August 3, 1970 (12 pages)

i 5g [is rie il ia i 4 Si gE z : E ij z 5 g E g : z & 4,000 people in the ¥ 3 z g a Es j ly established town, Ev eitement and activity. 3 ‘were absorbed. in laying out this summit city. In the zenith of The sole topic of converstation was ledges, stocks and town ~~Tots. For a@ lot 60 x 80 feet on any of the principal streets from $1,500 to $2,500 was asked, and in many cases paid, Small 200 per: month, and lumber to $75 perthousand feet. A stock board, composed of thirty members, ‘was organized, This may be regarded as a unique transaction, Se not a single mine in operation at During the year four good roads were opened from the town --one leading to Bowman's station; another to Jackson's, a few miles distant; a third to intersect the main Henness road at a point near Truckee Lake (now Donner Lake);-a fourth connected with Cisco, on the Central Pacific Railroad, bringing the residents within a day's ride to San Francisco, Eight mills were erected for the reduction of ores, with an aggregate capacity of seventy stamps, The construction of these mills incurred an expenditure of $200,000. Two furnaces for the roasting of ores were and Platner's chlorine process was used at one of them. In 1869 Burn's process created some excitement and was the means of spending a large sum of money,’ but all to no purpose. In 1873 O, Maltman placed some machinery into the U, S, Grant Mill for working the:sulphurets, but the plan was abandoned, = a The winter of 1866-67 was a most severe one, the show falling to a aepu of twenty-five feet. But a large number of and privations in the fond hope of regaining some of the capital ‘which lasted only a few months, it earnestly and consistently , Aa pee they had invested. In this they were doomed to disappointment In 1866 the Meadow Lake Sun was established by, W. B, -H, G, Rollins, and Judge Tilford, During its existence, advocated the superior claims of the town as a "rich metalli" By 1870 Meadow Lake was almost deserted, all that was left being empty structures, On the 27th of September, 1873, a fire originated in the Excelsior Hotel, which soon laid the whole town in ruins, Only two houses were left to its prosperity there were twenty saloons and three hotels, _ It is estimated that during the summer of 1865, 1,200. locations were made in the district, containing in the aggre_ gate more than 1,200,000 feet of ledge rock. In the excitement which prevailed locations were made all over the country, Bowlders, masses of granite, rocks of every description assumed to the distempered fancy of the prospectors the shape and outlines of a quartz ledge, and were duly entered upon the recorder's books. The ledges, lying even with the masses of granite around them and.capped with a species of mineral which is not pure quartz or country rock, are traceable by broad. stains.of a dark, reddish hue. Under the circumstances it is not at all surprising that parties whose attention and efforts were directed to other purposes than search for gold should have failed to discover the existence of treasures so Strongly concealed by nature. During its short career some thirty mines were developed to a depth ranging from 30 to 240 feet. I is to be hoped '95 will prove more satisfactory to the treasure seekers at Meadow Lake (now contracted to Mea(From the Nevada County Mining and Business Directory (1895)" by John Edmund Poingdestre) the residents enjoyed the pleasure of being thus domiciled, THE GREAT HIGHWAY The recent discovery of rich silver and gold mines on the eastern slope of the mountains and the prospect of that country soon being settled by a large and flourishing mining population, is exciting considerable attention in different parts of the state with regard to the construction of transmountain wagon roads. Energetic measures are being taken in other places for the construction of roads to the new diggings and Nevada (City) should not be behind her sister towns. We are informed that the most practicable route to Nevada is that by way of Eureka (Graniteville) and that the distance here to Silver City, or Virginiatown is only one hundred miles, The following stations and distances on this route have been furnished us: From Nevada to Eureka, 26 miles; Eureka to Jackson's Ranch, 18 miles; Jackson's Ranch to Summit (Henness Pass), 6 miles; Summit to Drexel's Ranch, Steamboat Valley, 45 miles; Drexel's Ranch to Silver City, 12 miles, Total, 102 miles. . «NEVADA DEMOCRAT, Nov, 2, 1859, The above account is the first mention I find in the contemporary press. of the inception in this region of what I shall term the Great Highway, the prefervid supply line from the Sacramento Valley and way points to the abounding Comstock. The route was based on what was known as the Henness Pass, a highly favored crossing of the Sierran Summit which had been ear viously had had but scant use and that after the subsidence of Coincident. with the movements in Nevada County to provide a thoroughfare to the Washoe and the Comstock, like move-ments originated in Yuba County and sections of wagon road. were linked through Brown's Valley to Oregon House, Camptonville, or to intersect the main line at Smartville, and on to The Northern Mines had important branches of that base line. One drove up from Marysville. Another was the Sacramento-Nevada City-Bowman route. Added were the BridgeportSpenceville branch, the Dutch Flat-Bowman-Milton branch and several lesser branches, Each was hastily put into use by linking up emigrant roads or building new roads. For two years t icieemie gee © Pee DOES SVE MEARS CVE EMT ee SPOS ee wc eeeverer? liest days of emigrant