March 1, 1972 (12 pages)

6 The Nevada County ong amet . a Nugget Wednesday, March 1, 1972 ——"_. — ee a mae —— : — Se INTRODUCTION The writing of a historical sketch of Nevada County at this date must of necessity involve no little amount of research work; for any truly representative account of its part in the making of California history must tell the story of events that happened, for the most part, beyond the memory of men now living, the story of scenes enacted during the lives of the early pioneers, only a few of whom are lingering with us still to recount again the stirring incidents of the "Days of Fortynine": and these few but wait the call that will shortly summon them to their final trek—this time across the great Celestial Plains, to join the pioneer heroes who have gone before. Yet only a few years have passed since we listened with rapt attention to the absorbing tales of Ben Taylor, or to Judge Niles Searls, as he went back again in retrospect over the early Indian trails, depicting for us the thrilling fights with the Indians so vividly that we could almost hear the Indian war-whoop! Few indeed remain to tell at first hand the heroic tale of the Mother Lode country; yet the lives and achievements of these our pioneers, and of their departed comrades, must form the background of our history. Nevada County's history is filled with the romance of the early days. In Nevada County Fremont fought his way through mountain passes filled with the early winter snows of 1844, In Truckee Pass the first cabin was built and occupied by Moses Schallenberger, in 1846, Here, also, the Donner Party was caught in the winter snows, .and mnay of the strong gave up their lives in trying to succor the weak. The days and weeks of' suffering, the lack: of food, the almost superhuman efforts of the rescuers of that ill-fated band, these will ever mark this ground as one of Nevada County's hallowed spots. The poet John R. Ridge mined in Nevada County and later was editor of one of our early newspapers, the Herald. Mark Twain and Joaquin Miller, then unknown to fame, were among our noted guests. Bret Harte here lived, and saw in Rough and Ready a poet's dream. His early writings on some of Nevada County's historic spots are literary marvels. The commonplace is nowhere found in Nevada County history. We are surrounded on every hand by scenes where history was made. kere stands Gold Mountain, where gold was first discovered in quartz, and just below is the site of the first successful quartz mill in all California, The mountain trails made by the hardy pioneers, who in the fifties carried their packs of pick and pan and shovel on their backs and patiently panned each succeeding gulch, to find at last the ever elusive gold,—-still-wend-their--sinous-way~-over-all the surrounding hills —a network of trails to little mountain towns, that in their day were busy centers of golden wealth and fascinating vr. mance, In the preparation of this history, recognized aut.orities have been consulted and freely quoted, especially in matters pertaining to the early days. Among these the accurate and wellwritten histories and directore of Brown and Dallison (1856), H. B. Thompson (1861), William S, Byrne (1865), Edwin F, Bean (1867), and Thompson and West (1880), have been particularly helpful, The government reports of J. Ross Browne & Whitney (1367), experts who thoroughly understood mining in all its phases, together with the publications of the United States Geological Survey, and especially the reports of 1896, compiled by Waldemar Lindgren, and also The Gold-Quartz Veins of the Nevada City and Grass Valley Districts", by the same rip have been of incalculable value in writing up the sketchs of the Nevada County mines and minerals. These standard authorities, with original manuscripts now in the collection of the author, have been the sources of information to which he has had most frequent and most helpful recourse during the progress of his work. : In the publication of this History of Nevada County, both the writer and the publisher have had occasion to realize the magnitude of the task. In the collection of material and the determination of subject to be treated, it has been the author's aim, in view of the necessary limitations of space, to select from the mass of available matter only such topics as seem of evident interest, and to give to the more important of these a place of special prominence, In particular, he has endeavored to give recognition, as far as possible, to the heroic personages and epochal events of the early pioneer days. At the same time, it has been his purpose to portray in sufficient detail the modern trend and triumphs of industrial and ecoEs == —_—— — = _——_—_—_ —— ot = — History