USA > California > Nevada County > History of Nevada County, California; with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and manufactories > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67
" In the month of June a stock board, with thirty-nine inem- bers, was established. Considering tlint there was not at the time a mine developed or a ledge visible, in the whole district, the transaction was unique and refreshingly cool. With solemn visages, niglit after night the members assembled, a long roll of stocks was called and no bids made. Verily the sellers were many, but alas! the purchasers were few! In the town the whole affair was regarded as a farce, which all enjoyed, and none, perhaps, more than the actors who assumed a leading part in the performance. Yet the effect of the movement was decidedly prejudicial to the interests of Excelsior; ubroad it ereated, not unreasonably, the impression that the people of the district had no confidence in, nor intention of developing, their claims, but held thein simply for speculative purposes. The excitement which prevailed in the town and district was ficti- tious, and destined, after a brief existence, to find an inglorious collapse. A reaction followed, and Excelsior experienced a descent from its exalted pinnacle in public estimation, alinost as rapid and quite as unreasonable as its famous rise.
" Hundreds had rushed to a mountain region when the snow was ten feet deep on the ground, into a village with only a few delury constructed tenements, and, lastly, into a mining dis-
74
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
triet, new, and of course undeveloped, an I then, forsooth, were surprised an'l chagrined at not finding the ample accommodla- tions of a city, the serenity of a summer climate, and mines and inills in active operation ! All such visitors returned to their homes sarller and, it is hoped, somewhat wiser than before their departure. There was yet another class of cmigrants who favored Meadow Lake for a brief season with their presence, and left in deep disgust with the district. It consisted of a lot of idle, needy and profligate adventurers, who had neither capital nor industry, but expected to live by sharp practices, by preying on the unwary, in fine, by any methods other than the exercise of an honest and useful industry. Men of this character were sadly disappointel in Excelsior, and returning to their wonted hannts in the eities, decried with eager voices the mines and prospects of the new distriet. Fortunately there were among the residents of the township a few persons of sound, practical judgment, who, elearly seeing the inevitable result of the fictitious excitement prevalent in the spring, had resisted its influence, and pursued the even tenor of their way. Such men, enlightened by experience, and well knowing that labor and capital only, more potent when united than the wand . of Prospero, could open roads, level forests, develop mines, or creet mills, had gone persistently to work upon their claims. Their example had a salutary and encouraging cffeet upon the majority of the community. The results made evi- dent what energetie work could accomplish. Four good roads were opened from the town, one to Bowman's Station, situated ou the South Eureka branch of the Henuess Pass; another to Jackson's, a few miles distant on the same road; a third to intersect the main Henness Pass at a point near Truckee lake, and intended to accommodate the Washoe travel; a fourth was completed to Cisco, and conneets (did conneet) by a line of daily stages with the Central Pacific Railroad, thus bringing the distriet within a day's ride of San Francisco.
. " Some thirty elaims, situated in different parts of the town- ship, were developed to depths on the ledges of from twenty to two hundred and forty feet. The results iu all cases have been eminently satisfactory. They have demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that the ledges of Excelsior are true fissure wins, and are not superficial deposits of auriferous quartz.
" Seven mills have been erected, or are in the course of speedy construction, for the reduction of ores, with an aggregate capacity of seventy-two stamps. Two furnaces for the roasting of rock have been finished, and Platner's chlorine process used successfully at one of them. Experiments have proved that the gold in the sulphurets ean be saved within five per cent. of their assayed values. In addition to this and other achieve- ments, they have built and paid for a handsome and substantial town, Although the building of the latter, in advance of the development of the ledges of the country, may seem an unusual
and unwise departure from the established order of improve- ment, it has not been without its advantages. Any one who has ever resided in a mining region will understand the sub- stantial benefits which must aeerue to the mill men, and work- men in a mine, from having in their vieinity a permanent depot where supplies can be obtained at all seasons upon moderate terms.