travel. That it pre. Dutch Flat was the eastern terminal of the. Central Pacific Railroad, Huge quantities of freight were transferred to freight wagons at that point and hauled across Bear Valley, up the rugged Culbertson grade which had been chopped out by se laborers, and on to Henness Pass’by way of Bowman Ranch and Milton. Through Grass. Valley and Nevada City dashed scores of chartered stages packed with frock-coated, bepistoled business and professional men hurrying eastward to get their fingers into the Comstock pie. The old Spenceville road of sinister import carried its heavy quota. In the Sacramento Valley were the river towns of Nicolas and Knights Landing to which freight was consigned, The growers of a vast and productive region looked to Henness. Pass and the Great Highway for their outlet to the consuming thousands of the Sierra and the Comstock. The main line of the Great Highway followed up the San Juan Ridge between the South and the Middle Forks of the Yuba . to North San Juan and beyond. At Freeman's Crossing and a first long-distance tel line of the inter-mountain region, Bridgeport,. Anthon ‘ by ¥ for an Economic Devel gional water system, Sup Robert Long told The The water system would encompass all the area's voters ata an election later, because 20 to 30 per cent of the funding must be financed locally, Local Agency Formation Commission, which must act on all district boudndary changes, already has approved the. proposed reorganization. Two parcels by freeway will be sold — Two parcels of land, excess to freeway , are up for bid by the California Divi. sion of Highways. Sealed bids for a parcel near the westerly terminus and fronting on the north side of Railroad . Avenue, Grass Valley, will be opened at 10 a.m. August 27. The minimum bid for the parcel is $3,550 and an option deposit of $500 must accompany any bid. Sealed bids for a parcel adjacent to freeway fronting on Mohawk Street, west of the intersection with South Auburn Street near the corner of Buena Vista, Grass Valley, will be opened at 2 p.m. September 2, A minimum bid of $500 is required and an option deposit of $100 accompany each bid. ae Should be sent to the on of H » Excess Lands -Secti es 703 'B' Street, Marysville, Postmaster to be sought at Floriston WASHINGTON, D, C. = Congressman HaroldT, (Bizz) Johnty has been advised that steps will be taken to fillapostmaster appointments from political influence, the vacancy will be filled through merit selection procedures. Selections will be made by a regional board from a list of applicants furnished by the PostOffice Department and the Civil Service Commission, Applications will be solicited bythe department for the position at y _ House, Flat and 'Timbuctoo. Floriston. "UG tOSH Ti 2) F59S> Bees ASCs FRS GSA OF SIOU% MiarsteT ma tosis, aa fy on, Room A~126, -

i 5g [is rie il ia i 4 Si gE z : E ij z 5 g E g : z & 4,000 people in the ¥ 3 z g a Es j ly established town, Ev eitement and activity. 3 ‘were absorbed. in laying out this summit city. In the zenith of The sole topic of converstation was ledges, stocks and town ~~Tots. For a@ lot 60 x 80 feet on any of the principal streets from $1,500 to $2,500 was asked, and in many cases paid, Small 200 per: month, and lumber to $75 perthousand feet. A stock board, composed of thirty members, ‘was organized, This may be regarded as a unique transaction, Se not a single mine in operation at During the year four good roads were opened from the town --one leading to Bowman's station; another to Jackson's, a few miles distant; a third to intersect the main Henness road at a point near Truckee Lake (now Donner Lake);-a fourth connected with Cisco, on the Central Pacific Railroad, bringing the residents within a day's ride to San Francisco, Eight mills were erected for the reduction of ores, with an aggregate capacity of seventy stamps, The construction of these mills incurred an expenditure of $200,000. Two furnaces for the roasting of ores were and Platner's chlorine process was used at one of them. In 1869 Burn's process created some excitement and was the means of spending a large sum of money,’ but all to no purpose. In 1873 O, Maltman placed some machinery into the U, S, Grant Mill for working the:sulphurets, but the plan was abandoned, = a The winter of 1866-67 was a most severe one, the show falling to a aepu of twenty-five feet. But a large number of and privations in the fond hope of regaining some of the capital ‘which lasted only a few months, it earnestly and consistently , Aa pee they had invested. In this they were doomed to disappointment In 1866 the Meadow Lake Sun was established by, W. B, -H, G, Rollins, and Judge Tilford, During its existence, advocated the superior claims of the town as a "rich metalli" By 1870 Meadow Lake was almost deserted, all that was left being empty structures, On the 27th of September, 1873, a fire originated in the Excelsior Hotel, which soon laid the whole town in ruins, Only two houses were left to its prosperity there were twenty saloons and three hotels, _ It is estimated that during the summer of 1865, 1,200. locations were made in the district, containing in the aggre_ gate more than 1,200,000 feet of ledge rock. In the excitement which prevailed locations were made all over the country, Bowlders, masses of granite, rocks of every description assumed to the distempered fancy of the prospectors the shape and outlines of a quartz ledge, and were duly entered upon the recorder's books. The ledges, lying even with the masses of granite around them and.capped with a species of mineral which is not pure quartz or country rock, are traceable by