Collection: Books and Periodicals

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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  

584 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. the original Taylor Flat interest, on Trinity River, and commenced the development of that property on a large scale. He originated the extensive tunnel there, and carried on the work in connection with some partners, as a private enterprise, until 1887, when the TRINITY RIVER TUNNEL AND GOLD MINING CO. was organized, with Mr. Fowler as President. He held that position until the last election, and now gives his sole attention, as far as this property is concerned, to its management. The present officers are: George C. Perkins, President; Miller and Griffith, VicePresidents, These gentlemen, with Charles Webb Howard, C. W. Randall and Sydney Smith, constitute the Board of Directors, while Edwin Griffith is Secretary. The Taylor Flat property of this egmpany is worthy of more than passing notice, on account of the vastness of the operatiuns there. A tuunel 800 feet iong blasted through the solid bed rock cuts off a large bend in Trinity River, into which bend is the natural outlet of French Creek. At a point on French Creek, four miles above its mouth, is located the company’s saw-mill, and just above this, sommences their flume, which is five miles long, and which, passing close to the bend, ends at a point on the river nearly three miles from the tunnel. That will give an idea of the outline. The tunnel has a fall of eleven feet, and the waters of the river flow through it without timbering. It was constructed at a cost of $32,000, while the dam cost $7,000. The flume, a splendid piece vf work, was constructed at an outlay of $76,000. These figures demonstrate the magnitude of the enterprise. It is an undoubted fact that the investment of such sums by capitalists of the class connected with the Trinity River Tunnel & Mining Co., has done much toward inspiring confidence in the practicability of large mining enterprises in this region. Mr. Fowler takes a deep interest in this en terprise, and to it devotes much personal attention, though he has numerous other mining interests. in Butte, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou Counties. He personally attends to all the assaying for his mining interests. Mr. Fowler is essentially a man of action. To this circumstance, combined with the fact of his great experience in a long and sncceseful career, is to be attributed the confidence with which moneyed men regard enterprises under his cuntrol. He has louked over the prospects of the entire coast country, with which he is pertectly familiar, and where he enjoys an extensive acquaintance with the people, both personally and by reputation. He is a Mason and an Odd Fellow, having become connected with the former order at Marysville, in the old lodge under Dr. E. T. Wilkins as Master, and with the Odd Fellows in the lodge at Lockeford, San Joaquin County. Mr. Fowler is a member also of Liberty Post, San Francisco, G. A. R., his military service having been performed during the Rebellion, as a member of Company G, Eighth California Infantry, with which he served over a year, on this coast. He is an affable, genial gentleman, as well as a pushing inan of business, and enjoys a high degree of favor with all with whom he is thrown in contact. SEARESAAC RANNEY, deceased, formerly a s} farmer of Sutter County, was a native of Virginia, and early emigrated to Franklin, Missouri, where he remained until 1853, engaged in his trade of blacksmithing, except that in 1849 he came across the plains to California and did some mining. In 1853 he came again to the Gulden State and settled a half mile west of Sutter City, where he followed farming until his death in 18638, caused by accident of being dragged off the back of a mule. He increased his land possessions until he had an aggregate vf 400 acres, and he brought this up to a high state of improvement, devoting his farm to wheat, hay and live stock, He was a meinber of the Masonic order. He married Miss Elizabeth Perry, in Virginia, and the folluwing are