" Meadow Lake is not the only town laid out in the district. About two miles to the south of it, and at the intersection of the Cisco trail and the Yuba river, stands the preseut village and embryo city of Ossaville, a name that seems not altogether inappropriate, when one looks at the huge bowlders which cover much the greater portion of the town site. Following down the Yuba in its tortuous course, the traveler comes in about an hour's walk to Carlyle, a little village with a score of houses, situated at the base of Old Man Mountain, and near by the Grant mine. Still further to the west is Paris, a small eluster of deserted cabins, built, apparently, for no other pur- pose than to demonstrate the folly of its projectors. There is yet another town called Men loza, located near the Enterprise works, quite flourishing at one time during the summer, but abandoned at the appro ich of winter. As none of these places are inore, at present, than mining camps (less now), any deseription of them is deemed superfluous.
" When we remember that this vast amount of work, which has been stated in a summary manner, was the product of one brief season of exertion ; that it was undertaken in the face of predieted failure, and accomplished with no aid from extraneous capital, it must be coneluded that the residents of Excelsior have shown a degree of energy which affords the best guarantee of future success.
" The Central Pacific Railroad by its proximity to the mines, will greatly facilitate all milling and mining operations. What then can prevent the rapid and successful progress of Excelsior ? Broad ledges of auriferous rock permeate the distriet in every direction ; magnificent forests erown its moun- tains; spacious lakes nestle in its valleys, and hundreds of streams dash through its cañons. With all these natural advantages, if the residents of Excelsior will continue the good work of development, so auspiciously commenced during the past summer, a golden harvest of prosperity assuredly awaits them."
Such was the most flattering outlook of the Meadow Lake region when winter shut it in. But great as was its possibilities, high its hopes, it had to sueeumb to the inevitable, and fell from its lofty hight as rapidly as it blazed upwards.
The winter of 1866-7 was a severe one, and snow lay upon the mountains to the depth of twenty-five feet. Notwithstanding this, work was carried on in a few of the mines, and communi- cation was maintained with the railroad at Ciseo. Early in
the summer of 1866 a newspaper entitled the Sun was started here, and its voice never failed to clarion forth the wonderful richness of the distriet and the future greatness. of the city. There were nearly two hundred places of business in the city, and things were lively in the extreme. No sooner did the snowflakes begin to speck the sky, than there was a great hegira from Meadow Lake. A winter on the summit of the Sierras is by no means a desirable thing, and every one who could afford to leave business or mines, to spend the winter months in a more genial elime, departed. Dreary and uninvit- ing was the aspeet of the great possibilities eity that winter, no business and but little work done in the mines. When spring eame a large number of the fugitives returned, but the town wore a subdued appearance that contrasted strongly with the fever of the previous summer.
It was during this season, 1867, that the mines were developed enough to thoroughly test the district, an 1 with a sal result. The richness of the ore was demonstrated, the size and permanency of the ledges assured, but it was discovered that by no known process could the ores be worked profitably, or so as to save a large enough per eent. of the metal contained in the roek, so obdurate was the quartz that nothing could be done with it. As soon as this fact slowly dawned upon the minds of the people, the miners began to melt away, the business men one by one departed for more promising fields, and Meadow Lake was soon reduced to those who still had confidenee, or those whose total worldly wealth being invested here, still elung to it as a forlorn hope. Eight mills with seventy-two stamps had been ereeted, at a cost of $200,000. The cost of building the city and developing the mines had been about $2,000,000, and the total yield from all the mines, of which the U. S. Grant mine was the only one that accomplished anything, was about $100,000. The proportion of investment to returns was too great and " Meadow Lake" "played out." For two years more a number of families resided here and work was spasmo lically done on the mines or in the mills, testing new processes of working the ores. Every little while a new process was heralded as the magic key to unlock the golden wealth of the Meadow Lake ledges, and there was a temporary revival of interest that subsided when the process proved too feeble for the effort. In 1869, the celebrated Burns' process created quite a furore and was the means of the expenditure of considerable money, on the bills for which the investors could simply write, "gone to meet the two million," and file them away. In 1873, O. Maltman put some machinery into the U. S. Grant mill for working sulphurets, but the project was soon abandoned.
By this time a great many of the abandoned houses had been erushed in by the weight of snow showered upon them by the winter storms. On the twenty-seventh of September, 1873, a fire started in the Excelsior Hotel which soon laid the
TY
H
1
PUBLISHED BY TROMPSON & WAST.
RESIDENCE OF MR$ WILLIAM WATT, GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA CO CAL.
75
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
whole town in mus, including Smiths large alone fire proof store. Only two houses were left to mark the spot where fortunes were made reversely. As a correpravbent said, " The sight was dreary enough to glad the eyes of a broken Meadow Laker, whose chief occupation was to drink whiskey and curse the day he ever saw the place."
