USA > California > Yuba County > History of Yuba County, California, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks and manufactories > Part 23
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WHEATLAND LODGE, NO. 260, r. OF II.
This bølge was organized, Angust 6, 1875, with the following charter members :- J. 11. Koyes, W. M .; M. V. Sparks, O .; B. F. Daum, 14; D. A. Ostrom, S .; J. M. 6, Jasper, A. S .; S. D. Wood, C .; Thomas Brower, T .; C. K. Dam, Secretary; E. B. Langdon, G. K .; Mra. I. G. Anspor, Cores; Mrs. K. K. Oakley, Pomom; Miss S. K. Manstiohl, Flora; Mrs. K. A. Wood, L. A. S .; Frank Kirshner, John 11. Strong, 'P. S. Ewing, Daniel Fraser, Benj. Crabtree, James W. Sowell, Buon Mausliold, Henry Findley, Samuel Kuster, Daniel Blanchard, P. L. Hutchingson, Mrs. Marin Kirshner, Mrs. I. Keyes, MrH. S. J. Spark, Mrs. A. langdon, Mrs. P. Ostrom, Mrs. M. E. Strong, Mrs. E. K. Seward, Mrs. E. J. Crabtree, Mrs. James W. Sowoll, Mrs. C. A. Muustiel, Mrs. A. Dam, Mrs. F. I .. Dam, Mrs. A. Blaurhard, Mrs. S. Hutchingson, Miss S. V. Whiting, and Miss O. B. Harding. The above nro members at tho present time, except Messrs. Langdon, Strong, Ewing, and Crabtree, and Mrs. Langdon, Mrs. Strong, Mrs. Crabirer, and Miss Harding, The grango has a membership of fifty eight, and has had as high as sixty-five. It owns property to the value of $150, and has disbursed $100 in benefits. The prosent officers are: C. K. Dam, W. 31. ; A. M. C. Jasper, O .; D. A. Ostrom, 1% .; Frank Kirshner, S .: S. D. Wood, A. S .; Mrs. J. H. Koyes, 6; P. I. Hutchingson, T .; 1. W. Hutlaker, Secretary ; J. H. Koyes, O. K .; Mrs. J. M. C. Jasper, Ceres; Mrs. A. W. Oakley, Pomona; Mrs. D. A. Ostrom, Flora ; Mrs. Charles Schlosser, L. A. S. The regular meetings are hell on the first and third Saturdays of each month, at (hdl Follows' Hall, Wheatland.
WHEATLAND HDOR AND LADDER CO., NO. 1.
In June, 1874, but n short time after the town was incorporated. a volunteer hook and ladder compumy was formed for the purpose of protecting the town against fire. The first officers were :- W. W. Ilolland, Foreman: E. Bevan, First Assistant; F. Walsh, Second Assistant; J. E. Moody, Secretary : J. F. Baun, Treasurer; John Steineman, Steward. The council purchased two Indders, fifty buckets, two axes, two hundred feet of rope, one thousand feet of hose, a look
and ladder truck, a lose cart, and a steel triangle, the last being for an alarm. The company disbanded in 1877, and the ladders, hose etc., lie in the lower part of the town hall. The hose was used hy attaching it to the pininps the town had erected in various places. There was another organization in 1874, called the
EUREKA HOSE COMPANY.
This company purchased uniforms and petitioned the council for the hose, but that body decided to leave all the apparatus in the hands of the hook and ladder company, so the hose company soon after dis- banded. In July, 1877, there was an unsuccessful attempt made to organize another company, to be called the
INDEPENDENT FIRE COMPANY.