of Nev Published . W.B. Lardner nomic development, and present a well-rounded and accurate has history of the county down to the present date, rud It is with pleasure that we acknowledge manuscripts and ber personal favors from the following ladies and gentlemen: A, bel L, Wisker, H. lL Graser, Mrs. Ella M, Austin, J. E, Taylor, phy J.C. Tyrrell, and my assistant, Miss Zelma Reid. sto! “+ M, J. BROCK, Dor Grass Valley, California, September 20, 19241 thr phy * CHAPTER I bro THE DONNER PARTY in Three miles from Truckee, and resting in the green lap of the Sierras, lies one of the loveliest sheets of water on the Pawit cific Coast, Tall mountain peaks are reflected in its clear in waters, revealing a picture of rare beauty and quiet peace. erg Yes this peaceful scene was the amphitheatre of the most the tragic event in the annals of early California, The Donner Party sor was organized in Sangamon County, Ill., by George and Jacob: Donner and James F, Reed in the spring of 1846. It set out from tee Springfield, Ml., and by the first week in May had reached mo Independence, Mo., where the pary was increased until the train tur numbered about two or three hundred wagons. The Donner. Gr: family numbered sixteen; the Reed family seven; the Graves wo! family, twelve; the Murphy family, thirteen. These were the (wk principal families of the Donner Party proper. At Independence ‘ ret provisions were laid in for the trip, and the line of journey Pai was taken up. In the few early glimpses we have of the journey, thr features of but little interest present themselves, beyond the ere ordinary experiences of pioneer life. A letter from Mrs, George boc Donner, written near the junction of the North and South Platte, of dated June 16, 1846, reports a favorable journey of 450 miles fer from Independence, Mo., with no forebodings of the terrible wr disasters so soon to burst upon them. At Fort Laramie a porsuc -tion of the party celebrated the Fourth of July, Thereafter an} the train passed, unmolested, upon its journey. George Donner the was elected captain of the train at the Little Sandy River, on cal the 20th of July, 1846, from which act it took the name "Donner Ind Party." anc At Fort Bridger, then a mere trading post, the fatal choice ed was made of the route that led tosuch fearful disaster and tragic sui death. A new route, via Salt Lake, known as Hastings' Cut-Off, Mr was recommended to the party as shortening the distance by mi 300 miles, After due deliberation, the Donner Party, of eightyset seven souls (three having died), were induced to separate from wa the larger portion of the train (which afterwards arrived in viv California safely) and commenced their journey by way of the sir Hastings” Cut-off.” They reachéd Weber River; near the head of tre the canon, in safety. From this point, in their journey to Salt we Lake, almost insurmountable difficulties were encountered; of and instead of reaching Salt Lake in one week, as anticipated, wil over thirty days of peril6us travel were consumed in making res the trip—most precious time, in view of the dangers imminent wh in the rapidly approaching storms of winter. The story of their to trials and sufferings, in their journey to the fatal camp at a Donner Lake, is harrowing in the extreme. Nature and stern no Necessity seemed arrayed.against them. On the 19th of October, do near the present site of Wadsworth, Nev., the destitute company was happily reprovisioned by C, T, Stanton, and furnished with the food and mules, together with two Indian vaqueros, by Captain Su Sutter, without compensation. ” a At the present site of Reno it was concluded to rest. Three at or four days' time was lost. This was the fatal decision. The da storm clouds were already brewing upon the mountains, only st a few miles distant. The ascent was ominous, Thick and thicker tal grew the clouds, outstripping in threatening battalions the ngw ab eager feet of the alarmed emigrants, until, at Prosser Creek, La three miles below Truckee, on October 28, 1846—a month earlier than usual—the storm set in, and they found themselves ing in six inches of newly fallen snow. On the summit it was already ne from two to five feet deep. The party, in much confusion, finally cht reached Donner Lake in disordered fragments, Frequent and wi desperate attempts were made to cross the mountain-tops; but po at last, baffled and despairing, they returned to camp at the Bu lake, er The storm now descended in all its pitiless fury upon the of ill-fated emigrants. Its dreadful import was well understood, lor as laden with omens of suffering and death, With slight interde ruptions, the storm continued for several days. The animals wi were literally buried alive and frozen in the drifts, Meat was fa

