USA > California > Placer County > History of Placer county, California > Part 83
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APPLEGATE.
The region including Applegate was first settled upon in 1849 by Lisbon Applegate, and a vil- lage grew which bore the name of Lisbon, in honor of the pioneer settler. The locality was on the road from Auburn to Illinoistown. The pre- cinct was first designated as the Bear River House, but in 1855 received the name of Lisbon, a post- office being then established under that name, with G. W. Applegate as postmaster. The voting popula- tion numbered from twenty-five to fifty, through a series of years, the majority being anti-Democratic -- Whig, Know Nothing, and Republican, in their order-until the abolishing of the precinct, in 1871.
Here is one of the finest fruit regions of the State, as has been demonstrated by the success of Mr. Geo. W. Applegate and others of the locality. At an early day Mr. Applegate planted a nursery, and also cultivated hay and grain, fencing in upwards of 1,100 acres of mountain land. From his nursery he has extended his vineyards and orehards until his trees are numbered in thousands and his grapevines in hundred thousands. Apple, pear, plum, peach,
ALTA 208 M. from S.l
WELLS FARGO EXPRESS
TICKET OFFICE C PAR
LADIES ENTRANCE
BAR ROOM
POST
COR
BANVARD'S HOTEL, ALTA, PLACER CO. CALIFORNIA.
365
TOWNS AND LOCALITIES.
quince, fig, orange, and almond, are the principal trees; grapes of every variety, and berry bushes and vines in great number. In connection with this extensive vineyard are cider-mills, wine-presses and tanks, stills for brandy-making, wine cellar and store-houses, and all the appurtenances necessary to 80 extensive a business. Such is one of the mount- ain ranches and vineyards. The land lies in United States survey, townships 13 and 14 north, range 9 east, Mount Diablo base and meridian.
Applegate is the station on the Central Pacific Railroad contiguous to this region. It is ten miles northeast of Auburn, at an elevetion of 2,014 feet above the sea, and is in Township No. 4, of the political divisions of Placer County.
AUBURN.
Auburn, the county seat and principal town of Placer County, is on the line of the Central Pacific Railroad, thirty-six miles northeast of Sacramento, the depot having an elevation of 1,360 feet above tide water, the principal portion of the village being forty or fifty feet lower.
The history of Placer County is so much the his- tory of Auburn that a special reference may appear superfluous. The town antedates the county some years, the gold-digger having sought its hidden wealth as early as 1848. The first, however, that it bore a habitation and a name was early in 1849, when it was called the " North Fork Dry Diggings," the name of Auburn being given in the fall, as shown from an old diary quoted on page 79 of this book. Some have referred to Auburn as formerly bearing the name of " Wood's Dry Diggings," but of this we have no recollection nor contemporaneous record, and conclude that such appellation was not generally applied.
The locality is a concentration of small gulches, or ravines, constituting a larger one, flowing almost due west into the Sacramento Valley, where the water is lost in the plain. These ravines were rich in gold, and upon the site of Auburn many miners, in the summer of 1849, pitched their tents, and with pans, crevicing knives and spoons, and rockers, dug for the precious metal. Cabins were construeted as | pleased the builders' faney, and when pack-animals and wagons subsequently eame they sought their passage way as most convenient, and thus marked out the streets of the future town, resulting in a picturesque irregularity.
