USA > California > Nevada County > History of Nevada County, California; with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and manufactories > Part 33
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Between the larger and more important point & treiben comme, by me and travel, to be in alde for wagon, stage and ostemas The e ronde, not being graded and protected from the effects of rain were muddy in the extreme during the long rainy season, and motion were utterly impa able Manch times the prices of goods is to almost fabulous mounts. Rains lalow and snow alase rendered the transportation of goods a luzardsons and difficult task, and a fortune always uwnited hita who first butthel with mul overcame the diffi multies, and supplied the famished came with found
Such doing the situation and such the condition of the county treasury, private enterprise stopped to the front and bridged over the slitlienty. Applications were made to the Court of Sessions, and after 1856 to the Board of Supervisar, for per- mission to construct toll roads man the more important route of travel These toll ronds were a vast improvement upon the rocky trails of earlier times, although some of them would be considered poor enough at the present time. The first attempt mando ly the county to create county roads, was by the Court of Sessions of Yuba county when it then embraced this region; the court declared. August 23, 1550, that all roads then traveled boy wagons should be public highways. A declaration to the same effect was made by the Court of Sessions of Nevada county, when it organized the following year & few years later the Board of Supervisors began to lay out county ronds when petitioned for by citizens; but so little work was done ou them besides the net of surveying and locating the route, that they interfered but little with the profits of the toll roads, and the Intter inerensed and multiplied and waxed fat. It is ver- tainly n piece of deliente sarensm to survey a route through the forest and over the hills and declare it a publie highway, one that is only passable for a few months in summer, aud in winter requires the presence of the surveyor with his field notes to find. Gradually the county began to spend money upon the roads: old rontes were improved, bridges were built, new routes
adunk that any iu li at-u- fre wa | will & mu le at & tut ir
matin toler i which they were
Pet HEI Toll R~1
Pin Valley Tel Road
Merriman & l'oxs road ou Back Bone Ridge
Fone
2 00
.75
Cigara to through sugar Loaf hill.
Alpha & Washington Turnpike
Horeman
.
.It
Nevada & Wa hington Turnpike.
Horse and buggy .
100
.25
Nevarla & Little York Turnpike.
Bar Valley Turnpike.
A. J. Doolitthe Washington and Omega to Fall creek.
Trucke Turnpike l'o.
I anes Pass Turnpike l'o.
Chalk Blutľ Turnpike.
South Yaha Turnpike I'D.
Grass Valley & Nevada Turnpike.
South Branch Turnpike C'o.
Virginia Turnpike Co.
Rough and Ready Turnpike Cu.
Dry Creek Turnpike Co.
Union Turnpike Co.
Forest Hill and Grass Valley Turnpike.
Meadow Lake Turnpike, from Sunnit City to Henness Pass at Webber's Station.
James Ileaton, from Heatonville or Cisco to the Enterprise mine.
Dutch Flat and Donner Lake Wagon Road.
Placer & Novada Turnpike Co.
Wehler Lake and Summit City Turnpike Co.
Enterprise Turnpike, from New Hampshire Rocks to Enter- prise ('ity and Summit ('ity.
Meadow Lake and Bowman's Ranch Turnpike.
tiras's Valley and t'olfax Turnpike.
Bloody Run Toll Road.
C'albertson Grade, from Bear Valley to Henness Pass.
John Kneeland, from Cisco to Crystal Lake.
of these many roads those upon which tolls are now being collected are :-
Alpha and Washington Turupike, C. Grissel, proprietor.
Little Grass Valley Toll Road, D. H. Crusen, proprietor. l'et Hill Toll Road, O. C. Hyatt, proprietor. Dry Creek Turnpike, Jacob Hyatt, proprietor Chalk Blutf Turupike, H. Stehr, proprietor
Sost/ Yula Turnpike bridge at Robinson's old crossing, W'in Eiwant jnejriter
Viry ma Turnpike Urilgi at Bridg poort
Unterten tira le Jane t'ulation proprietor
Esco to l'crystal Lake John Kneeland, propuctor
the rates of till have been materially reduced since the road - were tiret e instructed We give for example the rates ou the Ahpha und Washington ruand. m 1835 und ISTp.
