USA > California > Nevada County > History of Nevada County, California; with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and manufactories > Part 8
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Since this event there has been nothing in the history of the
county worthy of record that is not given elsewhere in these pages in the history of mining, of the townships or under special headlings.
The census of 1870 shows a decided increase over that of the one taken ten years previous, and is given both by classitica- tion and by townships ;
Bloomtielt Township 630
Bridgeport .4
1,820
Eureka
1,249
Grass Valley
7,063
Little York
868
Meadow Lake "
1,655
Nevada 3,996
Rough and Ready Township 1,200
Washington
638
Total . 19,134
Native born
10,479
Foreign
8,655
Total 19,134
White ... 16,334
Colored
162
Indian.
Asiatic 2,629
Total 19,13-4
The census to be taken this year will no doubt show an increase upon the above figures, especially in Meadow Lake township, where great strides have been made. Nevada City has had to yield the palin to Grass Valley in point of size and number of population, though still retaining the county seat and, in consequence, still remaining the central city of the county.
CHAPTER XIX.
NEVADA COUNTY AS A POLITICAL BODY.
A Part of Yuba County-Reasons-Inconvenience-Organization of Nevada County-Boundaries-Court of Sessions-Board of Supervisors -- Seven Townships-New County Boundaries- Bloomfield Towuslip -- Towaship Governments-Meadow Lake Township-Rectifying the Boundaries- Present Township Boundaries-Alta County-Donner County.
THE history of Nevada county as a political organization dates from the time when it was erected into a separate county by the Legislature. When the State was originally divided into twenty-seven counties by the Legislature of 1850, this region was but just being prospected; for the most part it was a terra incognita, and the great wealth that lay buried in
56
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
its auriferous hills was scarcely dreamed of, even by the few hundreds that were then scraping the surface of the ravines and robbing them of their golden treasure. At that time, February 18, 1850, there were in the mountains but a few small mining camps, 'and the location and naines of those but very little known; in the foothills, where considerable min- ing had been done the previous year, were a large number of flourishing mining camps, whose lease of life was known to be short, depending upon the continuance of profitable dig- gings. The valleys, however, had founded a large number of magnificent cities, some of them two miles square; whole, sale business houses were there established, and interested owners of real estate, with a flourish of oratorieal and news- paper trumpets, proclaimed the advantages of their city both as a place of residence and business. These interested parties were the ones who obtained the cars of the Legislators and secured for their embryo cities the seats of justice of the counties eaclı of which commenced in the valley and ran baek into the mountains for miles. Especially was this the case with Sutter and Yuba counties, the foriner of which embraced a large portion of Placer county, and liad for a county-seat the speculative town of Oro, on Bear river near its confluence witlı Feather river, a most elegant metropolis on paper, but one that tlien had one diminutive house, a zinc one, and soon lost that. In Yuba county there were seven of these cities, Kearney on Bear river, Plumas City, El Dorado City, Eliza, Marysville and Featherton on the Feather, and Linda on the Yuba river. The one that blew the loudest blasts upon its horn, and really had the most to blow for, was Marysville, and this city although at one extremne of the county, and over one hundred miles distant from the other extreme, was made the county-seat. The county of Yuba was made to embrace all of Yuba, Sierra, Nevada and a portion of Placer, a most bulky and unwieldy territory. The shifting of population in those days was as rapid and incessant as the drifting of the fleecy clouds of the sky. Where to-day lay a mountain wilderness, whose verdant hills had never re-echoed to the tread of feet save those of the Aborigine, to-morrow was seen the curling smoke of hundreds of miners' cabins, and the rattle of the restless rocker smote upon the ear. Thus was it that but a few months after the creation of Yuba county, this region, to which scarce a thought had been given, became the scene of life and activity. The disadvantages of belonging to Yuba county were early felt, Marysville was too distant, and a county government located at that place was to the citizens here as useless as one in Oregon. The trouble, expense and time required to send criminals to Marysville was so great, that inany escaped the just punishment for their acts, while others were severely dealt with by Judge Lynch. No protection whatever was afforded by the Yuba government, and no benefit
whatever was derived from it, in fact the only official who at all interested himself and paid a visit to this region was the tax collector, who failed not to scrape together all that he could.