The existence of gold in the ravines had been proven in 1848, and the centrality of Auburn, its accessibility, and its proximity to the North Fork, pointed it out as a good trading-point and a good place to pass the winter. Several stores were opened in the summer of 1849, and then stores comprised all business houses in the mines, being saloon, eating, gambling, and lodging-house. For cooking and lodg- ing, the miner or traveler usually depended on his own resources, seldom troubling any store or other
house for accommodation. The first of these stores were established about the middle of July, 1849, by Wm. Gwynn and II. M. House. Shortly after, Julius Wetzler, in company with Capt. John A. Sutter, started a trading-post under the firm name of Wetz- ler & Co. George Willment and W. B. Disbrow, Jo- seph Walkup and Samuel B. Wyman, Wm. H. Parkin- son and Wm. Leet, Bailey & Kerr, and Post & Ripley, were also store-keepers in 1849. Quite a large com- munity gathered there in the fall to pass the winter, among them a number from Otsego County, New York, who had come by sea around Cape Horn and brought quite a large amount of goods, which they sold from their cabins without calling them stores; one of these was Wm. M. Gates, afterwards a prom- inent lawyer in the State of Nevada. Many others spent their first California winter in that compara- tively pleasant locality, who in the spring rushed off to the rivers and to other mining regions. But Auburn was then fixed as a trading eenter, and has so continued. As a town of 1849 it was composed of tents, cloth-houses and log-cabins, with canvas roofs, and in a few instances were roofs made of shakes split from the pine trees which were abund- ant in the neighborhood. In the summer of 1850 more pretentious buildings were constructed, and frames, and clapboards, and paint, and plank floors made their appearance.
At present one cannot view the pleasant town, with its many fine public and business houses, its handsome dwellings embowered in fruit and shade trees, and its general air of thrift and comfort, with- out recurring to the beautiful lines of Goldsmith, descriptive of the happy days of another village, whose name is adopted in this :-
" Sweet Auburn ! loveliest village of the plain, Where health and plenty cheer the laboring swain; Where smiling spring its earliest visit pays, And parting summer's lingering bloom delays- Dear, lovely bowers of innocence and erse, Seats of my youth, where every spot can please- How oft do I loiter o'er thy green, Where humble happiness endears each scene; How often do I pause on every charm- The sheltered cot, the cultivated farm, The never-failing stream, the busy mill, The decent church that crowns the neighboring hill,
The willows green, with walks beneath the shade, For talking age and whispering lovers made."
During its history Auburn has experienced many vicissitudes; business, in its first decade, fluctuating with the success and movements of the miners, but with the development of the varied resources of the county greater stability marks its prosperity. In the division of the State into counties it was included in Sutter, of which it afterwards become the county seat, as is related in chapters XVIII and XIX of this work.
GREAT FIRES.
Several times fire has swept its streets of build- ings and hard-earned fortunes from its citizens, but " Resurgam " has been its motto, and a handsomer village than before has followed each conflagration.
366
HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
The first and most destructive occurred on June 4, 1855. The fire originated in one of the Chinese houses on the side of the hill below the Methodist Church, spreading with fearful rapidity, and seeming fairly to lick up the buildings as it went. Those residing on the south side of the town were unable to secure mueh from the devouring element. The time occupied in the burning was one hour and twenty-five minutes.
LIST OF LOSSES.
Hawkins & Co. (Placer Press). $ 4.000
Hall & Hardy ..
600
M. P. H. Love. 800
Allen & Duncan
5,200
Dr. S. P. Thomas 2,000
M. E. Mills 800
James Anderson
800
George Willment.
4,000
Thomas Holden ..
3,000
J. C. Baker & Co. 8,000
Wm. K. Parkinson. 2,000
L. Newman & Co
1,500
Saml. Hyneman. 5,500
Theo. B. Hotchkiss
2,000
B. Goodkind & Co 1,300
James Mudsell. 1,500
Woddy & Barney
4,000
Charles Palmer
3,000
Robert Fisher. 2,000
Wm. Miller. 2,000
Ferrell & Brewster
8,000
Robert Gordon.
5,000
W. F. Norcross
3,500
Tupper's estate
500
Adams & Co
500
Foster & Burtis
500
Placer County
13,000
P. W. Thomas.
1,500
S. E. Roussin
5,000
Echols & Lloyd 10,000
J. Myres
300
Henson Hazell 600
J. Q. Jackson.
2,000
L. Sanders. 2,500
George Lans. 300
Tabb Mitchell (Placer Herald) 2,500
H. T. Holmes.
8,000
Dr. Wickes & Co.
