History of Placer county, California, Part 66

Author: Angel, Myron; Thompson & West, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West
Number of Pages: 558

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287

WAGON ROADS.

importance to their future prosperity, and to the stability of the leading interests of the State.

LAST OF THE EMIGRANT ROAD SCHEME.

With the series of meetings, conventions, explora- tions and reports, expensive, favorable and appar- ently enthusiastic, the construction of the " Placer County Emigrant Road" seemed an assured fact, with the great stream of immigration pouring over it; with the vast numbers of travel-worn, foot-sore and tired stock, and sun-dried wagons, with irons rattling as they rolled, to trade or sell at one-fourth their value; with hotels and ranches lining the road; with the "beautiful Squaw Valley " transformed into " Ladies' Paradise," and afterwards the ceaseless rumble of the Washoe teams and stages going over it during the silver excitement; but alas! nothing of the kind happened. The sequel is shown in the following, the fourth and last report of the wagon road committee.

YANKEE JIM'S, JULY 8, 1857.

The committee met at this place on Tuesday, the 2d instant, at 3o'clock p M. Present in person, J. H. Baker and William Rufus Longley, and by proxy, William McClure and Theodore Hotchkiss; J. H. Baker, Chairman, and William Rufus Longley, Secretary.

The committee, after a full and careful review of the business connected with their appointment, as well as the position occupied by its members towards the committee, of which they are a part, report :--

1st. That since their last meeting no addition has been made to the funds in the hands of the Treasurer, and that consequently they find themselves placed in the same delimma as at that time.

2d. That they do not find any favorable basis on which to found a hope that, if the survey agree- able to their original plans, by a competent surveyor whose work would be satisfactory to the community be performed, a sufficiency of money could be raised with which to construct the road.

FOR REASON, That so little interest has been manifested by the people of the county generally, that the very first plan recommended by the com . mittee cannot be carried out.

They therefore think deeply, and conclude wisely, that the money advanced by the friends to this undertaking, cannot find so appropriate an applica- tion as to be placed again in the pockets of the original-not the present-subscribers; and hence adopt unanimously the following :-

Resolved Ist, That the Treasurer be ordered to return the money received into the Treasury of the Wagon Road Committee to the several persons from whom he received it, instructing them to nse due diligence in delivering the same to those who handed to them the sums affixed to their names on the sub- seription list.

Resolved 2d, That the committee believing their particular duties as such at an end, hereby relinquish all authority into the hands of those friends who honored them with it, at the same time hoping for their approval in what they have done, and the happy announcement, " satisfactory."

WM. RUFUS LONGLEY, Secretary.

PLACER COUNTY AND WASHIDE TURNPIKE.

The failure of the public to improve the Placer

County Emigrant Road left the opportunity open to private enterprise. The discovery of silver in the Comstock vein in 1859, and the rising excitement infused great enterprise among road-builders, and every route possible crossing the Sierra Nevada was sought for the purpose of constructing toll-roads to the land of silver, or " Washoe," as it was then uni- versally called. The route through Placer County via Yankee Jim's and Squaw Valley was known to be practicable, and on the 11th of February, 1860, a company was organized at Forest Hill with a capital stated at $50,000, under the name of the " Placer County and Washoe Turnpike Company," to con- struct and maintain a road over this route. William N. Leet, an enterprising citizen of Michigan Bluff, was President of the company. The project, how- ever, was never carried to a successful conclusion.

TOLL-ROADS, FERRIES AND BRIDGES.

The date of the first ferries established, it would be difficult to ascertain, as they were among the earliest enterprises engaged in to accommodate the wandering miners and profit by the opportunity offered. On the lower rivers where accessible to wagons, ships' boats were brought up from Sacra- mento and ferries established early in 1849, and Noon scows of sufficient capacity to carry a wagon were constructed. There were such ferries in that year at Condemned Bar, Beal's Bar, and Rattlesnake. At other places the pioneer ferry was made of the wagon-bed of some emigrant, and others constructed rafts. At Murderer's Bar and Oregon Bar on the Middle Fork, and at Kelley's Bar on the North Fork, were ferries doing a very profitable business in the spring of 1850. To make these successful, roads were necessary, and these were constructed by the ferry owners at great expense, leading from the river up and along the sides of the canons to the bordering ridges on either side.

BEAR RIVER BRIDGE.