By the time that the next Legislature muet, Nevada City had become a city of considerable importance, and both Grass Valley and Rough and Ready were coming into prominence, and the latter was an aspirant for the honor of being the seat of justice. A redivision of the State into counties was therefore made, by an Act passed by the Legislature April 25, 1851, by which, among others, the new county of Nevada 1 was created. The county derived its name from Nevada City, at which point the scat of justice was located. Henry Miller, J. N. Turner, John R. Crandall, J. S. Allen and Amos T. Laird were appointed a Board of Commissioners to designate polling places and officers of election and to canvass the returns of votes. The election occurred on the fourth Monday of May, 1851, at which about two thousand nine hundred votes were cast, resulting in the election of the following officers :-- County Judge, Thomas H. Caswell; District Attorney, John R. McConnell; County Clerk, Theodore Miller; Sheriff, John Gallagher; Surveyor, Charles Marsh; Treasurer, H. C. Hodge; Assessor, T. G. Williams. These gentlemen received their cetif- icates of election, filed their bonds and assumed the duties of their offices, and Nevada county entered upon its career as a political body.
The boundaries given to Nevada county by the Act of April 25, 1851, were :- Beginning at a point in the Yuba river opposite the mouth of Deer creek, and running thence up the middle of Yuba river to a point opposite the mouth of the middle branch of the Yuba; thence up the middle of said middle branch ten miles from its mouth; thence easterly in a straight line to the boundary of the State; thence south along the the boundary line of the State to the north-east corner of Placer county; thence westerly on the northerly line of Placer county to the source of Bear creek; thence down Bear creek to a point due south of the junction of Deer creek and Yuba river; thence north to the place of beginning.
The Court of Sessions divided the county into townships, but as the records have been destroyed the partition connot be given in detail. In common with other counties of the State, the legislative branch of the government was the Court of Sessions, consisting of the County Judge and two Justices of the Peace. In 1855, however, the Legislature having passed a law to that effect, the county government was transferred to a Board of Supervisors. The Board made a subdivision of the county into seven townships, the record of which was destroyed by the burning of the court house July 19, 1856. The boun- daries were again declared February 2, 1857, and were as follows :-
NEVADA TOWNSHIP, No. 1. Commencing in the center of
South Yuba river opposite the mouth of Rush creek; thence southerly up Rush creek to the dividing ridge between South Yuba and Deer ercek, where Bovyer's ditch crosses the same by tunnel and deep cut; thence in a direct line crossing Deer ercek about midway between Beckville and Pleasant Flat to the place where the Nevada and Rough and Ready road crosses Slate creek; thence along the center of the ridge dividing the waters of Deer creek and Wolf creek and Deer creek and Greenhorn creck to the point on the ridge dividing the waters of Deer creek and Steep Hollow, at the extreme source of Greenhorn ereck; thence in a direct line crossing the stream of Deer creek to a point ou the ridge dividing the waters of Deer creck and the South Yuba river at the source of Brushy cañon; thenee down the stream of Brushy cañon to its junc- tion with the South Yuba river; thence down said stream to the place of beginning.
GRASS VALLEY TOWNSHIP, No. 2. Commencing at a point which is the corner of Nevada township where the Rough and Ready road crosses Slate creek ; thence following the ridge to a point at the source of Plum Valley creek; thence along the center of the ridge dividing the waters of Wolf creek and Pen Valley creek, Wolf creek and Dry creek to Bear river about one and one half miles above the mouth of said Wolf creek ; thence up Bear river to the mouth of Greenhorn creek; thence up Greenhorn creek to the forks of the same, where the trail from Buena Vista ranch to Wauloopa crosses said stream; thence up the west fork of said Greenhorn creek by the Crystal Spring ranch on the Red Dog and Nevada road, to the head of said branch on the line of Nevada township; thence following the center of the dividing ridge between the waters of Deer creek and Greenhorn creek and the waters of Deer creek and Wolf creek, being the south line of Nevada town- ship, to the place of beginning.
ROUGH AND READY TOWNSHIP, NO. 3. All that portion of Nevada county lying west of Nevada and Grass Valley town- ships, south of South Yuba and Main Yuba rivers, east of the county line of Yuba county and north of Bear river.
BRIDGEPORT TOWNSHIP, No. 4. Commencing in the center of South Yuba river opposite the mouth of Humbug cañon ; thence following the center of said stream to its junction with the North Yuba on the boundary line between the counties of Yuba and Nevada; thence up the North Yuba to the mouth of the Middle Yuba; thence up the Middle Yuba to the mouth of Bloody run; thence in a direct line southerly to the place of beginning.