Since that time nothing has been done, and they seem to be waiting for some fire to kindle their enthusiasm.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
The first services of this denomination in Wheatland were held by Rov. 11. HI. Parks, several years ago. The church society was formed, October, 3, 1876, with the following officers :--- W. J. McFee and S. L. Walkor, Deacons; M. A. Scott, Clerk. These gentlemen are also the present officers. Mrs. M. A. Scott was the delegate to the Association. The chinch has a membership of seventeen, and does not sustain a Sunday School. The society has no church edifice, and only occasional services are held. Rev. G. J. Burchett was the first pastor, and since his departure there has been no regular onc.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
This church society was organized in February, 1878, and has a membership of nineteen. For some time previous to the formation of the society, Elder Pendergast, of Woodland, Rev. G. R. Hand of Sacramento, and Elder Thomas held occasional services here. Rev. R. H. Boyles was pastor of the church until March, 1879, since which time there has heen no regular minister. The society has no church edifice, and holds its services in the Methodist church. No Sunday School is maintained hy this denomination.
GRACE EPISCOPAL MISSION.
The first Episcopal service in Wheatland was held in 1871, by Rev. Wm. H. Hill, in Odd Fellows' Hall. Later, Geo. R. Davis preached in the South Methodist church. The mission was formed, August 16, 1874, and has at present eighteen communicants. The church edifice was erected in 1875 at a cost $1,200. The first officers of the mis- sion were :- N. H. Shepherd, Warden; C. Stoddard, Treasurer; H Coruforth, Clerk. The present ones are :- N. H. Shepherd, Warden; Charles Justis, Treasurer; C. Stoddard, Clerk. The first pastor was
Rev. John Cornell. After his departure there was no pastor for two years. Rev. Thomas Smith took charge of the mission in August, 1878. No Sunday School is maintained at present.
CHAPTER XXVII.
ROSE BAR TOWNSHIP.
Changes in Boundaries - Present Limits- Settlement-Interesting Incidents-Industries Speet's Camp-Rose Bar-Gatesville, or Sucker Flat-Cape Horn-Cordua Bar-Saw Mill Bar-Landers' Bar-Kennebee Bar-Sand Hill-Timbuctoo-Smartsville-Rose Bar Lodgy, No. 39, F. & A. M .- Fredonia Lodge, No. 198, I. O. O. F .- Sucker Flat Division, No. 119, Sons of Temperanee-Mountain Guard Lodge, No. 206, I. O. G. T .- Sucker Flat Division, No. 2, A. O. H .- Union Church-Church of the Immaculate Conception.
AT the first subdivision of the county into fifteen townships, made by the Court of Sessions, August 24, 1850, the territory now em- braced in Rose Bar township, was partly in Town number eleven, and partly in number twelve. The northern portion was in number eleven, and the southern in number twelve. The district at that time known as the town of Rose, was Town number three. It ex- tended from the south fork to the middle fork of the Yuba river, and north to the present county line. The next division was made by the Court of Sessions, August 7, 1851, making eleven townships. Rose Bar was all in Parks Bar township, number three, which extended from the mouth of Dry creek to the mouth of Deer creek, and south to Bear river. The townsbip, at that time called Rose Bar was num- ber ten, and lay wholly in what is now Sierra county, its eastern boundary being the state line. After Sierra county had been formed, the Court of Sessions, October 7, 1852, divided the county into ten townships. Township number three was the same as formed at the former subdivision, but the name was changed from Parks Bar to Rose Bar. The Board of Supervisors, October 10, 1856, formed ten townships, making Rose Bar number four, with nearly the same territory as at present, except that a strip from the bottom was put in Bear River num- ber three. The last partition was made by the Board of Supervisors, September 17, 1861. By this the boundaries of Rose Bar township were established as follows :- Beginning at the northwest corner of section thirty-five, township fifteen N., range five E .; thence north to the middle of Yuba river; thence up the middle of Yuba river, to the mouth of Deer creek; thence south on the line between Yuba and Nevada counties, to the northeast corner of East Bear River town- ship; thence west on line of said township, to the point of commence- ment.
Referring the reader to the general history for events prior to January 1, 1851, we will state the condition of Rose Bar township at that date. All along the river bank, and back in the ravines, were hundreds of busy miners at work, delving for the golden grains. Aside from these, there was but little settlement in the township. We find
LITH. BY C. L. SMITH & CO. OAKLAND. CAL.
