Collection: Books and Periodicals

About This Item:

Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

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

Page: of 713  

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 188 1850. In 1852, 679 acres were under cultivation, chiefly in barley; and there were 3,500 head of stock, one-third consisting of hogs. Of the population, 6,602 were white men, 343 females, 8,019 Chinese, 73C Indians and the rest foreigners. By 1855 there were 143 improved ranches, after which a rapid increase set in. The above improvements centered their interest mainly at Auburn, making it the leading town and the county-seat. It also occupies a beautiful spot, and from the earliest time it has been considered a health resort. Dutch Flat was the trading center in 1849, and as late as 1860 it polled the largest vote in the county, namely, over 500. Forest Hill and Iowa Hill long held the lead in the eastern section, overshadowing Elizabethtown and Wisconsin Hill, as did Forest Hill excel Sarahsville or Bath, assisted by its cement deposits. Illinoistown, first called Alder Grove or Upper Corral, and Yankee Jim’s were prominent in early days, owing to the rich diggings. The latter, according to one authority, was named after Jim Goodland, but according to another, Jim Robinson, who was hanged for horse stealing in 1852. Ophir, sustained by horticulture and quartz-mining, was the largest place in the county in 1852, the vote being 500. Michigan Bluffs and Todd Valley were long prominent. The railroad built up a number of stations between Cisco and Rocklin, notably Lincoln and Colfax, the latter being a junction. Placer’s larger area of tillable soil saved this county from sharing i in the decadence of El Dorado. THE ASSEMBLYMEN from Placer County have been: Moses Andrews, 1855; Wm. P. Barclay, 1859; D. S. Beach, 1860: N. W. Blanchard, 1863; John Bosquit, 1865-’66; 8. B. Burt, 1873-74; M. H. Calderwood, 1869-70; Patrick Cannay, 1852-53 W. W. Caperton, 1857; T. L. Chamberlain, 1880; George H. Colby, 1885; Wm. Corey, 1855; W. M. Crutcher, 1875-’76; D. B. Curtis, 1858; John Davis, 1887; Charles C. Dudley, 186263; B. L. Fairfield, 1854; Joseph H. Gibson, 1852; R. F. Gragg, 1855; J. E. Hale, 1881; W. D. Harriman, 1861; W. J. Harrison, 1861; John W. Harville, 1860; E. W. Hillyer, 1862; Nicholas Kabler, 1858; O. H. Lee, 1871 ~12; Henry Long, 1871-"72; S. W. Lowell, 1860; Philip Lynch, 1859; J. M. Makins, 1860; P. McHale, 1883; Thomas Moreland, 1855; P. Munday, 1861; B. F. Myers, 1853-64; Wm. C. Norton, 1873~'74; James O'Neill, 1854, 1857; M. H. Power, 1869-70; J. D. Pratt, 186364; T. H. Reed, 1856; Wm. Rousch, 1873-74; A. P. K. Safford, 185758; Silas Sellick, 1856; William Sexton, 1865-’66; L. G. Smith, 1861; E. H. Snyder, 186364; C. G. Spencer, 1867-’68; Lansing Stout, 1856; W. C. Stratton, 1858-59; Charles A. Tuttle, 1867-68; G. H. Van Cleft, 1854; Mahlon Waldron, 1867-'70; Jacob Welty, 1871-72; R. L. Williams, 1856; M. W. Wilson, 187718; M.C. Winchester, 1863-64; W. P. Wing, 1859; S. B. Wyman, 1857; John Yule, 186263, 1865-’66. IN MODERN TIMES, The most noteworthy feature of the later history of Placer County has been the great extension and developinent of horticulture and the growth of grapes for table use and raisin-making. In this direction she has outstripped most of the other mountain counties, and has consequently suffered less than they from the stoppage of hydraulic mining. Until that event gold-mining was her leading industry, and still occupies a considerable share of the energy of the county, but since then fruit-raising has been much the more important. Her people discovered that they possessed a “citrus or warm belt” and were quick to take advantage of it. Here in Placer County is seen perhaps as well as anywhere the unusual—almost paradoxical—fact of flourishing orchards, oranges at that, side by side wtih paying mines, or rather above and below one another, for such is literally often the case. The people of Placer County, too, are enterprising. They are willing to spend money for advertising, and hence Placer has been better advertised, is better known, and has attracted population faster than some of her neighbors.