The rates of toll depended, of course, upon the length of the rost. the expense of construction and the mount of travel If travel was light and the road bug and the expense of con struction heavy, the rate of tolls was titel at an amount that would remunerato the owner of the road. If, however, the reverse was true, then the rate of tolls was low. To alla trate tlas pint, the rates for the Dutch Flat and Damuer Lanke Wagon Road are given, als those for the Rough and Rowdy and Nevada Turnpike, as established for both, in 1865. These can both be compared with the rates for the Aydin and Wash ington Turupike, which was of the more common che4
D.F.&D.I. RABAN
Wagon and ten animals. $17.00
y.
.. right
15.00
13.00
four
11.00
37!
= two
9.00
on"
5.00
.1 24
Loose stock
.50
.03
Si mule hor or ov team 3300
$1.00
The toll roads to the Washoe region de arve a special nou tion. When the rich silver deposits on the Comstock were discovered, the excitement was intense; then and florked to the Carson valley from the gold regions of California. The demand for provisions and mining supplies became inumediante and imperative. The rough mountain trails were hard to follow, and passable only with pack trains. It was at once evident that the rapidly increasing trade of that region would fall into the lap of the enterprising city that would construct a goal wagon road to the field of operations. Great rivalry imtoediately sprang up between the cities, and each made an effort to secure the coveted trade. The Truckee Turnpike Company was organized in November, 1859, to construct a road through Hennes Pass, and connect with the Marysville road at North San Juan. The capital stock was $30,000. This was a inove in the interest of Marysville. A meeting was
1.32
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
called by the citiany of Novala boo her 3 1959 t reader divided of att -100) Notwithstanding there encon- the question of contracting a real from thetto Vi not citizens would not subscribe formally, Pglat to have the city of Marysville furnish the roy by ising bonds An election was called in that city February 25 1534 on the question of subscribing $350,000 nl was carried affininatively by a vote of nine hundred and f ity - ven to thirty three Two unsuccessful attempts were In le to organize a company to prosecute the work. Finally at an election held May 14. 1554, on a proposition to levy a tax for the construction of the road, the people, having awakened from their trance, defeated the measure by a major- it's of more than one hundred. This was the last of the great 1dank road, as Sacramento never did arrive at the boiling point on the question, and Grass Valley and Nevada had lost. faith in it longer Infare. in Enrika, Jack in Rauch and Horn PItwee inated that an outlay of $15000 will be ut outgrowth of thi meeting was the organization of tl 1 l'a Turnpike Company By the f owing Jord, they Bal completed the road to Jack n Ranch, where the the nad of the Trucker Turnpike Company, which Fal Imen en. trusted to that point The two companies to an amica- He muler tumhng and united force in con traicting junty one road from that want to Virginia l'its. The roads were much traveled for every year, tag and express Une running over them, but the bulk of the Virginia track could never In comved this way, going, in tad lo a lower route to Sarri- monto mul San Francisco. When the railroad was built. in Istis, the roads con el to be word, wave for local travel BRIDGES.