RESIDENCE OF JOSEPH A. FLINT, SMARTSVILLE, ROSE BAR TP., YUBA CO. CAL.
LITH.C.L. SMITH DAKLAND,CAL.
RESIDENCE OF J. O'BRIEN, SMARTSVILLE, ROSE BAR TP. YUBA CO.,CAL.
83
HISTORY OF YUBA COUNTY CALIFORNIA.
a Mr. Berry and wife keeping a public place in a little log honse, which they built in the winter of 1849, on the present site of the E'in- pire Ranch. On the old Sacramento road, where John Walsh's toll linse now stands, was a man named Trip, who had built a small log house there in the fall of 1850, and kept a public house. A little north of Trip were two men from Rhode Island, whose names we do not know. Other than these there were no settlements in Rose Bar township, except in the mines. The changes and settlements in 1851 were not very mmerons. March 2, 1851, Thomas Mooney and Michael Riley, who had arrived in the State in 1849, came up from Sacra. mento where they had been keeping a livery stalde, bought out Berry und wife, and established the Empire Ranch. The Berry family re- turned to Missouri, and soon after they both died. The same spring the Uuiou Ranch was settled by Craig, Stewart, and O'Brien. They kept n public house, teamed and butchered. They only remained there two years. One of the two Rhode Island emigrants died this year, und was buried wear the road. The prosent highway from Smartsville to Whentland runs past his grave. Ilis partner abandoned the sut- tlement and wont away. Hunt and Mckenzie sottled on tho Sacra- monto rond in the winter of 1851, and kept a public house. This unce has for a long timo been known as Vineyard's, William B. Vine- yord taking it in 1854.
The most important of tho settlements was that at the Empire Ranch. This was a rallying point for the miners nul Indians for miles around. Mr. Mooney establishod a trading post thero and kept a hotel. Hle lud two tenms running to Sacramento for goods and could not keep himself supplied. Sumlay was a great galn day at the Empire Ranch. Tho minors assomblod there to pass away the time in sports und convivial pleasures. When Mooney bought the place he pur- chused an oll hon and rooster that Berry had brought across the plains. They were what might be called the pioneer chickens of the county, und cost him one hundred dollars. He also bought two cows and a hoifor. The first brood of chickens, in 1851, contained sixteen little peupers that were worth more than their weight in gold. He sold four of them, that had the misfortuno to be hatched roosters, to the miners fer twenty-five dollars a piece. With these they got up a shooting match using their revolvers. With the milk he obtained from the two cows he minde five pails of milk punch every Sunday. With the chickens aml tho punch the miners had a great deal of sport. Twenty baskets of champagne, one hundred and fifty boxes of claret. and many pails of milk punch wero consumed weekly.
There were a great number of Frenchmen working on the river, and they gathered at the ranch Sundays for a grand festival. Sometimes as many as fifty to a hundred sat at the tables. These were made by placing two sixteen-foot boards on elaret boxes under the trees. Great
preparations were made for these banquets. Large quantities of beef were cooked and placed on the tables in milkjans: abont ten boxes of claret were set out, and a proportional quantity of other things pro- vided. Here the Frenchmen would spend the day, having a jovial 'ime, and when night came they settled up to a penny, no record being kept of their account by Mr. Mooney. Speaking of the profit he made from the old hen and rooster and the two cows, Mr. Mooney says :- " Why, I could no more count me the money those chickens and cows " made for me tham I could fly. Taking what I received for the young " chickens, the egys, the barrels of milk punch, and the other goods I " sold to those who came to sce the shooting for instance, directly und " indirectly I made thousands of dollars.
In 1850, and part of 1851, the stages from Sacramento to Nevada ('ity crossed Bear river at Johnson's, and came np by the way of Watson's on Dry creek, Trip's place, and the Empire Ranch. When the Round Tent was put up in 1851, they changed the ronte, going from John- son's over the hills and past that place. Mooney brought some horses up from Sacramento, and in 1851, with a man named Rubey, started the first stage line from Marysville to Nevada City. In 1852, there was an Indian trading post established back of the Empire Ranch by Lovell and Norris. The competition was too strong for them, how. ever, and they did not understand how to manage the Indians, so that after a while they moved away. Since then the better lands have been gradually taken up by settlers.
