works, of Sutter. It is being financed by the family of Robert Campton. The affair also has a secondary purpose, that of being a day of good will for the people of the rest of Yuba County, including the city of Marysville; the majority of whom have never visited the eastern end of their county, not viewed the new Bullards Bar Dam, to spend the day in’ the real mountains of their county, and becoming acquainted with the fact that Camptonville is in Yuba County. During the past many years, the eastern end of the county has been divorced from the rest of the county on account of isolation due to road conditions. CARL WiLL Rotate, Inflate and Inspect All 5 Tires for $1.88 PILAZ A TIRE CO. ING. 1972 Juan News North San By Idabel Covert Well, the North San Juan Methodist Church held its annual "Spring Thing" last Saturday, which happened to be April 15, and in spite of the fateful nature of that date, it was as usual, quite successful. In addition to the rummage sale, the waffle brunch, and the silent auction, there was abooth devoted to Nevada county history in general; and the history of our Methodist Church in particular. Doris Foley, of the Nevada County Historical Society, and Isabelle Whittlesey, of . the church, were in charge of the interesting display. Ibought several. historical society pamphlets dealing with the San Juan Ridge area, and the one I found most interesting, naturally, is the one dealing with French Corral. Looking out my window at the present scene, it is hard to imagine what constituted the "town" 100 years ago. The pamphlet states that there were seventy houses, two hotels, one store, a bakery, and a saloon, as early as 1853. After several fires and rebuildings, many other buildings went up, including a post office. The infamous destruction of the largest Chinatown in the United States, at that time, is apparently still the cause of guilt feelings. At any rate, it is certainly glossed over with very few words. I was quite happy to read, in another pamphlet, the words of O.P. Stidger deploring the incident in these words: "If we be true to American liberty and freedom and the flag, we must in this state defend the Chinese strangers who are far from their native land... This I promise you. I shall personally see, while God gives me power, that so long as our courts function, or so long as the pioneer brethern gathered here today have the will to fight the renegades and hoodlums of our communities, stern justice shall be done.. ." So even in those early days of California, we had the bigots, and the defenders of human liberty, the two sides of patriotism, and I suppose we will always have them. O.P. Stidger was a newspaperman, editing and publishing the North San Juan Times and the Marysville Herald, a practicing lawyer, and Judge of the Court. Obviously he was also a humanitarian, and proud to be one. Lotta Crabtree, Lola Montez's protoge, gave a performance in French Corral, to which came 1,000 miners to throw their gold at her feet. She was just a little girl at the time she appeared in the mining camps of the West, and must have been a novelty in a country peopled mostly by miners, hucksters, renegades, and few. women .and children. There is so much history right here on San Juan Ridge, that I think we should have our own museum. Maybe when. the old school at North San Juan is sold, somebody will buy it who has the imagination and financial ability to turn it into one. From the files of The Nugget 1941 JANUARY: Gordon Hooper of Grass Valley was the first man in the community to enlist in Company "E", 115th Engineers, National Guard. Lt. Col. Warren and Lt. Jack Mackay met with more than 40 prospective enlistees. A total of 65 recruits was being sought for induction. ee eee ae A difficult search for an heir to the estate of Mrs. Annie Klind, 73, who died in Oakland the previous October, finally ended with the locating of a nephew, Lester Riant, in North San Juan. * * * * FEBRUARY: William Benjamin Celio, 81, one of Nevada City's oldest and most beloved citizens, died at Jones Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, where he had undergone surgery. Celio. was born in Jackson, Amador County, August 17, 1859, on the site of the famous Kennedy-Argonaut Mine. His parents owned the property at that time. Celio spent 20 years in the dairy business prior to acquiring the Plaza Grocery Store, which he turned over to his son, Gove Celio, in 1920. fF * * * * APRIL: Approximately 150 clergy and lay delegates of the Episcopal Church, Sacramento Diocese, convened in the first such session ever held in Nevada City’s history. * * * * MAY: Strikes in important Nevada County mines resulted in a severe decrease in the mining industry payroll. In April there were 2,622 men employed in county mines, with a total payroll of $398,000. During May, the number of men dwindled to 1,634, and the payroll dropped to $245,000. JUNE: The Class of '41, Nevada