Rough and Rowdy Grass Valley and Nevada City were a Ime of contention in the early days Intween the rival cities of Surramento and Marysville. Both of those enterprising cities desired to supply goals to the miners of Nevada county, and both put forth great exertions to secure the coveted trade. Karly in 1853 n scheme wus evolved by the citizens of Marys- ville, that in its conception and the startling mathematical cal- culations by which it was supported displayed the genius of a C'estonel Sellers. It was no less than a plank rond from Marys- ville to the city of Novom, prying through Rough and Rowdy nol firas Valley. Several meetings were held, committees were appointed to confer with the citizens of Nevada county and to receive subscriptions. It was proposed to have the " Spent of constructing the rond divided between the two coun- ties. Informal subscriptions to the amount of $50,000 were united, and the passage of a suitalde law procured of the Legislature in Muy. No sooner was this scheme broached by Marysville thin Spernmento was up in arms, A rival road was projected by that city, and a bitter war between the newspa- furs of the two cities was inaugurated. In th's contest the papers of Grass Valley and Nevada remained neutral; they "hoved to the Lord and bolded to the Devil," and were bit- terly complained of by both cities for their lukewarmmess. At meeting held in Marysville June 30. 1853, the following report was presented by the engineers engaged to survey the route. The mathematical gymnastics are refreshing to contem- plate:
Length of roadl. . 39} miles.
Cost of construction. . $374,852.75
Total estimated annual revenue. 305,000.00
= expenses. 23,000.00
From this report it was made evident that in two years after paying for the construction of the road and the running epxeuses, the estimated revenue would be sufficient to declare a
The precipitous nature of the banks that wall in the moun- tain streams rendered ferries impracticable except at a few points, and an early resort was made to bridges. The impos- sibility of fording or ferrying over the rivers except in a few favored localities, and the circuitous routes sometimes necessary to be traveled in order to reach a point favorable for crossing rendered bridges imperative; they were indispensable.
As early as Angust 19, 1850, the Court of Sessions of Yuba comity granted a license to J. K. Dunbar to construct a bridge across Deer creek, at a place known as the Lower Crossing, Angust 19, 1850, the same court granted a license to Rideout & Co. to build a toll bridge across the Middle Yuba at Martins- ville. The following rates of toll were established, from which it is very evident that such a thing as a wagon was not expected to penetrate that far into the mountains, pack animals and footman alone being provided for.
Footman
S .25
Horse or mule with rider or pack. 1.00
without " .50
Ox. cow or other large animal .50
Matthew Sparks was grantel a license by the same court February 17, 1851, to build and collect tolls upon a bridge across the Middle Yuba at Nye's Crossing. The rates of toll Were fixed at :-
Wagon, loaded $3.00
empty 2.00
Horse or mule with rider or pack. .50
Cattle per headl. .25
Footman. .. .20
Mr. Sparks had established a ferry at that point the previous year. The bridge was built in 1851, by Thomas Hess, and was carried away by the flood that winter. Hess built another
bridge in 1852, and sold it to Thomas Freeman in 1854. From that time the place was known as Freeman's Crossing. A more substantinl bridge was constructed by Freeman in 1855, which was destroyed in December 1861. This was near the month of Oregon creek, and Freeman then moved to the present location and commenced the construction of another bridge, but the incomplete frame was carried away by another Treshet in January, 1862. The present bridge was built in 1862, and is still owned by Thomas Freeman, forming one of the old landmarks of the county.
Another well-known bridge is the one at Robinson's Crossing on the South Yuba, and which has been variously knowu as Robinson's, Webber's, Wall's and Black's bridge and is uow owned by William Edwards. The first bridge was built here by William E. Robinson in the fall of 1853, which was taken down in 1839 to make room for a better one, said to have been the lust in the county at that time, there being then twelve toll bridges in the county. This was done by John Webber who had recently come into possession of the property. He sold it to .J. S. Wall, and it was carried away by the flood of January, 1862. The same year Mr. Wall built the present one, and sold it to J. M. Black in 1865.
Cooper's bridge on the South Yuba at Illinois Bar is still another of the old landmarks. A bridge was built here in 1856 by J. L. Cooper, and thoroughly repaired in 1863. Mr. Cooper and Joseph Kite were cruelly murdered here, November 26, 1866. an account of which is given in another chapter. June 6, 1867, the bridge fell into the stream while Thomas Holden was driving across with six horses and a load of eight thousand pounds. The water was quite high at the time, and the driver and horses perished. The bridge was reconstructed, and is still being usul.