EUREKA TOWNSHIP, No. 5. All that part of the county lying south of the boundary line of Sierra county and east of the boundary line of Bridgeport township; thence running up the center of South Yuba river to the mouth of Brushy cañon ; thence due north one mile ; thence following a line parallel to
PUBLISHED BY.THOMPSON & WEST.
RESIDENCE OF JUDGE JOHN CALDWELL, NEVADA CITY,
CAL.
57
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
the South Yuba river one mile distant from the same to Cañon creek ; thence up Cañon creek to a point due south of the source of the south fork of the Middle Ynba river; thence dne north to said point, being on the boundary line between Nevada and Sierra counties.
LITTLE YORK TOWNSHIP, NO. 6. Commencing at the corner of Nevada township on the ridge between the waters of Deer creek and Steep Hollow creek_at the head of Greenhorn creek; thence running southerly to the phtee where the old emigrant road crosses Bear river (running between the places known as Remington Hill and Negro Flat), being on the boundary line of Placer county; thence down Bear river to the mouth of Greenhorn creek; thence following the east boundary line of Grass Valley township to its intersection with the line of Nevada township; thence along the south line of Nevada township to the place of beginning.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, No. 7. Bounded on the north hy the south line of Eureka township and the southern boundary line of the county of Sierra; on the cast by the State line; on the south by the northern boundary line of Placer conty; on the west by the casteru boundary lines of the townships of Nevada and Little York.
The townships of Nevada aud Washington constituted Supervisor District No. 1; Grass Valley, Rough and Ready and Little York, No. 2; Bridgeport and Eureka, No. 3.
By an Act of the Legislature approved April 19, 1856, new boundaries were defined for Nevada county, changing the line hetween Sierra and Nevada counties :- Commeneing at a point iu the Main Yuba opposite the mouth of Deer creek, and run- ning thence up Main Yuba to the mouth of Middle Yuba; thence up Middle Yuba to the south fork of the same; thence up said south fork to its source ; thence cast to the State liue ; thence south on the State line to the north-east corner of Placer county ; thence west on the uorth line of Placer county to the source of Bear river ; thence down Bear river to a point due south of the place of beginning; thence north to the place of beginning.
The Board of Supervisors changed the dividing line between Washington and Eureka townships, August 4, 1857, to run as follows :- Commencing at a point in the South Yuba opposite the mouth of Brushy cañon; thence running due north one mile; thence ou a line parallel with the South Yuba river to Cañon creek ; thence up Cañon creck to Cascade creek ; thence up Cascade creek to its source; thence due east to the State line.
The Board of Supervisors, November 2, 1858, created the new township of Bloomfield, chiefly out of the western por- tion of Eureka township, giving it the following boundaries :- Commencing at a point one mile below Robinson's upper crossing upon the South Yuba river, and running thence in a
direct line to a point three rods below Churchill's saw mill, upon Shady creek, in Bridgeport township; thence to the Middle Yuba river at the mouth of Grizzly canon ; thence up the line of said river to a point one mile above the inouth of Bloody run; thence easterly to the head of Humbug creek ; thence easterly to the head of Logan's canon; thence down said canon to the South Yuba river; thence down said river to the place of beginning.
By the Act of May 15, 1862, the Legislature created a sys- tem of township government to consist of three Trustees, Clerk, Assessor, Treasurer, Collector, two Justices of the Peace, two Constables and one Road Overseer for each Road District, to be elected annually on the first Monday in May. The Act also provided that the question of the adoption of the system should be submitted to the people at the next general election, and the Aet to be in force in only such counties as voted atlirin- atively. Among those that adopted the township government was Nevada county. The operation of the new system was found to expensive, and instead of simplifying served only to complicate the government. Before the first year closed some of the towuships found themselves in debt, other counties had the same experience, and before the year had expired petitions were circulated asking for the repeal of the law; the petitions received a great many signatures iu Nevada county. One of the first Acts passed by the new Legislature was the one repealing the township law, approved January 19, 1864; the Board of Supervisors was given authority to settle the township affairs. In order to do this it was necessary to levy an extra tax of one cent in Grass Valley, Nevada and Bridgeport townships and twenty cents in Eureka township. The only thing favorable to this law that may be said, is that it furnished an oppor- tunity for a small army of patriots to gain an honest living by holding office.