During the summer of 1875, there was quite a revival of interest in the Meadow Lake mines, and a number of interested parties came here and relocated some of the alsunloned claims, but to no purpose. There are a few men wlw still cling to the place and keep their claims good by doing the required work, waiting for the time when the trump of some scientific Gabriel shull sound the resurrection of Meadow Imke to a new life born of a process yet undiscovered.
TRUCKEE.
The name Truckee was given to the home of the leaping trout, the beantil'ul river that receives its waters from lake Tahoe and carries them swiftly through this enchanting valley, by au emigrant party who slaked thwir thirst in the cool stream and replenished their neurly exhausted murder from the abundance of its lish. The party passed up the river in the fall of 1844, conducted by the Indian Truckee, or better known as Captain Truckee, whose name was given to this rushing mountain strenm, as hns loven related previously.
For years the Truckee basin, however pleasing to the artist's eye, found no favor in the mind of the practical goll secker. The river yieldled nat the precious particles so cagerly sought, and was passed by with scarce n thought. Along its banks the Indinus contentedly dwelt, and were left undisturbed in their solitude. Emigrants passed through but stayed not their stops to loiter by the unprofitable river, hastruing to the gold bonring strenms that roll impetuonsly down the Sierras' western slope. For a time in 1850 there was an eager rush of gold seekers to Donner lake, cansed by the rumored discovery of gold deposits of fabulous richness, but the bubble soon burst and they departed as quickly as they came. Suddenly they came, like n summer's cloud neross the face of the moon, and as suddenly did they depart. Then came the discovery of the celebrated Comstock lead in 1839, and the wild rush to the land of silver. Thousands passed through the Truckee basin in the next three years on their way to the Washoe mines. A turn- pike road was constructed and a bridge across the Truckee river, The Henness Pass and the Donner lake route both saw the long trains of goods and heard the daily crack of the stage- driver's whip. These thousands passed through to the silver lanl as had the gold seekers a few years before, with no thought of the town soon to spring up on the banks of the clear mountain stream.
In the year 1903, when the Dutch Flat and Donner Lake wagon road was being constructal across the monutains. Joseph Gray moved here with his family and built a log house. The house still stands near the corner of Brilgre and East Main streets, and is occupied as a cooper shop. Mr. Gray still remains one of the prominent citizens of Truckee. In IMit .l. Mel'onnell settled on the site now occupied by the Truckee Lamber Co.'s store, the ground bring soon after claimed by a man named Owens. The dispute between the two men resulte I in the shooting of MeCommell by Owens. The wounded man recovered and Owens was sentenced to a term of two years in the penitentiary. McConnell sold his claim to a man named Williams, who soon disposed of it to a Mr. Coburn, who remained upon the spot. He had a log calin and kept a public house for the accommodation of teamsters and travelers, and for n stage station, it being on the line of travel to the Wushoe inines, The little place was known as Coburn's Station for several years. When the Central Pacific railroad began to climb the mountains, stations for construction were established along the surveyed route, and favorable localities were selected by many, even in advance of the road, for the building of the towns that were certain soon to appear along the line, One of these spots deemed calculated by nature for the site of a town was Coburn's Station, and here a number of people gathered and erected houses, prior to the appearance of the railroad builders. Messrs. Schaffer & Gray built a saw mill just south of the present town, and across the river from it, in 1867. In 1868 work commenced upon the railroad at this point, and furnishing lumber and wood for this purpose was the chief business of the place. A great many workmen and railroad employees centered here, aud quite a town sprang up at Coburn's Station, containing five saloons, one large boarding house, three or four stores and a few dwellings. Brickell & Guysendorfer built a water power mill in the immediate vicinity of Coburn's Station, early in 1868. The whole town was destroyed by fire in July, 1868, and Coburn's Station vanished in smoke. A new town was built a little further cast, and called Truckec. The business men at that time were Sisson, Wallace & Co., F. Burckhalter, Hamlet Davis, Church & Hawley and Weller & Co.