City High School, numbered 48 graduates. Officers included Mary Gluyas Libbey, president; Betty Lou Krough, vice president; Sylvia Ronning, secretary; and Elsie Schreiber, treasurer. The advisors were Miss M. A. Hunkin and Mr. H, W. Hobbie. Nevada City proponents of a kindergarten for children between the ages of four and one-half and six years were circulating a petition requesting the Nevada City Unified School District to establish such a school. eke JULY: The "visitors' register" at the Lola Montez home in Grass Valley carried the name of "Charles Jenkins Bosworth, born in this house on October 24, 1861." Mr. Bosworth, a resident of San Francisco, and 80 years of age, had paid a weekend visit to his birthplace. He was the operator of an insurance business at 60 Sansome Street in the city at that time. His late parents had purchased the house from Miss Montez after her departure to New York City in the late 1850s, * * AUGUST: Approximately 60 slot machines, punchboards, novelties and other gambling paraphernalia were destroyed in a fire which burned the warehouse and shed at the rear of the Gold Nugget Inn. P. C. Awalt, the proprietor of the night club, estimated the loss at $1500 and denied that there were any slot machines involved. Division of Forestry investigators placed the damage at "nearer $5,000." The Nevada City Unified Schoo} District trustees turned thumbs down on the request of parents for the establishment of a kindergarten, saying it would be an undue burden on the taxpayers of the district. * * * * SEPTEMBER: A plaque on the site where Ralph Gleason lost his life in a blizzard on February $, 1938, and campground in memory of the well known Nevada City man and his father, E. P, Gleason, pioneer forester, were dedicated under the auspices of the Tahoe National Forest, Gleason was engaged in repair of telephone lines to Downieville when the 1938 tragedy took place. * kk OCTOBER: A prospector known as the "Mad Russian" came into the tiny community of Forrest, near Alleghany, with a double handful of gold nuggets; one of which weighed in at 28 ounces, It was estimated that his surprising find was worth more than $2,000. He was blasting stumps when he "struck it rich" and set the area agog with dreams of another gold strike. * * * NOVEMBER: Fire, starting in the basement of the John Bartsch home in North San Juan, rapidly assumed holocost pro-portions and threatened the historic community with total destruction. Lack of fire fighting equipment and water hampered those trying to control the spreading fire. * * * * DECEMBER: Nevada City was preparing.to "blackout" in event of an air raid, Otto Lirsch, a well known skier and skiing instructor, and PG&E foreman at Lake Spaulding, was taken into custody at the request of the FBL He was a German alien, and the first taken into federal custody in Nevada County following the outbreak of World War II on December 7th.

Mrs, Charlotte Nelson, 91, died at her home at Soquel, Santa Cruz, April 7 following an illness of brief duration, She-was the last of her generation of one of the pioneer families in the Camptonville area, having been born at Brandy City, a mining town nine miles north of here, long extinct, on March 29, 1881. She married Harold Nelson and they resided on the Nelson Ranch in Garden Valley for many years, raising a large family and taking a prominent part in the affairs of the community. Their ranch is now several hundred feet under the water of Bullards Bar Dam, Several years ago they sold their ranch and moved to Soquel, adjacent to Santa Cruz where they continued successful ranching for many-years, and took a prominent part in their new location as they did in Yuba County, Her husband passed away several years ago, Charlotte Nelson had a host of friends both at her birthplace and in the Santa Cruz area, She possessed those pioneer qualities which are fast becoming extinct; she endured much hard work and hardship to help make the country what it is today; was loved by all. Her passing removes another link between the past and the present, She is survived by the fol-lowing children: Mrs, Phyllis Butz, Camptonville; Eloise Nelson, of Soquel; Isabel Sindle, of Foresthill; Carol Ames, ofCupertino; Harriet Servid, of Linden, Washington; Lewis Nelson, of Soquel; William Nelson, of Mountain View; and David Nelson, of Paradise; 26 grandchildren, 21 greatgrandchildren and 5 great, great grandchildren, 8 The Nevada County Nugget Camptonville News Wednesday, April 19, liam Bull Meek-William Morris Stewart Chapter No. 10, E Clampus Vitus. The affair will commence at 12:30-o'clock p.m. with aparade which will start at the Camptonville Union School grounds and proceed down Main Street to the site of the dedication. The parade will be made up those participating inthe affair; the Clampers on foot and with whatever mobile equipment they may have at hand; fire equipment, the Marysville Union High School