6 The Nevada County ong amet . a Nugget Wednesday, March 1, 1972 ——"_. — ee a mae —— : — Se INTRODUCTION The writing of a historical sketch of Nevada County at this date must of necessity involve no little amount of research work; for any truly representative account of its part in the making of California history must tell the story of events that happened, for the most part, beyond the memory of men now living, the story of scenes enacted during the lives of the early pioneers, only a few of whom are lingering with us still to recount again the stirring incidents of the "Days of Fortynine": and these few but wait the call that will shortly summon them to their final trek—this time across the great Celestial Plains, to join the pioneer heroes who have gone before. Yet only a few years have passed since we listened with rapt attention to the absorbing tales of Ben Taylor, or to Judge Niles Searls, as he went back again in retrospect over the early Indian trails, depicting for us the thrilling fights with the Indians so vividly that we could almost hear the Indian war-whoop! Few indeed remain to tell at first hand the heroic tale of the Mother Lode country; yet the lives and achievements of these our pioneers, and of their departed comrades, must form the background of our history. Nevada County's history is filled with the romance of the early days. In Nevada County Fremont fought his way through mountain passes filled with the early winter snows of 1844, In Truckee Pass the first cabin was built and occupied by Moses Schallenberger, in 1846, Here, also, the Donner Party was caught in the winter snows, .and mnay of the strong gave up their lives in trying to succor the weak. The days and weeks of' suffering, the lack: of food, the almost superhuman efforts of the rescuers of that ill-fated band, these will ever mark this ground as one of Nevada County's hallowed spots. The poet John R. Ridge mined in Nevada County and later was editor of one of our early newspapers, the Herald. Mark Twain and Joaquin Miller, then unknown to fame, were among our noted guests. Bret Harte here lived, and saw in Rough and Ready a poet's dream. His early writings on some of Nevada County's historic spots are literary marvels. The commonplace is nowhere found in Nevada County history. We are surrounded on every hand by scenes where history was made. kere stands Gold Mountain, where gold was first discovered in quartz, and just below is the site of the first successful quartz mill in all California, The mountain trails made by the hardy pioneers, who in the fifties carried their packs of pick and pan and shovel on their backs and patiently panned each succeeding gulch, to find at last the ever elusive gold,—-still-wend-their--sinous-way~-over-all the surrounding hills —a network of trails to little mountain towns, that in their day were busy centers of golden wealth and fascinating vr. mance, In the preparation of this history, recognized aut.orities have been consulted and freely quoted, especially in matters pertaining to the early days. Among these the accurate and wellwritten histories and directore of Brown and Dallison (1856), H. B. Thompson (1861), William S, Byrne (1865), Edwin F, Bean (1867), and Thompson and West (1880), have been particularly helpful, The government reports of J. Ross Browne & Whitney (1367), experts who thoroughly understood mining in all its phases, together with the publications of the United States Geological Survey, and especially the reports of 1896, compiled by Waldemar Lindgren, and also The Gold-Quartz Veins of the Nevada City and Grass Valley Districts", by the same rip have been of incalculable value in writing up the sketchs of the Nevada County mines and minerals. These standard authorities, with original manuscripts now in the collection of the author, have been the sources of information to which he has had most frequent and most helpful recourse during the progress of his work. : In the publication of this History of Nevada County, both the writer and the publisher have had occasion to realize the magnitude of the task. In the collection of material and the determination of subject to be treated, it has been the author's aim, in view of the necessary limitations of space, to select from the mass of available matter only such topics as seem of evident interest, and to give to the more important of these a place of special prominence, In particular, he has endeavored to give recognition, as far as possible, to the heroic personages and epochal events of the early pioneer days. At the same time, it has been his purpose to portray in sufficient detail the modern trend and triumphs of industrial and ecoEs == —_—— — = _——_—_—_ —— ot = — History of Nev Published . W.B. Lardner nomic development, and present a well-rounded and accurate has history of the county down to the present date, rud

