Chapter XLV From Thompson & West's History of Placer County, 1882

ALTA - Antelope - Applegate - Auburn - Bogus Thunder - Brushy Cañon - Butcher Ranch - Cisco - Colfax - DARIUS V. NORTON - Clipper Gap - Damascus - Deadwood - Dutch Flat - HENRY A. FROST - HERMAN R. HUDEPOHL - Frytown - Duncan Cañon - Fort Trojan - James W. Chinn - Gray Horse Cañon - Humbug Cañon - Johnson’s Ranch - Manzanita Grove - Newtown - Grizzly Flat - Lincoln - Peter Ahart - Isaac Stonecipher - Sheridan - Rogers’ Shed - Shirt-Tail Cañon - Sunny South - Emigrant Gap - Forest Hill - J. G. Garrison - William Rea - Gold Hill - Gold Run - Iowa Hill - Dr. Oliver H. Peterson - Michigan Bluff - Newcastle - Ophir - Penryn - Griffith Griffith - Placer County Granite - Elisha Grant - W. Dana Perkins - Roseville - Todd’s Valley - ALFRED A. POND - Nicholas Quirolo - Wisconsin Hill - Yankee Jim’s

CHAPTER XLV. TOWNS, LOCALITIES & PEOPLE [Placer County].

IN the general history of the county, the early discovery, the movements of individuals, the inci­dents of settlement, the success of miners, and in other references, nearly every town, river bar, and mining camp, of old and of modern times, have been mentioned, and in some instances quite full histories given. There are many localities whose history is full of interest, and upon which memory loves to linger in commune with the recollection of scenes of those bright and hopeful days when time seemed so laggard and the future at command. Then con­ventionalities and classes were unknown. Equality reigned supreme, and toil had no terrors, so that hope spread the inaccessible bed-rock with gold or directed the impracticable tunnel to the auriferous channel. These recollections may be preserved in the legends of the pioneers; aborted and exaggerated in the stories of the magazine and novel writers; or found in occasional sketches in the newspapers. Their aggregate would burst the volume covers.

Here space and other questions forbid, and brief must be the mention of many. Placer County is divided into eleven townships, which are designated by numbers. Township No.1 includes Antelope and Roseville, in the extreme southwest; No.2 includes Ophir, Gold Hill, Virginiatown, Mount Pleasant; No. 3, Auburn and Clipper Gap, extending from the American to Bear River; No.4, Applegate, Colfax, Dutch Flat, Gold Run, Alta, Emigrant Gap, and others; No.5, Forest Hill, Yankee Jim's, Todd's Valley, Butcher Ranch; No. 6, Michigan Bluff, Bath; No.7, Iowa Hill, Sunny South, Damascus, Wisconsin Hill, Humbug Canon, Grizzly Flat, Bird's Flat, Monona Flat, Sucker Flat; No.8, Canada Hill, Tahoe City, Deadman, Last Chance, Long Canon, and the high region of the Sierra forming the southeast part of the county; No.9 is in the foot-hills, embracing Rocklin, Penryn, Newcastle and others; No. 10 is in the valley, embracing a large area of farming land and the villages of Lincoln and Sheridan, and No. 11, on the line of the railroad, embracing Cisco, Hot Springs, Summit, Truckee River, Lake Valley, etc.

ALTA
Is a creation of the Central Pacific Railroad, dating its existence as a town from the time the road was constructed. The place received its name in the spring of 1866, and on the 15th of July following the completion of the railroad to that point, and the establishing of a station, was celebrated by an excur­sion from Sacramento. The locality is two miles from Dutch Flat, and, via the railroad, thirty­three miles northeast of Auburn, at an altitude of 3,607 feet above the sea. With the completion of the road to this point, Alta became the depot for freight and passengers for Dutch Flat and all points beyond, making it a brisk business point during the year 1866. The region surrounding was covered with a dense forest of pines, and was the seat of several large saw-mills. Although much of this grand forest has been utilized in lumber, a large business is still carried on. Near Alta are the large lumber yard, store-houses, and box factory of Towle Brothers, who carryon the most extensive lumber business in the county. They have several mills, the largest having a capacity of 50,000 feet of lumber every twenty-four hours. From the lumber depot a narrow-gauge railroad leads to the mills, ten miles distant, passing by inclined planes over a ridge rising 1,300 feet on one side and falling 2,400 feet on the other, a stationary engine raising and lowering the cars.