The new town made rapid strides forward. Truckee was made the end of one division of the road, and a round house and necessary shops were built. The number of stores was increased, tbrec hotels were built, many new residences were erected, several saw mills were in operation in the neighbor- hood, and the town started at once on the path of prosperity. The railroad roundhouse was burned March 28, 1869. It was evident that an incendiary's hand had applied the torch, and D. J. Hickey, to whom suspicion pointed strongly, was arrested and indicted for arson. His trial lasted four days and resulted
in a disagreement of the jury. The same result followed the second trial, and he was then discharged.
At this time Tracker was the chief town on the milrond between Sacramento and Oglen. Salvous were plenty and gamblers flourished : sporting men and blacklegs collected here. and the place on that necount was far from being a paradise. This continued for several years, and the method of reform will lx. detailed Inter.
The year 1871 was one full of trouble for Truckee; three destructive contlagrations visited the town, the last of which nearly sweeping it from existence. The first one was in January and the second in March ; the burned buildings had Int scarcely been replaced when the Inst and most destructivo one occurred, July 20, 1871. A large public meeting was being held, when every heart was thrilled by the sudden cry of fire. A rush was made by the citizens to Derr's saloon, from which tlames were issuing. The most frantic efforts of the despe- rate people were nunvniling to stay the progress of the times, although the women added their exertions to those of the men. All the business portion of the town except three brick luik- ings was burned. The railrond property was saved as well na the brick stores of F. Burckhalter, Morris & Weller, and Sisson, Wallace & Co. The list of losses is given below :
Odd Fellows' & Masonic Hall $ 3,000
Frank Rabel, saloon and dwelling. 4,000
Payne & Dodge, saloon and builling. 5,000
Frank Pawson, dry goods. 12,000
Hurd's Saloon and Turner Hall.
8,000
Greeley & Co., fruit and cigars. 3,000
Joseph Marzen, market .. 2,500
Hamlet Davis, fruit store. 1,500
J. Keiser, Webber House 5,000
Louis Derr, saloon . . 3,000
F. Wilburt, boot and shoe store. 3,000
G. W. Harrison, books and stationery. 4,000
Robert Bill, groceries and post office .. 12,000
School house. 3,000
Other losses 42,000
Total $111,000
In all sixty-eight buildings were destroyed and sixty-thrco families rendered homeless.
It was soon ascertained that the fire was of incendiary origin. Mrs. Derr had had some trouble with her husband, and on the night of the fire he was to return to Truckce from San Francisco. She declared that he should never set loot in the house again, and so set fire to the establishment. As soon as these facts became known the excitement was intense and a determination to lynch her was made by many. She was, how- ever, arrested and E. H. Gaylord was engaged to defend her
76
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY. CALIFORNIA.
before the Justice, which he did and she was discharged. She was then notified to quit town, and npon the advice of her counsel did so, and soinewhat precipitately.
At half-past two o'clock on the morning of May 7, 1873, a fire started in the hay loft of W. B. Campbell's stable, on Bridge street. The Sampson, a fire engine kept at Truckee for use along the track in case of fire, was all that could be utilized to figlit the flames, as the main pipe of the town waterworks was out of repair. The citizens fought gallantly with buckets of water, but could only contest the advauce of the flames without checking tlich. The fire burned along Bridge and Church streets and threatened to spread across to Front street. A determined stand was made by the citizens at J. B. Henry's lodging house, on Bridgo street, for here it was necessary to check the flames or Front street could not be saved. Hundreds of buckets of water were thrown upon the scorched sides of the building, but of little avail, and as the flames seized upon the structuro the discouraged citizens were about to abandon their task in utter despair, when a stranger appeared with a queer looking machine strapped upon his back. He walked up to the buruing building and directed upon the flames a tiny stream from a little hoso attached to the machine. Soon the flames were turned to a dense sinoke and before long the smoke cleared away, and thus the little fire extinguisher saved the day, or rather night. The stranger was an agent for these inachines, and had stopped at the hotel that night, being aroused from his slumbers in time to prepare his machine and lasten to the rescue. His lahors bore good fruit, for it was not long before Truckee was well supplied with fire extinguishers. The following list shows the losses occasioned hy the fire :-
W. B. Campbell, house, saloon and stable .... $ 4,000 Longabaugh & Cass, blacksmith shop 2,500
Fred Shorman, bakery and saloon. 2,000
John Storer, carpenter shop. 1,000
John Millett, blacksmith shop 800
A. C. Cook, dwelling. 650
Mrs. Gerudt, dwelling. 200
Other losses 850
Total . $12,000
The cause of the fire was that a drunken man, while making the hay lis sleeping place, undertook to light his pipe with a watch.