1,000
M. Oberdeener ..
1,000
Wm. Steven
1,500
Charles Morrison
5,000
H. M. House
20,000
George H. Stephens
10,000
Dr. Kinsey
15,000
Capt.
2,000
A. Robbins
2,500
Odd Fellows.
1,500
Wm. Murphy.
800
Eberly, Gove & Co
3,500
J. M. Van Mater.
1,500
Davidson & Marcs.
1,500
A. Davidson ..
9,000
Jos. Hennian
2,000
Mr. Fewing .. 200
Munsell & Rice
1,000
Dr. Traphagen
500
Palmer & Milwaine.
4,000
Murray & Lofe
2,000
James Walsh. 200
T. H. Oliver 1,000
W. D. Chapman 800
Mr. Kitter 500
Richard Sanders. 3,000
Methodist Parsonage. 500
Michael Jamison 300
Sautena
650
Anyo 6,000
Chỉng Chang.
6,000
Lung Wa. 5,000
E. Shing 2,500
Geo. H. Kehner.
3,000
California Stage Co 1,500
James H. Clark
1,000
Total.
$215,100
With characteristic energy the town was rebuilt larger and more substantial than before, only to meet a like fate on the 9th of October, 1859. The fire originated in a small frame building, two doors south of the American Hotel, occupied by some col- ored men as a restaurant. From. the place where first seen, the fire spread rapidly on all sides, envel- oping building after building in rapid succession, and driving their inmates forth in haste. But few min- utes elapsed before both sides of the street were in flames, which then ran north and south with a fury that seemed to threaten the total annihilation of the town, but fortunately the walls of the brick houses proved bulwarks that broke the force of the storm, and enabled the citizens to make a successful fight against further destruction. From the Amer- ican Hotel to Russel's orchard, on the west side of' the street, and from the residence of Wm. McDaniel to the banking house of Hall & Allen, on the east side, all the houses were destroyed. Before the embers had cooled. busy preparations began for re-building, and, before dark, lumber was on the ground ready for re-building. The loss was about 8119,000.
Another fire occurred October 28, 1863, in which nineteen buildings were destroyed, with a loss of about $60,000. These repeated losses had the effect of stimulating the erection of safer buildings, and those put up for business purposes in succeeding years have been mainly of briek and stone, and fire- proof in their construction. Other destructive fires are noticed under the proper heading in this book.
INCORPORATION OF AUBURN.
During 1855, and for some years, the subject of a town incorporation was persistently advocated by the Whig and Herald, the two papers then guarding the interests of the place. As presenting the condi- tion of the town, and reasons for the incorporation, an editorial upon the subject in the Herald of Janu- ary 9, 1856, is here inserted :---
During the month of April last, the subject of petitioning the County Court for a town incorpora- tion, was somewhat discussed by our citizens, and a petition to that effect was put in circulation. For
I. W. Credit. 2,000
367
TOWNS AND LOCALITIES.
some reasons, the project was not carried into execu- tion.
By reference to the files of the Auburn Whig, of the 18th of April and the 5th of May, 1855, we find the attention of our citizens called to the matter in two well-written articles, by the editor of that paper. The necessities of the move, the law upon the sub- ject, and the entire question is so ably treated therein, that we will extract from those articles such portions as our space will permit, but would recom- mend those interested, and who have the files of those dates, to read every word he has there written.
In the article of the 28th of April, he says: " One great peril necessarily ineurred in a thickly-built town or village, is that of conflagration, a danger to which, by reason of our numerous Chinese population, we are particularly liable. The extremely loose and careless customs of that people are too generally known and understood to require any comment from us, and it is for them in a great measure that we have reason for apprehension."
The words in italic seem almost prophetic, where we recall the fact that on the 4th of June following, the fire which laid our village in ashes originated in one of the dens of that tribe.