Band, etc. The complete program will be published as the date nears. Following the dedication, the Clampers will continue their march to a nearby spot in the forest where they will conduct their ceremonial; which, of course, will be exclusive for their membership and candidates. Robert Campton came to Camptonville in the year 1852, just two years after the twon was started with people coming in large numbers seeking gold. This part of the state was a place of rich placer gold deposits, thus making it a mecca for those in guest of the riches these mountains contained. He opened a blacksmith shop, became a general favorite on account of his jovial and kind disposition; and, in 1854, the town was named "Camptonville" in honor of this sturdy artisan. In this day and age not much attention is given to the occupation of blacksmith; in fact, they are few and far between. In the days of the gold rush, the situation was entirely different. The blacksmith inthe community was the most vital and important man; and there had to be at least one in every early day mining town. It was he who kept Memorial services were held the horses’ and mules' shoes in Monday afternoon at the Congood condition; and it was he gregational Church in Santa who repaired all the wagons, Cruz, followed by cremation with buggies, carts, and.other forms inurnment in the family plot in of vehicles. It was he who manuSanta Cruz, Saturday, May 6th, is the date set for the dedication of a monufactured and repaired various tiems used in mining, such as picks, shovels, hammers, pipe ment to be placed in the Pelton lines, and candle sticks; and Lot, Main Street, Camptonville, many other items vital to the in honor of Robert Campton for g0ld rush days. The blacksmith whom the town was named. Ded not dress like the town dication to be made by the Wilbarrister, but he filled a much more important position and place in the community. The monument, which is of a light gray granite stone, is being made and will be placed by the Noel Monument Works, of Sutter. It is being financed by the family of Robert Campton. The affair also has a secondary purpose, that of being a day of good will for the people of the rest of Yuba County, including the city of Marysville; the majority of whom have never visited the eastern end of their county, not viewed the new Bullards Bar Dam, to spend the day in’ the real mountains of their county, and becoming acquainted with the fact that Camptonville is in Yuba County. During the past many years, the eastern end of the county has been divorced from the rest of the county on account of isolation due to road conditions. CARL WiLL Rotate, Inflate and Inspect All 5 Tires for $1.88 PILAZ A TIRE CO. ING. 1972 Juan News North San By Idabel Covert Well, the North San Juan Methodist Church held its annual "Spring Thing" last Saturday, which happened to be April 15, and in spite of the fateful nature of that date, it was as usual, quite successful. In addition to the rummage sale, the waffle brunch, and the silent auction, there was abooth devoted to Nevada county history in general; and the history of our Methodist Church in particular. Doris Foley, of the Nevada County Historical Society, and Isabelle Whittlesey, of . the church, were in charge of the interesting display. Ibought several. historical society pamphlets dealing with the San Juan Ridge area, and the one I found

most interesting, naturally, is the one dealing with French Corral. Looking out my window at the present scene, it is hard to imagine what constituted the "town" 100 years ago. The pamphlet states that there were seventy houses, two hotels, one store, a bakery, and a saloon, as early as 1853. After several fires and rebuildings, many other buildings went up, including a post office. The infamous destruction of the largest Chinatown in the United States, at that time, is apparently still the cause of guilt feelings. At any rate, it is certainly glossed over with very few words. I was quite happy to read, in another pamphlet, the words of O.P. Stidger deploring the incident in these words: "If we be true to American liberty and freedom and the flag, we must in this state defend the Chinese strangers who are far from their native land..... This I promise you. I shall personally see, while God gives me power, that so long as our courts function, or so long as the pioneer brethern gathered here today have the will to fight the renegades and hoodlums of our communities, stern justice shall be done... ." So even in those early days of California, we had the bigots, and the defenders of human liberty, the two sides of patriotism, and I suppose we will always have them. O.P. Stidger was a newspaperman, editing and publishing the North San Juan Times and the Marysville Herald, a practicing lawyer, and Judge of the Court. Obviously he was also a humanitarian, and proud to be one. Lotta Crabtree, Lola Montez's protoge, gave a performance