At Alta is a fine hotel, kept by E. M. Banvard, and the usual stores, saloons, and residences of a flourishing village. Population, 120. Population of Towles' Mills, 225.

Antelope
Is a station on the Central Pacific Railroad, in Township No.1, near the line separating Placer and Sacramento Counties, twenty-one miles southwest of Auburn, having an elevation of 154 feet above sea level. In the rainy season a small stream flows past, called Antelope Creek, the name being sug­gested by the large bands of antelope once so plen­tiful throughout the valley.

Applegate.
The region including Applegate was first settled upon in 1849 by Lisbon Applegate, and a vil­lage grew which bore the name of Lisbon, in honor of the pioneer settler. The locality was on the road from Auburn to Illinoistown. The precinct 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 popula­tion 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 orchards until his trees are numbered in thousands and his grapevines in hundred thousands. Apple, pear, plum, peach, 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 so extensive a business. Such is one of the mount­ain 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 elevation 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 his­tory 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 constructed as pleased the builders' fancy, and when pack-animals and wagons subsequently came 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 lodg­ing, 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 H. M. House. Shortly after, Julius Wetzler, in company with Capt. John A. Sutter, started II. trading-post under the firm name of Wetzler & Co. George Willment and W. B. Disbrow, Jo­seph Walkup and Samuel B. Wyman, Wm. H. Parkin­son and Wm. Leet, Bailey & Kerr, and Post & Ripley, were also store-keepers in 1849. Quite a large com­munity 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 prom­inent lawyer in the State of Nevada. Many others spent their first California winter in that compara­tively pleasant locality, who in the spring rushed off to the rivers and to other mining regions. But Auburn was then fixed as a trading center, 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 abund­ant 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, with­out 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 ease,
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 t he 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 build­ings and hard-earned fortunes from its citizens, but "Resurgam" has been its motto, and a handsomer village than before has followed each conflagration.

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 much from the devouring element. The time occupied in the burning was one hour and twenty-five minutes.

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 col­ored men as a restaurant. From the place where first seen, the fire spread rapidly on all sides, envel­oping building after building in rapid succession, and driving their inmates forth in haste. But few min­utes 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 Amer­ican 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 $119,000.

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 brick and stone, and fire­proof 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 condi­tion of the town, and reasons for the incorporation, an editorial upon the subject in the Herald of January 9, 1856, is here inserted:

During the month of April last, the subject of petitioning the County Court for a town incorpora­tion, was somewhat discussed by our citizens, and a petition to that effect was put in circulation. For some reasons, the project was not carried into execu­tion.

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 sub­ject, 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 recom­mend 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 incurred 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 suffi­cient police 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 Supervisor. "

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 layout, 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 populous county, where our citizens 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 circula­tion 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 consum­mation 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 enter­prises. From 1852 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 suc­ceeded 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 business. 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 com­menced running to the present depot, on the south­ern 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 California 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 Sacramento, every day at 7,10, and 12 A. 111; from Auburn to Grass Valley, Nevada, and Forest City, 12 and 2 P. M.; from Auburn to Yankee Jim's, Todd's Valley, and Michigan Bluff, 2 P.M. from Auburn to IlIinoistown, Iowa Hill, and Cold Springs, 2 P. M.; from Auburn to MarysviIle, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at 1 o'clock P. M.

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 imme­diate vicinity furnish employment to a large number of men. The towns and mining camps on the For­est 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 remuner­ative 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 gold­dust, coin, and currency shipped through Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express from Auburn during the year 1881 was 8434,634.65. 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
Anderson,
Beaty, Abe
Bailey, Major
Bailey, James
Cromwell, E. C.
Crawford, J. B.
Craig, J. L.
Craig, Abram
Culver, E.
Dana, L.
De Bois, James
Dunn, Robt.
Dobloman, John
Disbrow, W. D.
Ellard, Chas.
East, Thos.
Echols, H.
Fitteplace, ­
Fuller, Richard
Fisher, Robt.
Goodell, Richard
Gwynn, Wm.
Gould, John
Hall, E. M.
House, H. M.
Holladay, S. W.
Howell, Robt.
Holmes, H. T.
Hopkins, R. D.
Hawkins, H. R.
Kerr, ­
Knight, Sam.
Livingston, H. B.

