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  

292 UISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. began to die out, and at present there are probably not more than fifty or eeventy-live fullblooded Indians in the county. As was usual in frontier countries, many white men took Indian women as wives, and there are probably about a hundred half-breeds in the county. Such of these as have grown up will compare favorably with the average of whites in respect to industry and morality. Generally speaking they aim to be of their father’s people rather than of their mother’s. Nearly all seek the benefit of such schools as the mountains afford; and the young men, as they attain their majority, become citizens and voters. There seems to be no gold in the coast range until near its junction with the Sierras in Trinity County, and there placer mining in early days was remarkably remunerative. Reading’s selected place of mining was concealed so far away in the wild monntain fastnesses that it was difficult to reach; hence the great effort made in 1849-50 to discover Humboldt Bay and ascend * Trinity ” River, in order to find a more practicable route to the mines; and extraurdinary etforts were made also to discover land routes tu the same region. It is tu be regretted that few of the names of the pioneer miners have been preserved. La Roe was an Oregon Frenchman with a halfbreed wife. Becoming dissipated, they divided the gold dust they had accumulated, that one might have something if the other had none. In a short time La Roe had drank up his share and then called upon his wife to supply him with more, which she did for a time; then, sceing there were no bounds to his appetite for drink, she feigned starvation, claiming her share of the dust was also exhausted; and when that failed to cure him she committed suicide, but did not disclose to her worthless husband where the coveted dust was hidden. Of him nothing mure is known except that he disappeared from this region. Pope, Weaver and Charley Dulaney, not content with their Rich Bar diggings, ascended which they followed np and found the Weaver Basin, where the town of Weaverville was afterward built. Gruss had claimed to have discovered this creek and basin as early as 1847; and another account credits the “Texas Coinpany” with the discovery. It is said that Pope, Weaver and Dulaney, finding extraordinary prospects in Rich Gulch, burned a cedar log to make a rocker, made a riddle of strips of raw hide, and with this apparatus dug out a pound of gold dust each day. This was in the tall of 1849. Of Pope and Weaver nothing more is known except that Weaver gave his name to the future town. Dulaney returned to Big Bar. Below this bar was a little bar worked by a man named Davenport, assisted by a negro and a Scotchman. It was an exceedingly rich little bar. Davenport had riding animals, which were grazing in the hills, and it was agreed between Dulaney and himself that they would gu out to the valley together. Davenport started to find his animala, while Dulaney, having business up the river, started up on foot, it being understood between them that he should wait at Mooney’s Ferry for Davenport to overtake him; but the latter did not come; and, thinking he might have changed his mind, Dulaney, after waiting several days, went on, crossing the mountains on snow shoes. Of Dulaney’s party of eight, organized in the spring of 1850, all have died excepting Absalom Cochell, who is still living in Trinity County. Of all those who came into Trinity County during the opening period of 1850 and years fullowing, not more than seven or eight are left. Mr. Personette, who is still living in, that vicinity, reached the site of Weaverville May 27, that year, when not a sou. was living where the county seat was afterward built; and the only inhabitants of the basin were some miners living in tents near FiveCent Gulch, and at a few other points. In the spring of 1850 there was a large p »pulation on the lower Trinity. In June of that year a miners’ meeting was held at Big Bar to the river to its junction with Weaver Creek, . frame a code of mining laws, at which 500