On the road from Auburn to Grass Valley was one of the earliest constructed of the toll-bridges of Placer County, demanded by the great amount of travel, this being one of the stage routes from Sacra- mento to Nevada. From Auburn to the Bear River bridge-known as English's Bridge -- the distance by the road traveled up to 1860 was ten miles. When the Central Pacific Railroad was completed past Auburn in 1865, a joint stock company was formed, consisting of James L. English, Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, W. F. Knox, H. B. Morrill, A. B. Van Arsdale, A. A. Bennett, IL. H. Hartley and E. H. Miller, Jr., to construet a toll-road from the railroad at Rock Creek three and a half miles above Auburn, to English's Bridge on Bear River, a distance of six miles. Tolls on the bridge, as fixed by the Board of Supervisors, May 1. 1865, were as follows :-

For loaded wagon $1.00

For empty wagon .50

For each animal attached thereto

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HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

For borse and rider. .50

For each animal packed. .50

For each animal loose .25

For each footman .25

For sheep and hogs each 25c, if over 20, eacb. .124

AUBURN RAVINE TURNPIKE.

A fair natural road was easily found leading from the Sacramento Valley to Auburn, which was trav- eled without much difficulty. after slight improve- ments, for a number of years; but the increase of business and the desire to economize by the use of heavy wagons carrying large freights, made improved roads very desirable. To construct roads at public expense was not popular, if it was not altogether impracticable, and as a consequence franchises for toll-roads, bridges, and ferries were freely granted with liberal terms.

In 1857 the Auburn Ravine Turnpike was con- structed. This road was about twelve miles in length; leaving the old Sacramento and Auburn road at the Oaks House, running rin Gold Hill, in Auburn Ravine, through Auburn and to the Junction House, on the Illinoistown road, two and a half miles above Auburn, where it connected with Yankee Jim's road. This was used by many of the heavy teams and stages from the terminus of the Sacramento Valley Railroad at Folsom, and opened a more direct and easy road to the people of the valley in their com- munication with the county seat. The assessed val- nation of this property in 1860 was 810,000. The construction of the Central Pacific Railroad in 1863 and '64 deprived it of its principal business, and in May. 1875, it was opened to the public as a free road.

MINERAL BAR BRIDGE AND ROAD,

For some years Illinoistown was regarded as the " bead of wagon navigation " on the Divide between Bear River and the North Fork of the American, pack-mules bearing thence the merchandise brought from Sacramento to the mining camps beyond and in the cañons on either side. One of these trails led rin Rice's Ferry, at Mineral Bar, on the North Fork, to Iowa Hill. At a later date one of the most import- tant turnpike roads in the county was constructed, connecting these points with a substantial covered bridge crossing the river. This road is known as the " Mineral Bar Bridge and Road." The length is seven miles, entering and leaving the canon, which is about 1,500 feet in depth, by a gentle grade cut with great labor and expense through the solid rock which forms the mountain sides. This road and bridge was constructed by Charles Rice & Co .. at a cost of about 875.000, and for several years, while the Iowa Hill Divide was in the hey-day of its pros- perity, was a very valuable property, and still con- tinues to do a good business. Stages and teams tra- verse it from the railroad at Colfax to lowa Hill and other points on the Divide. The scenery viewed from the road is interesting and grand. The steep mountain sides seem ever threatening to precipitate

the traveler into the abyss which yawns below, and far bencath is the rapid torrent of the American, whose once clear and sparkling water is now yellow as the gold it has washed, conveying its load of gravel and soil from the mines above. From the bridge, looking northeasterly, is seen the rocky acliv- ity of Cape Horn, around which, on a scarcely per- ceptible shelf, rush the trains of the Central Pacific Railroad, 1,500 feet above the river. Dangerous as it may appear, no accidents have bappened on the narrow grade.

OTHER TOLL-ROADS BEFORE 1860.

The Harmon Hill, or Big Hill, Turnpike, and sev- eral other short toll-roads, led toward and into Auburn, and for some years were extensively trav- eled. The amount of freight passing through Auburn during the years 1859 and 1860 was estimated at about 200 tons daily.

The Yankee Jim's and Wisconsin Hill Turnpike in 1867 opened communication between the two places over one of the most precipitous routes in the county, crossing Shirt-tail and Brushy Canons, hav- iug a total length of eight miles. This sbort road cost about 825,000, was well graded, and the bridges were well constructed.

Indian Cañon Turnpike was a short road connect- ing the towns of Iowa Hill and Wisconsin Hill, which are on opposite sides of Indian Canon.

Volcano Cañon Turnpike led across the cañon of that name from Baker's Ranch to the town of Mich- igan Bluff, and was constructed by J. A. Matteson in 1856. Another road was built by the same person in 1858 from Bath to Michigan Bluff, five and a balf miles in length; cost, 812,000.