Bogus Thunder
THE above name is applied to a bench or high bar located upon the North Fork of the Middle Fork, in the cañon some two or three miles from Deadwood. A fall in the river, a mile or more above the place, over which the waters of the stream plunge, and the sound of which reverberates throughout the gorge, fixes an impression upon the mind of a stranger who first visits the bar, that the noise he bears so distinctly is thunder. So thought the first explorers, until they finally located the cause and proclaimed the thunder bogus.

Brushy Cañon
This locality is between Yankee Jim's and Wis­consin Hill, and at one time was the scene of exten­sive mining operations. The diggings were located in 1855, and gave promise of great wealth. Numer­ous tunnels were constructed, and for three or four years the place was one of bustle and activity.

Butcher Ranch.
This is a farming settlement situated on the Stony Hill Turnpike, on the divide between the North and Middle Forks of the American River, eight miles from Auburn and fifteen miles from Forest Hill. It has a post-office and is a voting precinct, and has a population of about 250. The places of business consist of one drug store, two hotels, one blacksmith shop, and one carpenter shop.

Cisco
Is in the snowy region of the Sierra, fifty-six miles northeast of Auburn, and 5,934 feet above the level of the ocean, in longitude 1200 33' west from Green­wich and 39° 21' north latitude, being within two miles of the extreme northern line of the county.

With the opening of the Donner Lake Wagon Road, in 1864, for travel to the silver mines of Ne­vada, numerous stations, or hotels, were established along~ its line. Among these were Heaton's and Poley's, a few miles apart. In 1866 a great excite­ment prevailed regarding the mines and city of Meadow Lake, near the summit of the Sierra, in Nevada County. With the rush of people thither the two stations mentioned were points of depart­ure from the Donner Lake Road, and both aspired to be towns. In June the place at Heaton's was surveyed into lots, and the town named Cisco, in honor of John J. Cisco, United 8tates Treasurer. On the 29th of November, 1866, the Central Pacific Railroad was completed and the cars commenced running to this point, and Cisco became a very busy place, crowded with great freight wagons and teams, stages and travelers. This remained the ter­minus! of the road until 1868, when the summit tun­nel was completed and the road extended out into Nevada. Cisco is in Township No. 11, and has a population of about 100.

Colfax.
This place is situated on the Central Pacific Rail­road, fifty-four miles from Sacramento and eighteen miles northeast of Auburn, and is another of the many towns that sprang into existence upon the completion of the great overland railroad. The rails reached Colfax September 1, 1865, and regular trains were running on the 4th of that month. The town of Colfax was laid out in 1865 by the Central Pacific Railroad Company. The site was subse­quently sold to Messrs. Kohn & Kind, and a sale of lots took place July 29, 1865, which amounted to between $6,000 and $7,000.

Within half a mile of' where Colfax now stands is the old settlement of Illinoistown, and when Colfax was laid out in 1865 it gathered to itself all that was left of' this ancient place. Colfax has, since that time, steadily increased in population and import­ance, until now it is one of the leading towns in the county.

In 1874 a company was formed to build a narrow­gauge railroad from Colfax to Nevada City. The work of construction began in 1875, and the road was completed and the last spike driven at Nevada on the 20th of May, 1876.

Rich veins of quartz were discovered near Colfax in 1866. A test of the rock was made at Grass Valley, and found to be worth between $27 and $28 per ton. A company was organized and a mill con­structed in 1869. The mine was christened the "Rising Sun." The gold is of a pure quality, being worth $18.50 per ounce. The mill had five stamps of 800 pounds each, and was capable of reducing ten tons per day. The mill was subsequently increased to twenty stamps, and still continues a paying mine. The Montana Mine has been worked to some extent, and numerous buildings have been erected. The Meda Mine is situated on the dividing ridge, three miles from town. The ore is rich and bas yielded an average of $30 to the ton.