The sudden development of the Meadow Lake district in 1865 led the Board of Supervisors to create the new township of Meadow Lake out of the large township of Washington, February 16, 1866. The original boundaries were :- Com- mencing at a point on the north line of Placer county due south to the Pacific Turnpike Co's bridge crossing the South Yuba river; thence northerly to the south-east corner of Eureka township to the south line of the county of Sierra; thence east. along the line of Sierra county to the eastern line of the State; thence south along said State line to the north- east corner of Placer county; thence west along the line of said county to the place of beginning. January 29, 1870, the Board cut off all of Meadow Lake township lying west of the line dividing ranges, 13 and 14, east, and annexed it to Washington township.
Doubts as to what could be considered the source of Bear river led to an uncertainty as to the exact boundary between
Nevada and Pincer counties from that point to the State line. The question was settled in 1866, a line being run by James E. Freeman, Deputy U. S. Surveyor. The same uncertainty as to the source of the south fork of the Middle Yuba river led to quite a controversy between Nevada and Sierra counties, In INGS each county male a survey, but us the initial point was not the same for both, neither woukl adopt the work of the other. By agreement the two Boards met on the disputed ter- ritory, but conkl come to no understanding. Sierra county brought suit against the Eureka Co., that had mid taxes to Nevada county for some of the dispated ground, to enforce payment of taxes. Nevada county instructed the District. Attorney to defend the Eureka Co. The question was settled by the Supreme Court in 1869, giving Sierra the contested ground. The surveys and litigation cost cach county more than the land in controversy was worth to either of them.
The deposit of tailings at the mouth of Deer creek having rendered the location of the initial point of the line between Yuba and Nevada counties uncertain, the Boards of Supervisors of both counties met at the Empire Ranch, in May, 1869, and on the second day discovered the land marks ten chains east of Union Ranch honse. The two Surveyors ran the lines From this point, and their work was approved by both Boards.
The survey of the eastern boundary live of the State, unade by Von Selnnidt in 1876, annexed a small strip to Nevada county that had been formerly considered in the State of Nevada.
The present boundary lines of the townships, although not yet officially deelared by the Board of Supervisors, have been surveyed, maps of the townships made, and this division reeog- mized by the county officials in all their actions relative thereto. They are as follows :-
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP.
Beginning where the line between ranges 8 and 9, east crosses the South Yuba river, and running theuce north to the Middle Yuba river; thence up the Middle Yuba river to thic, line between ranges 9 and 10, cast; thence south to the corner of sections 18 and 19, township 18, north, range 10, east; thence east to the corner of sections 16, 17, 20 and 21, same township; thence south to the corner of sections 28, 29, 32, and 33, same township; thence east two miles; thence south to the South Yuba river; thence down the South Yuba river to the place of beginning.
BRIDGEPORT TOWNSHIP.
Beginning at the junction of the Main and South Yuba rivers, and running thence up the South Yuba river to the line between ranges 8 and 9, east ; thence north to the Middle Yuba river; thence down Middle Yuba to its junction with the Main
58
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Ynba river; thence down Main Yuba river to the place of beginning.
EUREKA TOWNSHIP.
Beginning at the source of the Middle Yuba river above English lake, at the initial point of the Sierra county boundary line, and running thence down the Middle Yuba river to the line between ranges 9 and 10, cast ; thence south to the corner of sections 18 and 19, township 18, north, range 10, cast ; thenec cast two miles; thence sonth two miles; thence cast two miles; thence south one mile to the south line of township 18, north, rango 10, cast; thence cast to the line between ranges 13 and 14, east ; thence north to the place of beginning.
GRASS VALLEY TOWNSHIP'.
Beginning at the intersection of Bear river by the line be- tween ranges 7 and 8, east, and running thenee north to the corner of sections 13 and 24, township 15, north, range 7, east ; thence cast one mile ; thence north to the north line of town- ship 15, north, range 8, cast ; thence east to the corner of sec- tions 32 und 33, township 16, north, range 8, east ; thenee north to the one-fourth section corner between sections 20 and 21, township 16, north, range 8, east; thenec cast eight miles ; thence south to the south line of township 16, north, range 9, cast ; thence west to the corner of sections 2 and 3, township 15, north, range 9, east ; thence south to Bear river; thence down Bear river to the place of beginning.
LITTLE VORK TOWNSHIP.