Other bridges that have been built in the county are more or less uneventful in history. At Emory's Old Crossing, a few miles above Freeman's Crossing, on the Middle Yuba, T. C. Emory had a bridge for a number of years in the early days. At Concord Bar, on the Middle Yuba, a bridge was con- structed, in 1857, by Nicholson and Jones, and used for several years. Two bridges were built across Middle Yuba, near Moore's Flat, one at the mouth of Wolf creek and one about a mile farther down the stream. Rice's Crossing, on the Main Yuba, once known as Lousy Level and Liar's Flat, was known by its present name only after Rice built a bridge there.
Above Cooper's bridge, on the South Yuba, on the road from Nevada to Columbia Hill, M. F. Hoyt built a bridge, about 1854. A. J. Doolittle built a bridge at Jefferson, and Lennox and Murphy one at Washington. James Culbertson built one still farther up the Sonth Ynba, at Culbertson's Station, and A. J. Doolittle built one between this point and Wash- ington. On Deer creek were the bridge at Bridgeport, belong-
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OFFICE , LUMBER YARD, RESIDENCE & MILL, OF P. BRUNSTETER, GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA C9 CAL.
PONSUED BY THOMPSON E WEST.
133
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
ing to the Virginia Tumplk N'apas ep to the prime if ru lle bridge at Finde freming at the Flash will In: Jokin of later. The Isim English bridge on the road from fre m Valley und Colfax 1001 D 4 2011. Med 25 Isel authorizing the way to levy a tax of tive Projek for luil the Tracker river, in 1963 on the road to " Gray und Ge. Schaffer host & Irident Try . mn 1 9 which wn pincha d by the notizen in 1572 anl mu f bridy"
The bridges nero Wolf creek at that valley Lane maintained by the city nul county at a nominal expen bridges nero Wolf creek on Antoon mel lanett street with built in 1872, at nect of 2,060, of which 500 world's d city and the balance by the county. The Broad and Van street budge at Nevada have met with frequent aceder The first bridge was built on Main street in 1952 the de Broad street during the next year. In 1955, a long wa built on Broad street, that aret &1, 100, tabel chiefly by ale scriptions. The Main street bridge was no relault in life for $1,000. Both of these bridges were partie away by the brouking of Laird's dam, February 15, 1857 and were rebuilt nt in expense of $1,793, of which the county paid So The Main street bridge fell nobr n chove of catile Mmy 21, 1993 and had to be reconstructed, and the Broad street bridge was rebuilt in Isti7 They love loth had a thorough overhauling since.
This Inrge and expensive structure hus had quite an interest. ing history Could it speak, strange takes would it tel of friendships made und broken, of plans for lossiness or atur- went, mol of hundreds of trotles plighted los youth and maiden; while gazing at the play of the willow moonlight mon the rushing waters benenth,
In 1850, a bridge was built neros Deer creek, about one- sporter of a mile below Broad street From this a new street was laid out, called Bridge street. This structure rendered service for about three years, when, with the help of the county, a suspension bridge was constructed at Pine street. though by no means so substantial n structure as the me that at present spans the stream. When laird's dam Make File ruary 13, 1837, and discharged its pent up waters through Deer creek, the suspension bridge was consoleraldy damaged; and, as both Brond and Main street bridges were carried away. great inconvenience resulted until the damage could be repaired.
A few years later, the bridge having become demoralized by service, it was deemed necesary to construct a new one. Early in 1861, petitions were presented to the Legislature asking for permission for the city of Nevada to levy a tax of one per
thets of the Spit After ing through the the. trist and Supreme Court the lety of the GY was sustained
Henry Montre Uiloss Halladie& co of San Francis, for some of this wine $4,000 were rai | In to tacand the balance by ul ription. The summer had Iwen wasted in nek ligation, and the contractors pastall the work as rapilly as possible, as an tos la will advanced lefore the winter rain at in The dawn was an unusually wet and rainy one, and seriou ly delayed the work on the bridge The turis and cables were in place, the latter being fastenal to logy, os the roads were so lund it was impossible to hnul the cast Trout sachets. The incessant rains so sa ftemed the grønn I that the logs were moved, and the calles sagged in the center. The contractor then procured wrought iron rols with screws at the en los which he raised and tight ned the cables. These renty Were three and one-half inches in diameter, and would have luwu amply sufficient had not one of them proven defretive.