The soil of the township is almost exclusively that which is known as red dirt, although small patches of sand and clay occasionally appear. This red dirt is plentifully intermixed with gravel and stones, and not well adapted to agriculture, except in the ravines and small valloys that nestle among the hills, and on the lower land on the western cilge of the township. Stock raising is the chief pastoral industry, large hands of sheep grazing on the rolling hills. Poultry raising is quite an industry among the ranchers. The surface of the township is very rough. Commencing with the barien rolling hills, it gradually rises and becomes more broken until at the Nevada county line the hills reach an altitude of about four hundred feet above the sea level, and are quite rugged and covered with timber, of which pine, fir, white oak, and manzanita are the leading varieties. The larger timber has been cut out, leaving chiefly the smaller growth. The chief agricultural products are wbent and hay. Quite a number of vineyards have been planted in the valleys and on the hill-sides. The region is essentially a mining one, and on this industry it depends chiefly for its prosperity and the support of its population. At Smarts- ville, Timbuctoo, and Sucker Flat are the immense hydraulic mines that have been worked for twenty-four years. At Timbnctoo bave been prospected and located a number of quartz ledges. Only one of
tlase has bad any considerable amount of work done upon it. Further back from the river, a few other quartz leads have been located and are being worked in a small way, especially near the " Lone Tree." This ine stands all alone on a high hill towards the southern portion of the township, and has given the name to thut locality and to the school district in which it is situated. We give the history of the towns and mining camps in their chronological order.
SPECT'S CAMI'.
This camp on Yuka river, just above Timburton ravine and near the old cemetery of 1819, was the phie where goll was first found in paying quantities. Jonas Speet, of Colisa, June 2. 1848, after tinding gold in small quantities on Rose Bar, dng at this point in the after- Hoon, and washed out three pieces of gold, worth seven dollars, Hlo camped here and connueneed work. The locality was well known in 1848 as Speet's Camp, by all the miners then working on the river. Hle land a store in Roso Bar tlant fall, und abandoned the mix's in November, 1848.
ROSK DAIL
This well known bar has the honor of being the first point on Yuba river, where gold was discovered. Jonas Spect, of Colusa, found gold att this point, Jime 2, 1848, but not. in paying quantities, and went fur- ther down the stream. The next man we hear of at Rose Bar, was a Mr. Inman, later in June; Clande Chuna, of Whoatland, camo thero a few days after. He says :- " I met a man narged Inumu, who camo "overland with me in 1846, just before I got to the bar. Ho said he " had been working there a few days, but could only make five dedlars " per day and so left to find a bettor place." Chana, however, weut on to the bar and commenced to work, and with five Indians, mado ono hundred and fifty dollars cach the first day, at the same spot Innan had deserted. They siingdy dug a little deeper. This was the first actnal working of the bar. In July, 1848, Jolm Roso came to tho bar with about a dozen men, from tho American river. Accompany- ing the party was John Ray, with his wife and several children. This was the first family at the bar.
That fall John Rose and his partner, William J. Reynolds, started a store at the bar. Rose did the huying at Sacramento, and in that way the locality became known as Rose Bar. Jonas Spect had a store here, kept hy Mr. Mellvain. Most of the company abandoned tho place that fall, but others arriving, increased the number to twenty-fivo by the first of January, 1849. There had been heretofore room enongh, and to spare. The miners were not confined to any particular location, but worked at any point that suited their fancy. When the miners began to arrive from the East, it became a little crowded, and in the spring of 1849 a meeting was held, at which it was decided
84
HISTORY OF YUBA COUNTY. CALIFORNIA.
that's claim should be our hundred feet moser, and that the miner should be confined to his claim. Rose, Reynolds and Kinloch, a yuong man they had taken into partnership. furnished beef from their rubeh in finda township.