Beginning on Bear river in the north-east corner of section 23, township 15, north, range 9, east, and running thence northi to the corner of sections 2 and 3 in the same township ; thenee east to the corner of sections 34 and 35, township 16, north, range 9, cast; thence north four miles; thence cast two miles ; thenee north one mile ; thenee east one mile; thence north one mile ; thence east three miles ; thence south one mile ; thence east four and one-half miles to Bear river ; thence dowu Bear river to the place of beginning.
MEADOW LAKE TOWNSHIP.
Beginning at the south-east corner of Washington township at the corner of sections 19, 24, 25 and 30, township 17, north, ranges 13 and 14, east, and running thienee east on the Placer county line to the eastern boundary line of the State ; thence north on the State line nine miles to a point on the north line of section 8, township 18, north, range 18, east ; thence west to the source of the Middle Yuba above English dam; thence south to the place of beginning.
NEVADA TOWNSHIP.
Beginning at the intersection of the South Yuba river by
the line between seetions 32 and 33, township 17, north, range 8, east, and running tlrence south to the one-fourth seetion corner between sections 20 and 21, township 16, north, range 8, cast ; thenee cast 8 miles ; thence northi one and one-half Iniles ; thence cast two miles; thenee north one muile; thence east one mile; thenee north one mile ; theuee east three miles ; thence north to the South Yuba river ; thence down the South Yuba river to the place of beginning.
ROUGH AND READY TOWNSHIP.
Beginning at the junction of Deer creek and Yuba river, and runuing thence south on the Yuba county line to Bear river; thence up Bear river to the line between ranges 7 and 8, cast ; thence north to the corner of seetions 13 and 24, town- ship 15, north, range 7, east; thence east one mile; thienee north to the north line of township 15, north, range 8, east; thence east to the corner of sections 32 and 33, township 16, north, range 8, east; thence north to the South Yuba river; threnee down the South Yuba to the Maiu Yuba river; thence down the Main Yuba to the place of beginning.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
Beginning at the corner of townships 17 and 18, north, ranges 13 and 14, east, and running thenee south to the Placer county line; thenee west on said line to the source of Bear" river; thence down Bear river to the line between sections 4 and 9 in township 16, north, range 11, east; thence west to the corner of sections 2, 3, 10 and 11, township 16, north, rauge 10, east; thence north seven miles to the north line of township 17, north, range 10, east ; thenee east to the place of beginning.
When the eastern end of the mountain counties began to become settled, the same inconvenience was experienced that was first encountered by the annexation to Yuba county in 1850. Sierra Valley, Truekee Basin and Tahoe were all too remote from the county seats of the counties to which they helong; they were deprived of a large share of the advantages of the government to support which they were taxed. As population began gradually to increase, and towns sprang up, they felt that they should be granted the privilege of a separate government, located at some convenient and central point.
To accomplish the desired end a petition, bearing the signa- tures of over three hundred voters, was presented to the Legislature in 1868, asking for the ereation of the county of Alta, to be taken from the eastern end of Sierra, Nevada, Placer and El Dorado counties. The citizens residing in the other . portions of the county very naturally opposed this attempt to eut off from them a seetion of country that was rapidly assuming importance, and represented taxable property of considerable value. The project failed of fruition, but was not abandoned by the interested parties. In 1871 the
subject was revived, and the creation of Donner county, to em- brace portions of Sierra, Nevada and Placer counties was pro- poscd, The chief promoters of the movemeut were the citizens of Truckee, who desired the scat of justice of the new county to be located there. At this time the Truckee Republican had become established, aud its columus warmly advocated the elaims for a new county, which were opposed by the papers in the lower portion of the county.
The Legislature having failed to take action on the question, the citizens of Truckee advocated the annexation of Mcadow Lake township to Placer county, the county seat of which, Auburn, was accessible by railroad, although at a greater dis- tanee than Nevada City. The people of Auburn did not be- come very enthusiastie over the proposition, as they feared that the next step would be to remove the county seat to Colfax or some other more eentral location. In 1876 the eitizens of Truckee began to realize that the Sierra Valley was a large and important factor in the new eounty of Donner, and that the people of that valley might be no better suited with Truckee as a county seat than Downieville, so they moderated their demands, and in order to enlist the liearty co-operation of the inhabitants of the valley, expressed a willingness to have the county seat located at Sierraville, Randolph or Loyalton. The Legislature again failed to act, and the completion of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad, offering much more facile communication between Truckee and Nevada City, has ended the necessity for a new county until the increase of population in the Truckee basin shall render one imperative.
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