The bridge was completed in May, 1562, and on the eleventh of the following July was the scene of a terrible necident, enused by the defective rod. A heavy load of hay, drawn by nu or-team was on the bridge, and another ox-team was just passing upon the structure, when the bridge . fill with a resound- ing crash, precipitating both teams and the e won upon the barron rocks more than fifty feet Inlow. Two of the mou were killed. while the other, with a fourth who was not thrown into the chasm, was severely wounded. The oxen were terribly out and mangled und fifteen of the twenty that fell were killed. The contractors immediately repaired the loss, and by Soptem- ber teams again lagan to cross. The bridge was thoroughly tested and finally accepted November 14, 1802. The bridge cast the contractors nltogether about $15,000. Two shits were brought against the city of Nevada for the damages sustained by the fall of the bridge. but without avail, the defendants lwing held not lialde.
The bridge has n suspended surface of four thousand seven hundred square feet. the length of span is three hundred and twenty feet, and the width of the roadway fourteen feet. The platformn is sustained by fifty-nine cross timbers, sus- pendel from the cables by iron rods one and one-eighth inches in diameter.
The towers rise from the roadway to the hight of thirty-
tree fat the calls each contain one thousul and fly wires, and ar fur inches in diameter we hing thirty six thousandj nds Each calle is five huuhelanltu ft Ing and fast mel at either cal in the bank to twelve fet in Links each weighing twenty-five hundred pounds. In STIXMI
The history of Pine street bridge would to incomplete with unit & relation of the thrilling tragely enacted there a few years a. It was night, the event un thening shadows had bin since fall away and mingle with the universal loan of night The moon la risen from het bort on couch and heller ma Low light upon a scale of quiet lovelies and peace The comthe star, attendants of fait Lmm's train good withmy down upon the shubering city, nud wondered why it was they never saw the hustle and confusion that entre rolling to their cars when their eyes were lunel lạ the glass of das rushing waters that rolled and tumbled for their rocks led Sang a sweet song of jus, not gave ene thought to the role of blowel sas soon to the transacted on their choose The sale Was sweet with the perfume of peace and love, mol Nutie seemed to smooth to slumber the restless force of her renhu Like a peal of thunder from a laughing cky, a pist i shot ring ont clear and sharp mpwon the still night wis, and the drent ery of murder, school and re-echoed along the street, ut un agonizing thrill through many untout heart Lights the best for windows that had before been dark ; lauf clothed farts i feel harreally into the street and hastened to where the mid " wa. swinging by its wire cables across Der Freck's rocks la. What a sight was there for pitying eyes lo send Se ted about upon the bridge were a valie, hat and cune, whil treal . of fresh blow upon the railing spoke volume to the eye of hundreds now assembled But in sight that make fronte non sho lder and turn pale, was a human form of the cold auf hin rocks lølow, plainly outlined in the soft rays of the gre ving
What was to be som ? What could le dom ? All had heard the shot and the agonizing rry, but none brudd on the del committed. Who was the victim or who the murderer none could say and no one know. All was confusion; those who assayed to gather up the scattered articles werr udviel to louve them until the officer arrived. But where was be? When the death cry was lorne apon the air his car was quick to lar, but his feet were slow to muswor, for, alas, he was lamme Hastening as best he could to the stable he procured le fors and flew to the scene of action As yet nowe hand dared to approach that form lying so still and deathlike upon the relent- less rocks below, but the officer supported on either hand by shuddering citizens, boldly advanced to see if life was yet extinct. He kneelel by the inanimate object, aml murmuring
134
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
from the fullmed of h und heart " la pin copies liftel the phát l form m bisaiti Bet -bị ausgang it like lewd and gaz mound with
taffel with sawdust, and the fren | Input bi_ lif that. of a luck . feline who had vielelup ler pro
but the boys might & crise a on line pogle lars w tl infor feeling of a toy vigilant ofer 'll w lil und once more the mum vi age of the moon hemel with a peaceful minile, and the merry far winkel knowingly at each other, us flay heard the. click of convivial you . far into the still of the night
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
PUBLIC WORKS.