In September, 1849, a company of fifty men, among whom was William H. Parks, cononeneed to dam the river, so as to mine the bed. They candoted the dam, and commenced work early in Octo- ber. The ring set in on the eighth, and in two days the water over- Howed the dam and washed it away. In the few days' work they Ind taken out. one thousand dollars each. A few days before the destruction of the dum, Mr. Parks sold out, and with an experienced baker started a store, bakery, and boarding house. During the year the bar became very populons, und in 1850, there were two thousand men working here. At that time there were thivo stores, one of which was kopt by Baxter & States, there boarding houses, two sidoons, bakeries, blacksmith shops, etc. The course of the river was turned Hoven conseenlive years, the last time in 1857. But little work war ilon høre after timt, nad now the bur is covered by tailings frou the mines, nonny Eret. in dejdh. When the high water camo during the winter of 1849, the miners moved back into the ravines, where they found vory rich surface diggings, Squaw creek was a very rich locality. One of those ravines was worked by a man named Gates, undl a lown collecting thero in 1850, it was called
GATESVILLE, On SUCKED FLAT.
The latter une wus given it beeanse Gatos was a native of Illinois. A store was started hero that winter by a man named MeCall. Rose Bnr was on the river and Sneker Flat just back of it, the two places bring panelically one. In is51, the joint population was three hun- dred men and five women. The nearest post-otlice was nt Parks Bar, a fow milos lolow mal on the opposite side of the Yuba river. Rose « Reynolds closed ont their business in 1850. L. B. Clark had a story at Rose Bar also. When the har login to be worked out and tho hydraulie mines wore developed, Sucker Flat became quite a town, med Rese Bir was abandoned. Daniel Donohue purchased Me- V'ill's old store in 1853, mdl a few other stores were started. In 1858, a tiro destroyed Douoliun's store, several other small stores, and a gront many dwellings. Rose Bar is now covered up with tailings from the mines, and Suckor Flat is simply a place of residence for the men who work in the hydraulic mines, Thore are now three small saloons, two boarding houses, and from fifty to sixty miners' cottages. Tw population is about three Indred. Smartsville is now the base of supplies for the people of Sucker Flat.
CAPE HORN.
Just above Cordua Bar, the river makes a sweep around
the base of a high hill. This point was worked in the summer of 1>19, by a Connectient company that had come around the Horn, and they christened it Cape Horn. This company was sully afflicted with the scurvy, and in August and September, all but a few died. The survivors tenderly buried their dead comrades on the side of the hill just back of the camp, and erected to their memory wooden tomb-stones, with inscriptions on each giv- ing the name aml residence of the departed one. The bones of many of these unfortunate young men, for they were all young, have been removed in later years by relatives, aml carried to their former homes in Connecticut to be interred in the family burial grounds. Some of theso graves and old head-boards can yet he seen, and the spot is known as tho " Cemetery of 1849."
CORDUA BAR.
This was a small bar near the Timbuctoo ravine, and just below Spect's Camp. Work was commenced here early in 1849. Theodore Cordna opened a store from which fact the bar derived its name. The placo was small and soon worked out. It is now covered ahout sixty feet deep with tailings from the Smartsville and Timbnetoo hydraulic mines.
SAW-MILL BAR.
Opposite Parks Bar, miners commenced work in the summer of 18-19. A store was kept here by Taylor, Smith & Talcott. These gentlemen built a saw-mill in November, 1849. From this mill the har derived its name. The mill was in operation tbat winter, and was abandoned in 1850. The first mining organization formed here was the Canal Mining Company, in May, 1850. There were thirty- one men in the company, which was formed for the purpose of drain- ing the river. From the tentb to the fifteentb of September, this company took out fifteen thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight dollars. John V. Berry was a member of this company, and Mrs. Berry was the first lady at the bar. She is now teaching school at Smartsville. William Torrence and wife, John Ginn, and Hugb Mc- Kennon kept a boarding house and store in 1849. Mrs. Torrence made pies which sold for fifty cents a quarter. This bar has met tbe same fate as the others, and is now deep under mining debris.