The Chinese portion of the town is much more extensive now than it was then. Many more of that people are here now than then, and although we have, in re-building the town, erected some barriers calculated to stay an entire sweep of the town, in case of another fire, in the shape of some good fire-proof brick buildings, yet, we apprehend a fire in Chinatown would, in all likelihood, destroy as great an amount of property now as it did before, when the whole town was consumed. Perhaps if there had been a town corporation, the calamity might nevertheless have befallen us; certainly suffi- cient pohce arrangements can be instituted to lessen the danger fifty per cent.
Further: " The condition of our streets and alleys is not at all times such as we could desire, yet the obstruction existing, and the remedies required are not properly under the control of the Road Super- visor."
We will just call attention to the streets in front of the Orleans, and Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express office, in verification of this extract, at the present time. Here, we are the center of an extensive stage travel, strangers visiting us daily; the county seat of a large county, the entertainers of our fellow-citizens from all parts of the county attending upon the Courts, and drawn here from their necessities in other matters connected with a county seat, and yet we have none but miry streets without crossings or a system of sidewalks for them to walk upon.
The law provides that whenever the majority of the electors of any town or village shall petition the county court to that effect, the court shall proceed to incorporate the town, and order an election of a Board of Trustees, Assessor, Treasurer, and Marshal; said officers to hold for one year, and their pay to be fixed by the Board of Trustees. The powers of the Trustees, as fixed by law, are ' to prevent and remove nuisances; to provide for licensing public shows and lawful games; to prohibit disorderly conduct; to regulate and establish markets; to construct pumps, aqueducts, reservoirs, or other works for supplying the town with water; to keep in repair public wells; to lay out, alter and keep open and repair the streets and alleys of the town; to provide such means as they may deem necessary to protect the town from injuries by fire, and to pass such other laws and
ordinances for the regulation and police of the town as they may deem necessary.
Such, after an examination of the acts passed upon the subject, we find to be substantially the law in relation thereto, with this addition, that they may have a Recorder, with the powers of a Justice of the Peace in criminal and ordinance violations, within the limits of the corporations, if they desire it. It seems admirably adapted to our necessities; the expense of the administration can be gauged by the judgment of our citizens. Elect your Board of Trustees from among your property-holders, and they are not likely to produce a necessity for taxing themselves.
We are painfully sensible that the fire has crippled our citizens in their resources, and we incline to favor this move, from the fact that it will produce greater results, a more uniform improvement, and excellent police arrangements much cheaper than in any other way. The revenue from fines, the license from shows, etc., would of itself not be inconsiderable. Most of the officers, we have no doubt (as it would not require more than two hours a week), would serve gratis, and those it would be necessary to pay could draw it from the fees of office.
Aside from all other considerations, it is something of a favor that this is the county seat of a large and populons county, where our eitizens come and spend their money, and we owe them something in the way of keeping up a comfortable, pleasant, orderly town.
We have been led to make these remarks at this time from the fact that a petition is again in circula- tion to effect this, as we think, desirable object. We hope it will not fall still-born again, but that our citizens will pursue the undertaking to the consum- mation so devoutly to be wished for.
The town of Auburn was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature approved March 29, 1861. The area of the town was fixed by the Act at one and one-fourth miles square, having the Court House as the centre. On the 30th of March, 1868, the Act of incorporation was repealed, and since that time the citizens of Auburn have got along as best they could without any town government.
A RAILROAD TOWN.