It is with pleasure that we acknowledge manuscripts and ber personal favors from the following ladies and gentlemen: A, bel L, Wisker, H. lL Graser, Mrs. Ella M, Austin, J. E, Taylor, phy J.C. Tyrrell, and my assistant, Miss Zelma Reid. sto! “+ M, J. BROCK, Dor Grass Valley, California, September 20, 19241 thr phy * CHAPTER I bro THE DONNER PARTY in Three miles from Truckee, and resting in the green lap of the Sierras, lies one of the loveliest sheets of water on the Pawit cific Coast, Tall mountain peaks are reflected in its clear in waters, revealing a picture of rare beauty and quiet peace. erg Yes this peaceful scene was the amphitheatre of the most the tragic event in the annals of early California, The Donner Party sor was organized in Sangamon County, Ill., by George and Jacob: Donner and James F, Reed in the spring of 1846. It set out from tee Springfield, Ml., and by the first week in May had reached mo Independence, Mo., where the pary was increased until the train tur numbered about two or three hundred wagons. The Donner. Gr: family numbered sixteen; the Reed family seven; the Graves wo! family, twelve; the Murphy family, thirteen. These were the (wk principal families of the Donner Party proper. At Independence ‘ ret provisions were laid in for the trip, and the line of journey Pai was taken up. In the few early glimpses we have of the journey, thr features of but little interest present themselves, beyond the ere ordinary experiences of pioneer life. A letter from Mrs, George boc Donner, written near the junction of the North and South Platte, of dated June 16, 1846, reports a favorable journey of 450 miles fer from Independence, Mo., with no forebodings of the terrible wr disasters so soon to burst upon them. At Fort Laramie a porsuc -tion of the party celebrated the Fourth of July, Thereafter an} the train passed, unmolested, upon its journey. George Donner the was elected captain of the train at the Little Sandy River, on cal the 20th of July, 1846, from which act it took the name "Donner Ind Party." anc At Fort Bridger, then a mere trading post, the fatal choice ed was made of the route that led tosuch fearful disaster and tragic sui death. A new route, via Salt Lake, known as Hastings' Cut-Off, Mr was recommended to the party as shortening the distance by mi 300 miles, After due deliberation, the Donner Party, of eightyset seven souls (three having died), were induced to separate from wa the larger portion of the train (which afterwards arrived in viv California safely) and commenced their journey by way of the sir Hastings” Cut-off.” They reachéd Weber River; near the head of tre the canon, in safety. From this point, in their journey to Salt we Lake, almost insurmountable difficulties were encountered; of and instead of reaching Salt Lake in one week, as anticipated, wil over thirty days of peril6us travel were consumed in making res the trip—most precious time, in view of the dangers imminent wh in the rapidly approaching storms of winter. The story of their to trials and sufferings, in their journey to the fatal camp at a Donner Lake, is harrowing in the extreme. Nature and stern no Necessity seemed arrayed.against them. On the 19th of October, do near the present site of Wadsworth, Nev., the destitute company was happily reprovisioned by C, T, Stanton, and furnished with the food and mules, together with two Indian vaqueros, by Captain Su Sutter, without compensation. ” a At the present site of Reno it was concluded to rest. Three at or four days' time was lost. This was the fatal decision. The da storm clouds were already brewing upon the mountains, only st a few miles distant. The ascent was ominous, Thick and thicker tal grew the clouds, outstripping in threatening battalions the ngw ab eager feet of the alarmed emigrants, until, at Prosser Creek, La three miles below Truckee, on October 28, 1846—a month earlier than usual—the storm set in, and they found themselves ing in six inches of newly fallen snow. On the summit it was already ne from two to five feet deep. The party, in much confusion, finally cht reached Donner Lake in disordered fragments, Frequent and wi desperate attempts were made to cross the mountain-tops; but po at last, baffled and despairing, they returned to camp at the Bu lake, er The storm now descended in all its pitiless fury upon the of ill-fated emigrants. Its dreadful import was well understood, lor as laden with omens of suffering and death, With slight interde ruptions, the storm continued for several days. The animals wi were literally buried alive and frozen in the drifts, Meat was fa