in French Corral, to which came 1,000 miners to throw their gold at her feet. She was just a little girl at the time she appeared in the mining camps of the West, and must have been a novelty in a country peopled mostly by miners, hucksters, renegades, and few. women .and children. There is so much history right here on San Juan Ridge, that I think we should have our own museum. Maybe when. the old school at North San Juan is sold, somebody will buy it who has the imagination and financial ability to turn it into one. From the files of The Nugget 1941 JANUARY: Gordon Hooper of Grass Valley was the first man in the community to enlist in Company "E", 115th Engineers, National Guard. Lt. Col. Warren and Lt. Jack Mackay met with more than 40 prospective enlistees. A total of 65 recruits was being sought for induction. ee eee ae A difficult search for an heir to the estate of Mrs. Annie Klind, 73, who died in Oakland the previous October, finally ended with the locating of a nephew, Lester Riant, in North San Juan. * * * * FEBRUARY: William Benjamin Celio, 81, one of Nevada City's oldest and most beloved citizens, died at Jones Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, where he had undergone surgery. Celio. was born in Jackson, Amador County, August 17, 1859, on the site of the famous Kennedy-Argonaut Mine. His parents owned the property at that time. Celio spent 20 years in the dairy business prior to acquiring the Plaza Grocery Store, which he turned over to his son, Gove Celio, in 1920. fF * * * * APRIL: Approximately 150 clergy and lay delegates of the Episcopal Church, Sacramento Diocese, convened in the first such session ever held in Nevada City’s history. * * * * MAY: Strikes in important Nevada County mines resulted in a severe decrease in the mining industry payroll. In April there were 2,622 men employed in county mines, with a total payroll of $398,000. During May, the number of men dwindled to 1,634, and the payroll dropped to $245,000. JUNE: The Class of '41, Nevada City High School, numbered 48 graduates. Officers included Mary Gluyas Libbey, president; Betty Lou Krough, vice president; Sylvia Ronning, secretary; and Elsie Schreiber, treasurer. The advisors were Miss M. A. Hunkin and Mr. H, W. Hobbie. Nevada City proponents of a kindergarten for children between the ages of four and one-half and six years were circulating a petition requesting the Nevada City Unified School District to establish such a school. eke JULY: The "visitors' register" at the Lola Montez home in Grass Valley carried the name of "Charles Jenkins Bosworth, born in this house on October 24, 1861." Mr. Bosworth, a resident of San Francisco, and 80 years of age, had paid a weekend visit to his birthplace. He was the operator of an insurance business at 60 Sansome Street in the city at that time. His late parents had purchased the house from Miss Montez after her departure to New York City in the late 1850s, * * AUGUST: Approximately 60 slot machines, punchboards, novelties and other gambling paraphernalia were destroyed in a fire which burned the warehouse and shed at the rear of the Gold Nugget Inn. P. C. Awalt, the proprietor of the night club, estimated the loss at $1500 and denied that there were any slot machines involved. Division of Forestry investigators placed the damage at "nearer $5,000." The Nevada City Unified Schoo} District trustees turned thumbs down on the request of parents for the establishment of a kindergarten, saying it would be an undue burden on the taxpayers of the district. * * * * SEPTEMBER: A plaque on the site where Ralph Gleason lost his life in a blizzard on February $, 1938, and campground in memory of the well known Nevada City man and his father, E. P, Gleason, pioneer forester, were dedicated under the auspices of the Tahoe National Forest, Gleason was engaged in repair of telephone lines to Downieville when the 1938 tragedy took place. * kk OCTOBER: A prospector known as the "Mad Russian" came into the tiny community of Forrest, near Alleghany, with a double handful of gold nuggets; one of which weighed in at 28 ounces, It was estimated that his surprising find was worth more than $2,000. He was blasting stumps when he "struck it rich" and set the area agog with dreams of another gold strike. * * * NOVEMBER: Fire, starting in the basement of the John Bartsch home in North San Juan, rapidly assumed holocost pro-portions and threatened the historic community with total destruction. Lack of fire fighting equipment and water hampered those trying to control the spreading fire. * * * * DECEMBER: Nevada City was preparing.to "blackout" in event of an air raid, Otto Lirsch, a well known skier and skiing instructor, and PG&E foreman at Lake Spaulding, was taken into custody at the request of the FBL He was a German alien, and the first taken into federal custody in Nevada County following the outbreak of World War II on December 7th.