A destructive fire occurred in April, 1874, which swept away the main portion of the town. With undaunted energy the citizens have re-built, and now it is difficult to discover any traces of the fire, and the place is now handsomer and more substantially built than ever.

The climate of Colfax is similar to that of the other towns on the western slope of the Sierra. Its altitude is 2,421 feet above the sea level, and with its salubrious and healthful location, its mountain breezes, laden with the spicy odors of pine forests, disease cannot linger. Fruits of all kinds that grow in temperate latitudes are raised on the ranches, and apples and peaches are much better flavored than similar productions in the valleys.

The population of Colfax is about 600. The business establishments consist of dry goods and grocery stores, two hotels, drug store, wagon and blacksmith shop, bakery and restaurant, saloons, lumber yard, meat market, shoemakers, etc.

DARIUS V. NORTON,
Eldest son of Reuben and Mary Norton, was born at Allison's Prairie, Crawford County, Illinois, March 22, 1820. He grew to manhood in his native State, and received a thorough education. After reach­ing his. majority, be was for several years engaged in teaching school. In 1850 he crossed the plains to California, arriving at" Hangtown" on the 15th of August. His journey over the barren country lying between the "Garden State" and the land of gold was similar in detail to that of thousands of others who braved the dangers of the trip in early days.

His first three years in this State were spent in the mines in EI Dorado County. In 1855 Mr. Norton failed in health, and removed to Nevada County, where he remained about two years as a teacher in the public schools was also elected Justice of the Peace. His next move was to Napa County, where he owned a fruit ranch near St. Helena Mountain. This was his home for a number of years. In 1875 he sold his fruit ranch and came to Placer County, settling in Auburn, where he remained one year, at which time he removed to his present home, about two miles from Colfax. A view of his place will be found in this volume.

Mr. Norton was married June 23,1863, at Napa City, California, to Mrs. Mary Sitton, nee Montague, who is a native of Bourbon County, Kentucky. Mrs. Norton came to California, across the plains, in 1854, and settled in Sonoma County, where she resided seven years. She then removed to Napa County, and lived there until her present union. They have two sons, aged, respectively, seventeen and twelve years.

Clipper Gap
Is a railroad station seven miles northeast of Auburn, in Township No.3, having an elevation of 1,759 feet above sea level. It is in the midst of a fine fruit region, and is the depot of the Hotaling Iron Mines, and of the lime works of Holmes & Co.

Damascus.
Damascus is an old mining town, whose history begins in the year 1852, at which time Dr. D. W. Strong, who was prospecting in the vicinity, discov­ered gold in an outbreaking stratum of quartz gravel upon a point between the two branches of Humbug Cañon, near the southern, or as it is now called, Damascus Branch. For several years, or until a post-office was established in 18-, it was known as Strong's Diggings. Strong and his asso­ciates dug a small ditch from a spring at the head of the cañon, which conveyed a small head of water, and began to ground sluice-the gravel at the rim being not more than two feet deep, paying from the surface to the bed-rock. Later, hydraulic apparatus was placed in position, and the ground washed off during the portion of the year when water was obtainable for the purpose by that method, until too much barren overlying material was encountered, when, in 1854, a tunnel was begun for the purpose of drifting out the paying stratum, under the name of the Golden Gate. West of the claims of Strong & Co., was the Mountain Tunnel Company, also having commenced a tunnel. The two tunnel companies, becoming involved in disputes relating to boundaries, drainage, and priority of right, finally, in 1863, com­promised their difficulties and consolidated under the name of "Mountain Gate Mining Company," with twenty-one shares, representing an ownership of that number of persons, which are still main­tained. Like the majority of unincorporated mining ventures, where no particular pains are taken In preliminary surveys, the first tunnel driven was found to be sixty-five feet too high to profitably work the gravel through, which it encountered in a length of 300 feet; consequently, another and lower one was driven, which reached the gravel in a distance of 800 feet. Much of the quartz-gravel of the "white channel" was worked through this second tunnel; but eventually that also hard to be abandoned, and the one through which the workings are now conducted was begun. This was driven into the hill 7,000 feet, at which point a chocolate-colored cement was encountered, with no paying gravel. Here a shaft was sunk thirty-eight feet deep, which encountered rich gravel, but not of the "white channel." It was of an entirely different character, the rocks, pebbles, and abraded matter being of a dark color, with but little white quartz-some distinct deposit from a channel not contemporaneous with the other. This stratum has since that time been designated as the" black channel." It is here about eighty feet lower than the" white" or quartz channel. To work this it became necessary to grade an incline from the floor of the tunnel to the bed­ rock of the channel, which was done, down which a pump-column was conducted and a car-track laid, and the water flowing into this lower level is pumped and the gravel hoisted by one large overshot wheel and a turbine, supplied with water from the old breasts and levels of the "white channel" above, which has been extended some 200 feet further into the mountain than the point where the incline begins, and been stoped out an average width of 500 feet. Upon reaching the top of the incline, the cars loaded with gravel are drawn out of the tunnel-a distance of near one and a quarter miles-by horses, and emptied into the large dumping receptacle at the head of the sluices, and washed from water flowing from the tunnel. Over 7,000 feet of pay-channels have thus been explored-the black channel for a width of 275 feet-and is found to yield an average of about one-quarter of an ounce of gold to the car­load of gravel.