The Old Hod Court House-Broad Street Court House and Jail-Saving a Luge for Bus - A gallon d'art Hower good up in Brooke Sheriff l'arried from Death on a Proper's Back The Court House Rebuilt Burned in ING:1 "The Present Building Explosion in the County Vault with of 1 1. Farquhar Branch Jad at Truckes Jul Poliserna l'unty 1.
Tor handsome and substantial structure that now serves the double purpose of court house and jail in Nevada City, is the third etly building that has been created on the present site. I'wice have the destroying fingers of flame seized upom the Inudding, and in a few moments demolished the work of months. bet justier must have a temple and criminals must have a renre nhiding place, and ruch time that the editier has met with disaster, a better structure las reared itself upon the
The creation of Nevada into a separate county in 1851 rendered it necessary that necommodations should be provided for the officers, court and prisoners Court was first held in a rod building corner of Main and Church streets, near the present lention. This had been known as the Red Store and now lives in history as the Old Red Court House The county solt purchased an old shake building on Broad street, near the present site of Thomas' restaurant. This had formerly been a hotel, and its shaky walls, that erst had colored the call for beans nud coffee, resounded to the stentorian tones of the law- yer. plending for justice. In 1854, this building having become thoroughly dilapidaled, court was hell in the Methodist and Congregational churches, Frisbie's Theater and Abbott's Hall.
During this time .the prisoners were kept in a jail on Broad street, nearly opposite the building used for a court house. It was made of squared logs or timbers, and contained a front room and two cells in the rear. One of these cells was lined with iron, und was used for the safe keeping of desperate characters. When necessary. half a dozen prisoners could be accommodated, but the trouble and expense of keeping them
gdyby almitting them to bail Une enter- 1 - ahile lief tu hai, by awing out a log with the in parent previously furnished him by a friend. anl-ing The was the only instance of jail delivery during the five year this peac was ovenpied and in that I jest it lars a letter record than its more pretentious
The ueel of a court house of sufficient capacity to accom- date all branches of the county government, led to the passage of a bill by the Legislature, in 1855, authorizing the issuance of county bonds to the amount of $30,000, for the purpose of erceting a court house. A contract was made with a builder named Shaw, who took the bonds at par, and sold them to C. W Mulford for eighty cents on the dollar. The total cost of the structure was nearly $50,000. In June, 1836, the new court house was so far completed that the county officers moved in, and the prisoners were transferred to their new quarter. The old buildings were soll at miction and realized $1,770. The interior was entirely finished about the middle of Only, the structure was accepted from the hands of the con- tractor, and a term of the District Court was set to begin Momlay, July 21. 1856, but when that day arrived, there wns hut a lwup of ashes and brick. On July 19, 1856, the City of Nevada wns devastated by fire, and the new court house fell in the general ruin. Thus vanished in smoke what had cost the county nearly $50,000. The loss of the records it is impossible to estimate in money. The consequent uncertainty of titles, the absence of any record of the proecedings of the courts and the Board of Supervisors, the necessity of recording again all deeds and papers that had not perished in the flames, and the great amount of litigation that necessarily follows an ineom- plete condition of the records, were all prolific of trouble, expense and annoyance to the people and the county.
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