LANDERS' BAR.
This bar was situated just wbere the county line meets the mouth of Deer creek. The first mining was done bere in 1850. The bar, though small, was quite rich and formed the last of a continuous chain of bars extending from Deer creek to Long Bar.
KENNEBEC BAR.
In October, 1849, the Kennebec company, from Maine, located just
opposite the lower end of Long Bar, and called the place Kennebec Bar. They built a large log house capable of accommodating a dozen men, and put a stone fire-place iu it. They also built a saw-mill which was operated that winter. Several others came the same winter, and three more cabins were huilt. The bar was yielding only eleven dol- lars per day, and in March the company abandoned it and went to Downieville. The bar never amountod to much, and was not very rich.
SAND HILL.
When the miners began to work back from the bars on the river in 1850, they found in the ravines very rich surface digging. A number of miners' hints were located back of Cordua Bar, on a hill just north of Timbuctoo, and in 1852 a man named Jim Crow put up a large round tent, in which he kept a saloon. A hotel was built a little later, and the place became known as Sand Hill. A storo was kept by a man named William Gregory. When hydraulic mining was commenced, it was discovered that the location of Sand Hill was a very rich mining ground, and the people began moving across the ravine to Timbuctoo. By 1856, they had all left the old locality, "The ground belongs to tbe Excelsior Company, and has been all worked out. The old site of the town has been washed away to a depth of about two hundred feet. A few kilns of lnick were made here, but the material was not good and it was abandoned.
TIMBUCTOO.
The first mining was done in the ravines about Timbuctoo in 1850; William Monigan, who had a store at Rose Bar in 1850, was one of the first to work here. A negro was working in one of the ravines, and from this fact the ravine near the town was christened Timbuctoo by William Monigan and L. B. Clark. A number of cabins were early built in the vicinity, but the first house was erected by William Gregory, early in 1855. It still stands just east of the post-office. A hotel was built in February, 1855, by Jacob Dufford. It stood across the road from the post-office, and was burned in the fire of June, 1878. Timbuctoo was the largest and most thriving locality in the township in 1859. At that time there were two hotels, six boarding houses, eight saloons in addition to the bars in the hotels and boarding houses, one bank, one drug store, two general stores, three clothing and dry good stores, three shoe shops, one blacksmith shop, two carpenter shops, one lumber yard, one livery stable, oue barber shop, three bakeries, two tobacco and cigar stores, one church, and one theater. Another hotel was built in 1861, and a school house in 1862. The vote of this pre- cinct was at its highest about eight hundred, and the total population about twelve hundred. In 1859, a union church was built by sub- scriptions of the citizens, and a saloon was remodeled for this purpose,
RESIDENCE OF A.P. BROWN, SMARTSVILLE, ROSE. BAR TP. YUBA CO. CAL.
85
HISTORY OF YUBA COUNTY CALIFORNIA.
The Methodist Episcopal denomination was the only one that land a regular organization. In 1878, the church was sold, torn down, and the materials used in the construction of a barn. In 1859, a fine wexler thenter with a brick basement was erected. 16 had a seating capacity of eight hundred, and was frequently occupied by traveling companies, The old ruin still stands on the north side of the road, wml is now occupied by Chinamen. The first school at Timbuetoo was kryt by a Mr. Potter in 1856. The public school house was Imilt in 1862. In 1873, it was moved to Smartsville, and joined to the one at thul pleo. The cemetery, lying just west of the place, was started in 1855. The first burial was that of the three men shot by Jim Web- Htar in 1855, It was fenced in two years later. In June, 1878, n fire destroyed the post office, a meat market, saloon, the first hotel, und several dwellings. The population is at present about two hundred whites mund one hundred and fifty Chinese. A. W. Thorp is post. master, and keops a saloon and small stock of varieties. Besides this, there are one surill general store, four Chinese stores, one Chinese wash house, mund about thirty dwelling houses.
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