From a very early date, Auburn aspired to be a railroad center, and large sums of money were expended in advocating and assisting such enter- prises. From 1832 to 1860, the subject was kept before the people. While incorporated, the town, June 4, 1860, voted a subsidy of $50,000 to the Sacramento, Placer and Nevada Railroad, and sue- ceeded in having a line constructed to within five miles of the town, the history of which is elsewhere given. Auburn depot was established at the terminus, and several lines of stages connected the depot with the town by frequent trips. A large amount of freight and travel was thus brought through Auburn, giving it a lively appearance and a profitable busi- ness. But this, Auburn's railroad and hope, was of short life. A greater railroad, with a more direct and practicable route, approached from Sacramento and absorbed its business. This was the Central Pacific, which was completed to Auburn and com-
368
HISTORY OF PLACER COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
menced running to the present depot. on the south- ern border of the village, on the 22d of May, 1865. The hope had been entertained that the railroad would pass through the center of the town, but this being impracticable, all became satisfied with the location, and Auburn congratulated itself upon being most happily situated.
Among the institutions of Auburn was the Cali- fornia Stage Company, which, in September, 1855, published the following advertisement, which shows the rates of travel at that period :---
FARE REDUCED.
The coaches of the California Stage Company leave Auburn as follows: From Auburn to Sacra- mento, every day at 7, 10, and 12 A. M; from Auburn to Grass Valley, Nevada, and Forest City, 12 and 2 P. M .; from Auburn to Yankee Jim's, Todd's Val- ley, and Michigan Bluff, 2 P. M .; from Auburn to Illinoistown, Iowa Hill, and Cold Springs, 2 P. M .; from Auburn to Marysville, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at 1 o'clock P. M.
On and after Saturday, August 4, 1855, the rates of fare will be as follows :--
From Sacramento to Anburn $2 00
6. " Illinoistown 3 00
6.
. Grass Valley 3 00 Nevada. 3 00
Returning from the above places, the rates of fare will be the same to Sacramento.
Offices: Orleans Hotel, 2d Street, Sacramento. Empire Hotel, Auburn.
Egbert's Hotel, Illinoistown. Beattie House, Grass Valley.
Metropolis, Oriental, and United States Hotels, Nevada.
This was a time of opposition, the usual fare from Sacramento to Auburn being $5.00.
A BUSINESS VIEW.
Auburn has a population of nearly 2,000 people. There is a good public school of four departments. There are several churches, and more projected. The benevolent institutions comprise lodges of Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Good Templars, and Sons of Temperance.
The scenery in the vicinity of Auburn is grand, and the climate, though warmer in summer than that prevailing along the coast, is extremely healthful. Residences on the main streets are surrounded with the prettiest of gardens, filled with shade and fruit trees and flowers of every hue, which make the atmosphere fragrant with their odors. There is no healthier spot in the State. The main portion of the town is about 1,300 feet above the sea-level-an elevation sufficient to lift it above the fogs of the valley, and yet not high enough to bring it within the storm-area of the Sierra. Snow is seldom seen, and then only remains for a few hours. At the present time it is the center of a large and increasing trade. The numerous mines located in the imme- diate vieinity furnish employment to a large number
of men. The towns and mining camps on the For- est Hill Divide also draw their supplies from this point. Considerable quantities of fruit and wine of excellent quality is produced by the farmers and fruit-growers of the slopes and fertile valleys; so that horticulture and wine-growing have become very important industries. Silkworms are raised to a limited extent, but sufficient to show that the industry, if properly managed, might be a remuner- ative one. Wood, coal, building-stone, and iron of fine quality are convenient, giving assurance of future importance as a manufacturing centre. The greatest period of depression appears to have been in 1873, as shown by statistics of business kept by the agency of Wells, Fargo & Co., since which time it has steadily increased. The total amount of gold- dust, coin, and eurreney shipped through Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express from Auburn during the year 1881 was $434,634.65. Of the above amount $281,379 was gold-dust.
OLD SETTLERS.
We give below a list of very early settlers in Auburn, as furnished by Mr. Moses Andrews, one of the first who located there :-
Andrews, Moses Leet, W. N.
Anderson, - - Love, H. P. M.
Beaty, Abe McCormick, Mrs.
Bailey, Major Monroe, Wm.
Bailey, James Miller, Wm. E.
Cromwell, E. C.
Neistram, Chas.
Crawford, J. B.
Poland, R. C.