The Mountain Gate Mine, for which a patent has been applied, is located in sections 14, 15, 22, 23, and other subdivisions of Township 15 N., Range 11 .E., Mount Diablo Meridian; with a lineal extent along the east line of 9,600 feet; southern end line extend­ing to the line of the Hidden Treasure of Sunny South, 5,500 feet; western line 10,000 feet, and northern (or front) line of 5,500 feet, of which some 4,000 feet along the "white" and 6,000 of the " black channel" are unworked. Since 1860 it has produced over $1,000,000, and has been worked prin­cipally by the owners, who are as follows: John H. Thomas, Tunis C. Broom, John B. Parker, A. B. Campbell, Christopher Elliott, Owen Jones, Robert J. Thomas, J. P. Rains, William Rowlands, William Brown, Jr., G. W. Snyder, J. F. Moody, J. T. Ashley Albert Burgess, Mrs. J. N. Lombard, D. R. Abrams, Nicholas Weaver, William Broom, Sr., and Mrs. Jane Weaver.

Damascus, being situated upon the northern slope of the ridge, is subjected to deep snows in the win­ter, but its summer temperature is admirable. During the inclement season, in cases of sickness, no little difficulty is experienced in procuring the attend­ance of a physician, the nearest one residing some ten mile& distant, at Iowa Hill. At one time, during the prevalence of a fierce snow-storm, and when the earth was enveloped to the depth of many feet, it was found after nightfall that a lady resident, the wife of a miner, was suffering with an attack of pneumonia, and, without relief, could not long survive. Females were never at any time numerous in the camp, but those who were there were respecta­ble ones, and were all favorites with the male popu­lation. A physician must be had at every hazard; work in the tunnels for that night, at least, was abandoned; twenty brave men assembled, who, under the leadership of Gould Coker, set out in the gloom of night, in the blinding storm, to break a trail to Iowa Hill for the physician. By turns, each man would take the lead in the deep snow until exhausted, and another took his place, as, waist deep, they wal­lowed slowly onward through the cold, fleecy mass. Some time upon the following day the heroic little party reached Iowa Hill, and, after prevailing upon Dr. O. H. Petterson to accompany them, and refreshing themselves as best they could within a limited time, started upon the homeward journey. This trip, though not as fatiguing as the one out, was in itself no child's play; for, meanwhile, the storm continued to rage, and the fast-falling snow had well-nigh obliterated the trail previously made. But perseverance, at length, overcame every obsta­cle, and within thirty-six hours from the time of starting for the doctor, he was at the bedside of the suffering woman, and not too late to save her life. When the patient was past danger, the humane min­ers were again obliged to escort the doctor home, breaking the road much after the manner they had been compelled to do at first.