broad. stains.of a dark, reddish hue. Under the circumstances it is not at all surprising that parties whose attention and efforts were directed to other purposes than search for gold should have failed to discover the existence of treasures so Strongly concealed by nature. During its short career some thirty mines were developed to a depth ranging from 30 to 240 feet. I is to be hoped '95 will prove more satisfactory to the treasure seekers at Meadow Lake (now contracted to Mea(From the Nevada County Mining and Business Directory (1895)" by John Edmund Poingdestre) the residents enjoyed the pleasure of being thus domiciled, THE GREAT HIGHWAY The recent discovery of rich silver and gold mines on the eastern slope of the mountains and the prospect of that country soon being settled by a large and flourishing mining population, is exciting considerable attention in different parts of the state with regard to the construction of transmountain wagon roads. Energetic measures are being taken in other places for the construction of roads to the new diggings and Nevada (City) should not be behind her sister towns. We are informed that the most practicable route to Nevada is that by way of Eureka (Graniteville) and that the distance here to Silver City, or Virginiatown is only one hundred miles, The following stations

and distances on this route have been furnished us: From Nevada to Eureka, 26 miles; Eureka to Jackson's Ranch, 18 miles; Jackson's Ranch to Summit (Henness Pass), 6 miles; Summit to Drexel's Ranch, Steamboat Valley, 45 miles; Drexel's Ranch to Silver City, 12 miles, Total, 102 miles. . «NEVADA DEMOCRAT, Nov, 2, 1859, The above account is the first mention I find in the contemporary press. of the inception in this region of what I shall term the Great Highway, the prefervid supply line from the Sacramento Valley and way points to the abounding Comstock. The route was based on what was known as the Henness Pass, a highly favored crossing of the Sierran Summit which had been ear viously had had but scant use and that after the subsidence of Coincident. with the movements in Nevada County to provide a thoroughfare to the Washoe and the Comstock, like move-ments originated in Yuba County and sections of wagon road. were linked through Brown's Valley to Oregon House, Camptonville, or to intersect the main line at Smartville, and on to The Northern Mines had important branches of that base line. One drove up from Marysville. Another was the Sacramento-Nevada City-Bowman route. Added were the BridgeportSpenceville branch, the Dutch Flat-Bowman-Milton branch and several lesser branches, Each was hastily put into use by linking up emigrant roads or building new roads. For two years t icieemie gee © Pee DOES SVE MEARS CVE EMT ee SPOS ee wc eeeverer? liest days of emigrant travel. That it pre. Dutch Flat was the eastern terminal of the. Central Pacific Railroad, Huge quantities of freight were transferred to freight wagons at that point and hauled across Bear Valley, up the rugged Culbertson grade which had been chopped out by se laborers, and on to Henness Pass’by way of Bowman Ranch and Milton. Through Grass. Valley and Nevada City dashed scores of chartered stages packed with frock-coated, bepistoled business and professional men hurrying eastward to get their fingers into the Comstock pie. The old Spenceville road of sinister import carried its heavy quota. In the Sacramento Valley were the river towns of Nicolas and Knights Landing to which freight was consigned, The growers of a vast and productive region looked to Henness. Pass and the Great Highway for their outlet to the consuming thousands of the Sierra and the Comstock. The main line of the Great Highway followed up the San Juan Ridge between the South and the Middle Forks of the Yuba . to North San Juan and beyond. At Freeman's Crossing and a first long-distance tel line of the inter-mountain region, Bridgeport,. Anthon ‘ by ¥ for an Economic Devel gional water system, Sup Robert Long told The The water system would encompass all the area's voters ata an election later, because 20 to 30 per cent of the funding must be financed locally, Local Agency Formation Commission, which must act on all district boudndary changes, already has approved the. proposed reorganization. Two parcels by freeway will be sold — Two parcels of land, excess to freeway , are up for bid by the California Divi. sion of Highways. Sealed bids for a parcel near the westerly terminus and fronting on the north side of Railroad . Avenue, Grass Valley, will be opened at 10 a.m. August 27. The minimum bid for the parcel is $3,550 and an option deposit of $500 must accompany any bid. Sealed bids for a parcel adjacent to freeway fronting on Mohawk Street, west of the intersection with South Auburn Street near the corner of Buena Vista, Grass Valley, will be opened at 2 p.m. September 2, A minimum bid of $500 is required and an option deposit of $100 accompany each bid. ae Should be sent to the on of H » Excess Lands -Secti es 703 'B' Street, Marysville, Postmaster to be sought at Floriston WASHINGTON, D, C. = Congressman HaroldT, (Bizz) Johnty has been advised that steps will be taken to fillapostmaster appointments from political influence, the vacancy will be filled through merit selection procedures. Selections will be made by a regional board from a list of applicants furnished by the PostOffice Department and the Civil Service Commission, Applications will be solicited bythe department for the position at y _ House, Flat and 'Timbuctoo. Floriston. "UG tOSH Ti 2) F59S> Bees ASCs FRS GSA OF SIOU% MiarsteT ma tosis, aa fy on, Room A~126, -