Mile Hill Turnpike, on the road leading from Auburn to Yankee Jim's, cost 85,000. This was partly macadamized.

Mountain Spring Turnpike was a short road of two miles in length from Mountain Springs to within five miles of Illinoistown; cost, 86,000.

AUBURN AND YANKEE JIM'S TURNPIKE.

This road crosses the North Fork above and near the junction of the North and Middle Forks of the American River by a substantial wooden bridge. A road by this route was made at an early day, but in 1855 the grade of the " North Fork Hill" was improved at an expense of $12,000. The distance from Auburn to Yankee Jim's by this road is twenty miles. descending and rising from the deep canon of the North Fork by easy grades, cut by great labor in the rocky and precipitous sides of the canons. The cost of this road and bridge exceeded $50,000.

In October, 1867. the new North Fork Bridge was finished for travel, the old one being deemed unsafe. The contract for building it had been let to H. R. Leonard, C. E., and construction began in July. It is an elegant structure, built upon an improved plan -a modification of the Howe & Long's truss. The length of the bridge is 182 feet. single span, substan-

NORTH STAR TOLL HOUSE & RESIDENCE OF JOHN CARLSON, BUTCHER RANCH, PLACER CO, CAL.

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WAGON ROADS.

tial, very strongly braced. and well covered. The single track across it was laid with blocks, something on the plan of the Nicholson pavement, for the pur- pose of' preserving the floor from wear. In the con- struction of the bridge Mr. Leonard's assistant was Ben. Morse, of Auburn. The structure and approaches cost about $10,000. This is the traveled route from Auburn to Todd's Valley, Yankee Jim's, Forest Ilill, Bath, Michigan Bluff, Sunny South, and otber points on the Forest Hill Divide south of Devil's and Shirt-tail Canons.

LYON'S BRIDGE AND ROAD.

The construction of this bridge and road was accomplished in the summer and fall of 1865. The proprietor, Mr. W. (. Lyon, is one of the pioneer bridge builders of the county, and constructed a wire suspension bridge across the North Fork at Con- demned Bar in 1856. In 1865 this was taken down, and such of it as was practicable was removed to the present site, immediately below the junction of the North and Middle Forks. The bridge was completed and made passable for horsemen, .Inly 7, 1866, but the grades leading out of the cañon were not com- pleted for the passage of wagons until September following. From that date the road and crossing has been an important thoroughfare from the rail- road depot at Auburn to Cave Valley, Greenwood Valley, Georgetown. Pilot Hill, Coloma, Placerville, and other points in El Dorado County. At Cave Valley is an extensive limestone formation, where lime is burned in large quantities and transported over this route to the railroad and to market, making an important business for the bridge.

LAKE PASS ( DUTCH FLAT) WAGON ROAD.

The "Dutch Flat Wagon Road" has figured ex- tensively in newspaper and political controversy in connection with the construction and progress of the Central Pacific Railroad.

The discovery of the silver mines of Washoe in 1859 gave a great impulse to travel over the mount- ains, and every county in which there was a practi- cable pass was anxious to have a road running through it. In answer to this desire the Legislature in 1860 passed a bill giving the State's portion of Foreign Miner's License and Poll Tax for the years 1860 and 1861 to the counties of Tuolumne, Cala- veras, Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sierra and Pinmas for the purpose of enabling them to build roads over the Sierra Nevada. The State's portion of these moneys in the year ending June 30, 1859, in the county of Placer amounted to $17,210.76, and should the same rate continne during the two years the aggregate would be $34,421.32 for this county alone. The people of the counties mentioned were elated by the passage of this bill, which would build in each a good stage road over the Sierra; but their hopes were blasted by the veto of Governor Downey, who declared the bill preposterous, and that the with-

drawal of such large amounts from the annual reve- mme would bankrupt the State.

This scheme so condemned by the Governor was not such a wrongful robbery of the State Treasury as it would seem. The amount appropriated, or to be diverted, was derived chiefly from the Foreign Miners' License Tax-a license of $1.00 a month for working in the gold mines-collected almost entirely in the counties included in the bill, and from the Chinese miners only. The agricultural or "cow counties," were subject to no such tax, but persisted in the " mining counties " paying it into the State Treasury. The law anthorizing the collection of the tax was shortly afterwards declared inconsistent with the " Civil Rights Bill " and with United States treaties, and the deprivation of the fund did not bankrupt the State.