The site of the village is on a steep hill-side, over. looking the junction of Blue Cañon with the North Fork of the American, the gorge of Humbug Cañon, and a stretch of the Central Pacific Railroad bed near Shady Run. Many comfortable cottages, around which are little garden plats and orchards, dot the landscape; a school house, at which, during school months, there is an attendance of about twenty-five scholars, and a large hotel and store, owned by Owen Jones, are among the architectural features of the place. In March, 1880, a former store-house and hotel were destroyed by fire while the owner, Mr. Jones, was prostrated by sickness at Iowa Hill, entailing a loss of $8,000. A post. office was established and maintained for several years at Damascus, but was finally abolished. The regular population will probably not exceed 150, most of whom are engaged in mining operations.

Deadwood.
Deadwood is situated about seven miles above Michigan Bluff, across El Dorado Cañon, on the divide between that stream and the North Fork of the Middle Fork. The altitude of Deadwood is nearly 4,000 feet. The wagon road leading to the place is circuitous, and follows up the main divide via Forks House (that was), Secret Springs, around the head of' El Dorado Cañon, and then down the narrow ridge near the point of which the place is located. Some hydraulic mining has been done here, but the principal mines are no\v worked through tunnels by drifting and washing the bottom stratum of gravel. In 1881 there were five claims thus working-all old locations.

Gold in paying quantity was first found here in 1852 by a party of prospectors, who, being so elated at their good luck, remarked to all subsequent com­ers, that, though heretofore they had had indifferent success in prospecting, now assuredly had the "dead­wood" upon securing a fortune. So positive were the first discoverers of gold in this locality of its richness and magnitude, that the most flattering accounts were circulated and a great influx of people resulted. There must have been at one time 500 or 600 people congregated in the vicinity. Many substantial buildings were erected, considering its isolated situation, and high hopes were indulged of sudden wealth to be acquired. The trail from Michigan .Bluff leads into the gorge of El Dorado Cañon, and thence for three miles almost uninterruptedly up an abrupt incline. Aside from the grandeur of the towering hill, the awe-inspiring chasms through which meander the tributaries of the Middle Fork, and the impressive jumble of rock and foliage spread out at the feet of the beholder, there is but one singular feature of interest in the course of the toilsome ascent. About a half-mile before reaching the village there are two long, parallel walls of stone, some three feet apart and about three feet high, evidently the handiwork of some branch of the human race. For what purpose 80 laid, or their use, is only a matter of conjecture; but many of those who first visited the spot supposed it to have been a crematory for the Indian dead. In 1855 Deadwood's transient glory had, in a great measure, departed, and since that time its remaining population have been content to delve in the mines there for a certain, though mod­erate, remuneration for their toil.

Periodically during winter come fearful storms of rain and snow in these high altitudes. When warm, and the rain thoroughly saturates the loamy soil that overlies the cement, it becomes dangerous to those who dwell below the brow of the ridge upon the precipitous side-hills, for an occasional ava­lanche is loosened from near the summit's crest, which sweeps everything before it. In December, 1860, on one side of the hill, about one-fourth of a mile below the village stood the house of A. J. Felch, occupied by himself, wife, and boy, aged eight, lamed William. On Christmas eve, while father and Ion were sitting in the house before a comfortable ire (Mrs. Felsh fortunately being absent), all at once the roar which precedes the approaching land­slide smote upon their ears. Before it was possible to get out of doors, the avalanche struck the build­ing, and crash ! it went, apparently carrying away inmates and all! Not so, however, for soon Mr. Felch became conscious that he was still alive ! though cut, bruised, and bleeding from contact with falling timbers. But where was the boy? A plain­tive call from the father elicited no response. Dead, mangled and swept away into the fierce-raging chasm below ! thought the poor, wounded, agonized rather; but he would search for the lost one. Prov­identially, some oak trees to which portions of the building had been attached had withstood the onslaught of the moving mass, and, under the pro­tecting lee of these, there yet remained debris of the household wreck. Digging among this the father found his boy, unharmed. That either escaped, is little less than a miracle.