Craig. J. L.
Pettigrew, Wm.
Craig, Abram
Phillips, -
Culver, E. Pole, John
Dana, L. Post,
Du Bois, James
Parkinson, Jas.
Dunn, Robt.
Parkinson, Wm. H.
Dobleman, John
Phinney, Dr.
Disbrow, W. D.
Rennie, Nathaniel
Ellard, Chas.
Ripley, -
East, Thos.
Rogers, J. R.
Echols, H.
Reardon, 1. B.
Fitteplace,
Stafford, S. S.
Fuller, Richard
Smith, A. J.
Fisher, Robt.
Smith, James
Goodell, Richard
Stratton, Dr.
Gwynn, Wm. Thomas, P. W.
Gould, John
Udell, J. C.
Hall. E. M. Wheeler, Wm.
Ifonse, H. M.
Walkup, Jos.
Holladay, S. W.
Wyman, S. B.
Howell, Robt.
Willment, Geo.
Holmes, H. T.
Wainwright, Chas. L.
Hopkins, R. D.
Wordin, S. B.
Hawkins, H. R.
Wilson, Thos.
Kerr,
Whiteley, Dr.
Knight, Sam.
Whiteley, Thos.
Livingston, H. B.
Whiteridge, -
BEAR VALLEY MILL, TOWLE BROS., DUTCH FLAT.
C
KEARSARGE MILL, TOWLE BROS & CO., DUTCH FLAT, PLACER CO. CAL.
369
TOWNS AND LOCALITIES.
The following prominent Placerites are residents of San Francisco: Wm. T. Holmes, Wm. Gwynn, W. B. Lyon, Wm. Hollis, I. N. Hoin, Jas. H. Gates, Leland Stanford, Wm. H. Martin, John Mannix, E. M. Hall, John M. Currier, Jas. K. Rogers, Wm. G. Graham, A. W. Poole.
For business purposes Auburn is favorably located, having easy access to all the great mining districts of the State and Nevada, and being closely connected by rail with the principal parts of the State, so that with its many attractions, it cannot fail to become a place of general resort at no distant day.
WATER SUPPLY.
Auburn is very well supplied with water, both for domestic and other purposes. By a not very heavy outlay pipe could be laid from the ditch of the Bear River Canal Company, and fire plugs so located under sufficient pressure as to render nearly all the business portion of the town completely safe from danger of destruction by fire, and it is a wonder that this has not been done long ere this. Water of good quality is obtained from wells of not very great depth, and an occasional wind-mill is used in pump- ing for various purposes. Water-works were estab- lished, and pipes laid through the town, in 1857, by Messrs. Woodin & Smith.
In 1864 the water-works system was purchased by Wm. M. Crutcher, and has yielded a net income of about $2,000 annually. The water is delivered into three reservoirs, so situated as to command the greater portion of the town. From the reservoirs the water is conveyed in iron pipes to the various places of consumption-dwellings, hotels, stables, shops, etc .- under a pressure of sixty or seventy feet.
GREAT FRESHET.
The night of December 23, 1867, was terrible for its storm all over the lower Sierra; was particularly so to the people of Auburn. The heavy rain of the few preceding days was only as a slight shower compared with that which began at the close of that gloomy day. The water in the two branches of the ravine running through town rose to a height never before known. Buildings were lifted from their foundations and destroyed, some of the owners barely escaping from them, and saving nothing but the clothes they worc. But the destruction of prop- erty was not the most appalling feature of the occa- sion. Bordering the ravines were dwelling-houses, the flats upon which they were built being guarded along the frontage by stone walls, from the top of which to the opposite bank foot-bridges were con- structed for ingress and egress. About the time of the beginning of the flood, two little girls, daughters of W. A. Selkirk, impelled by childish curiosity, were out upon one of these bridges watching the surging torrent. Becoming giddy, no doubt, one of them fell off, but being near one edge of the water she caught some projecting shrub, and her little sister
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