The vetoing of this bill forbade the construction of free roads over the Sierra, and several toll-roads were the result, yielding large revenues to their owners. The Lake Pass Turnpike Company was organized at Dutch Flat, March 21, 1861, for the purpose of constructing a turupike from that place to Steamboat Springs, in the Territory of Nevada. The treasurer of the company reported having received the sum of $7,500 in cash, being ten per cent. of the capital stock. \ contract was let to S. (. Elliott for the construction of the road, for the sum of $66,000, that being the lowest satisfactory bid. The Placer Herald congratulated the people of Dutch Flat upon such a bright promise for their place, saying, " Dutch Flat is now second to no town in the county in population and business, is only thirty-three miles from the summit, and a por tion of the distance is a good natural road. From Sacramento to Duteb Flat an ordinary eight-mule team will easily haul 8,000 pounds of freight. By way of Dutch Flat will not only be the great wagon route, but the railroad that must be built not many years hence must follow the same. All success, then, and speed to the Dutch Flat Wagon Road."

But the summer of 1861 passed. and the road was not constructed. The Dutch Flat Enquirer of October 10th, says: " We learn that responsible par- ties will commence work soon on the wagon road across the Sierra. Parties who have passed over the route in light wagons and on horseback represent it as perfectly practicable. Freight teams will be able, when this road is made, to make the trip from Washoe to Auburn in four days."

On the 19th of October of that year Leland Stan- ford, Governor elect, C. P. Huntington and Charles Crocker, of Sacramento. and Dr. D. W. Strong, of Dutch Flat, left the latter place on a tour of inspec- tion of the route proposed by Judah for the railroad and wagon road. Shortly after the return of these parties the

DUTCH FLAT AND DONNER LAKE WAGON ROAD COMPANY

Was formed, with a capital of $100,000. This com-

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HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

pany was composed of the same parties who were at that time attempting to make headway in the organ- ization of the Central Pacific Railroad Company. Their progress in that enterprise is told in the chap- ter on railroads. Work was begun on the wagon road in the fall of 1862, and a few miles constructed. In June, 1863, a large force was at work, numbering nearly 500 men, but even with this force the road was not completed when the snow in November drove the laborers from the work. The Dutch Flat Enquirer says, "Sufficient men could not be obtained. notwithstanding the highest wages have been offered."

The road was open for travel early in June, 1864, and it was then said to be the best mountain road in the State. The California Stage Company com- menced runmng over the road on the 16th of July, from the railroad at Clipper Gap to Virginia City, making the trip from Sacramento through in sixteen hours. As the railroad progressed and made stations at various points the stages and forwarding houses also moved on and made connection at the terminus. The railroad company thus forced the stages and freight wagons over their own road, which aroused the suspicion that the railroad was only a feeder to the wagon road. Thus it received the epithet of " Dutch Flat Swindle" from the enemies of the company, which it bore until the railroad had so far progressed as to prove that it really meant to build a great trans-continental road instead of the compari- tively small affair for local business. When the railroad had reached Colfax, in 1865, it commanded the greater part of the freight and passenger busi- ness between California and Nevada, which was very large, and the revenne to the company was in proportion.

The following is an extract from the proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Placer County, May 4. 1865.

The Dutch Flat and Donner Lake Wagon Road Company are allowed to ereet a toll-gate on their road in the vicinity of Dutch Flat, one at Polly's Station, and one at Donner Lake. The rates of toll are established as follows, payable in gold and silver:

One animal and vehicle $ 5 00

Two animals 9 00

Four 11 00

Six

13 00

Eight : 15 00

Ten

17 00

For each additional animal in team 1 00

horseman 75

pack animal 50

each head loose stock, horses, mules

or cattle. 50

head hogs and sheep 25

In addition to these exactions of the toll-gates the traveler and teamster were accasionally subjected to the demands of the "road agents," who enforced their elaims at the muzzle of the pistol or shot-gun.

In the history of Nevada it is related that some

of the toll-roads leading down the eastern slope annually paid the owners double their cost, with rates of from 82.00 to $6.00 per team of from two to ten animals. Teamsters reported a detention, often of four days in the passage from Virginia City to Placerville, caused by the difficulty in passing the loaded wagons, which constituted a continuous train on the narrow roads. From this an idea of the bus iness may be obtained, but the income of the Dutch Flat and Donnor Lake Wagon Road is unknown. In 1867 the depot was made at Cisco, near the sum- mit, and early in 1868 the iron rail deprived the wagon road of its usefulness and business.

PACIFIC TURNPIKE.