The next experience with fire was the destruction of China- town and a few adjacent buildings, about three o'clock on the morning of May 29, 1875. Chiuatown, then situated in the heart of the place, and just across a narrow street from the row of business buildings on Front street, had always been a menace to the town. A lot of dry, closely packed wooden shanties, among which a fire had only to be started to hecome
uncontrollable, and insure the almost certain destruction of the town, it is no wonder that the citizens watched them with anxious eye. At the time mentioned a fire broke out here, and threatened to become a general conflagration. The fire engine, Sampson, was soon at work, the fire train came rush- ing down from Summit Station, having been telegraphed for. These with the assistance of a hose, attached to a hydrant ou Second street, aud many pails of water, succeeded in quench- ing the flames, after the whole of Chinatown was consumed. Besides this the Virginia saloon, Cruther's cabinet shop, Grozen & Stoll's stable and Paschen & Kerby's market were burned. The total loss was about $50,000, chiefly by the Chinese. An effort was made to prevent the rebuilding of the Chinese quar- ters, but without success.
This last narrow cscape aroused the people to the urgent necessity of protecting themselves, and of no further relying entirely upon the fire trains of the railroad; for although these rendered assistance cheerfully, the fire was not always accom- modating enough to locate itself where they could be worked to the best advantage. A hose company with twenty-six mem- bers was organized June 9, 1875, with Joseph Marzen, Sr., Foreman; A. H. Clark and B. C. Linscott, Assistants; F. Burckhalter, Treasurer ; B. T. K. Preston, Secretary. A ball was given, at which $213 were taken in for the benefit of the company. The company retained its activity but a few weeks.
The property owners soon had occasion to regret that their fire organization had not been maintained, for on November 6, 1875, the planing mill of Elle Ellen caught fire and in twenty minutes was destroyed. The fire spread to some tenement houses close by and threatened to reach the business portion of the town. Some pieces of hose were procured aud with these and buckets of water the flames were subdued, after burning two of the cottages. Had it not heen for the fact that the air was calm and that a drizzling shower of rain aided them, much loss would probably have occurred; as it was the loss was about $17,000. The last fire of any consequence occurred on March 12, 1878, which destroyed the block on Bridge and Church streets, of which the American Hotel was the principal build -. : ing. The loss was estimated at $20,000. The Truckee Lumber Co. had organized a fire company among its employees for the protection of its property, and these rendered good service at this time, as did also the Washoe Engine Co., No. 1, that had been organized in 1877. Their steamer was bought in Virginia City, and their bell which gives the alarm of fire is the same one used by the San Francisco Vigilance Committee in 1856.
The citizens who had resorted to every peaceable means to induce the Chinese to vacate their quarters in the heart of the town, and being thoroughly convinced that their presence was a constant menace, on account of the danger from fire,
finally resolved to abate the nuisance. A body of four or five hundred of them assembled in the Chinese quarters, on Novem- ber 18, 1878, pulled down and totally destroyed Chinatown, giving the deuizens notice to leave the town within one week. Beyond the tearing down of the buildings no violence was offered, and no serious disturbauce occurred. Within a month from that time a new Chinatown sprang up on the south side of the river and without the city limits. As an instance of the customs of the Chinese which are repulsive to our ideas the following is interesting. The right of property in women is recognized by them and often defended even against our legal authorities Ah Quee, of North San Juan, owned a Mougolian maiden named Sin Moy, who was kidnapped by a countryman and brought to Truckee. She brought with her some trinkets, and Ah Quce procured a warrant for her arrest for larceny, simply as a means of obtaining possession of her again. December 17, 1872, thie warrant was placed in the hands of Constable Cross, who with a posse of four or five went to the Chinese quarters and attempted to make the arrest. All Chinatown arose in arms to repel the invaders, and a lively confliet eusued, during which some forty shots were fired. The officers secured their prisoner and retired from the field without harm to themselves. Not so with Ah Quee, for he and another Chinaman were seriously wounded, and several Mongolians received slight injuries. An attempted abduction in the evening of January 3, 1874, resulted in a riot and the wounding of half a dozen of the participating Chinamen.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.