" All roads lead to Rome" was said of one historic period, but in the early years of the seventh decade of our century all roads led to Washoe, and among the number was the Pacific Turnpike, or Culbert- son's road. The construction of this was under- taken in May, 1863. In June there were 125 men at work and an advertisement in the paper for 300 more. The road led from Dutch Flat, via Bear Val- ley, Bowman's Ranch, Henness Pass, Webber's Lake, Sardine Valley, and Dog Valley, to the Truckee River near Verdi, a great deal of the route being in Nevada County. The distances were given from Dutch Flat to Bear Valley, fifteen miles; thence to the Henness Road at Bowman's Ranch, ten miles, and from Bowman's to the summit, twelve miles; thence to Virginia City, fifty-five miles. Total, ninety-two miles. This was six miles shorter than the Dutch Flat and Donner Lake Road, and the grade and road bed was claimed as making it one of the best of the many excellent turnpikes erossing the Sierra. At Bear Valley it was joined by a branch road belonging to the same company, com- ing from Nevada City up the ridge between Bear River and the South Yuba.

These were completed and opened for travel in May, 1864, and for several years a large amount of the transmountain business passed over them.

COLFAX AND FOREST HILL TOLL-ROAD.

August 28, 1875, articles of incorporation were filed of the " Colfax, Yankee Jim's, and Forest Hill Wagon and Toll-road Company," with a capital stock of $40,000, divided in shares of $200 each. The Directors were W. B. Hayford, J. A. Culver, Jacob Keck, C. Tratton, and A. H. Cowden, having their principal place of business at Colfax.

AUBURN AND FOREST HILL TURNPIKE.

A company under the above title filed a certificate of incorporation in the office of the Secretary of State, at Sacramento, on the 7th of July, 1873, with a stated capital of 820,000, divided in shares of the value of $100 each, the proposition being to con- struct a wagon road in Placer County.

201

JOURNALISM.

JOHN CARLSON

Is the eldest son of Charles and Catherine Carlson, natives of Sweden. John was born at Linkoping, in Sweden, on the 24th of June, 1826. His life was passed in his native country until he reached the age of twenty-four years. He then emigrated to the United States and settled in Iowa, where he remained about six months. In 1850 he joined the throng that was pressing westward bound for the land of promise-California. His route was across the plains, and he nnderwent the trials and privations incident to the trip in those early times. Upon his arrival in this State he located at Todd's Valley, in Placer County, where he engaged in the usual occupation of early days, that of mining. This business he fol- lowed until 1866, at which time he settled upon his present ranch, located on the Forest Hill and Auburn road, about fifteen miles northeast of Anburn. His ranch contains 160 acres, under a good state of cul- tivation, an abundant supply of water, and it is, in fact, one of the finest ranches in the county.

He was married on the 29th of January, 1862, to Miss Margaret Muir, a native of Pennsylvania. Their union has been blessed with five children, named and aged respectively : Susan R., aged eighteen years; Agnes L., aged fifteen years; Charles J., aged eleven years; Janette, aged nine years, and Charlotte E., aged five years.

A view of the residence of Mr. Carlson will be found in this work. He is also proprietor of eight miles of toll-road between Auburn and Forest Hill.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

JOURNALISM.

Reading for the Pioneers-Eastern Newspapers for California -- The Placer Herald-Tabb Mitchell, J. A. Filcher-Placer Democrat-Death of John Shannon-The Auburn Whig - The Placer Press-Hiram R. Hawkins-The lowa Hill Veres - Mountain Courier-Placer Courier-Philip Lynch-lowa Hill Patriot-Dutch Flat Enquirer-Democratic Signal -- A Deplorable Tragedy-The Union Advocate-The Stars and Stripes-Placer Weekly Argus-James B. McQuillan-T. Glan- eey-Dutch Flat Forum-Placer Times-Colfax Enterprise -Mountain Echo - Roseville Farmer- The Advance- The Caucasian-Tahoe Tattler-Placer Times.

ONE of the pleasant features of pioneer life on the Pacific Coast was the presence of the newspaper. With the rush of people to the mining regions books were left behind. The emigration was mainly com- posed of young, intelligent, enterprising and ener- getic men, those of the American element, which comprised the great majority, being fondly attached to their distant homes, anxious at all times to read the news of the world, and ambitions to take part in the National and State politics.

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History of Placer county, California, Part 66

Author: Angel, Myron; Thompson & West, pub Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West Number of Pages: 558

Author: Angel, Myron; Thompson & West, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West
Number of Pages: 558