At that time, December, 1860, the ditch conveying water to Deadwood was owned by David Davis and John Williams, Welchmen. On the 24th of that month, during the prevalence of a tremendous snow­storm, they both started up the ditch, declaring they would bring the water down therein before they returned. They were never seen again alive. Parties went out to search after the storm subsided, and, on the 5th of January, 1861, the body of Williams was discovered in the ditch, where, having sank in exhaustion, he had folded his arms upon his breast and died. Tracks of animals leading to the body caused its discovery, and exposed portions of the corpse had been mutilated by the ravenous beasts. The Masonic fraternity consigned the remains to their final resting place at Michigan Bluff. About two months after that time the body of Davis was found, and was buried by the Masons at Todd's Valley.

Dutch Flat.
This place is situated in the northeastern part of the county, upon the ridge which divides the waters of Bear River from those of the North Fork of the American, thirty-one miles from Auburn, and dates back in the annals of time to the year 1851.

Joseph Doranbach has the honor of being called the first settler, having located there in the spring of that year. The name" Dutch" is derived, perhaps, from the nationality of Mr. Doranbach and those who were his companions at the time, but it is dim. cult to conceive of why" Flat" should be added in giving the name to the then embryo town, except it is to fully carry out and demonstrate the Californian custom of perverting names. In 1854, the place was considered, by persons then thought to be visionary individuals, of sufficient importance as a mining locality to warrant the construction of a water-ditch to convey the waters of Bear River upon the tops of the ridges for mining purposes. This gave quite an impetus to the settlement of the place, and it continued to increase in population and import­ance. In November, 1855, a post-office was estab­lished, with Charles Seffens as Postmaster. In May, 1859, it was one of the first towns of the county in population. After the completion of the Bradley, or Placer County Canal, from the North Fork of the American, and the Bartlett & Thomas Ditch, from Little Bear River, in 1859 and '60, the town steadily increased, until, in 1860, its voting popula­tion was larger than that of any other town in the county, having polled at the Presidential election of that year over 500 votes. Since then the number of votes has decreased, but the permanent popula­tion has gained, and now it is next to Auburn in importance. The Dutch Flat Enquirer, a weekly newspaper, made its first importance May 29, 1860, and for a number of years was published regularly. The Enquirer was followed by the Forum, which in turn hat! been succeeded by the Placer Times.

This is one of the principal and best-known mining localities of California, the system of hydraulic min­ing being carried on very extensively. The hill of gravel denominated Dutch .Flat is somewhat isolated, presenting three sides to the attack of the hydraulic, and overlooks Bear River, which runs along its northern base, about 1,200 feet below the crest of the hill. The gravel deposit is about one and a half miles in length by half a mile in width, and from 100 to 350 feet in depth. Gold is found throughout the gravel, but there is a thick stratum of pipe-clay barren of the precious metal. Beds of ashes, char­coal, and partly charred wood are found in places beneath a hundred or more feet of gravel. The formation exposes a very interesting field for the geologist. A large number of mining companies are engaged here, and the product has been many mil­lions of dollars. In addition to the ditches stated, the South Yuba Canal supplies about 3,000 inches from the South Yuba River. The mining district embraces Elmore Hill, Indian Hill, and others of local name, besides Dutch Flat. In this district are a large number of mining companies, and the opera­tions are very extensive and interesting. The Cedar Creek Company, purchasing several properties in 1872, was one of the most extensive. It was an English corporation, with a capital stock of £200,­000. During its most prosperous condition, there were 150 men employed. The capacity of its main ditch was 5,000 inches, the greater portion of which was used in operating its claims, the principal of which were the Pacific, the Central, Jehosophat, Home Ticket, half of the Gold Run, and the Gem. The property altogether consisted of thirty-two claims, comprising about 200 acres of mining ground.

The drill and machinery in use by this company cost $12,000. The property, after having lain idle for about three years, owing to certain complications, fell into the hands of Mr. J. P. Hickey, of San Fran­cisco, in April, 1881, whose intention is to work it extensively and systematically.
Like other towns of California, Dutch Flat has suffered much from fires. The most recent occurred on the 22d of October, 1881, when its Chinese quarter was burned, involving a loss of about $30,000. Some sixty buildings were burned, generally of a poor quality. These, although occupied by Chinese, were generally owned by white people.

In 1860, a company was organized to construct a wagon road from Dutch Flat to the eastern slope, to accommodate the travel then beginning to flow over the mountains to the silver mines of Nevada. Two roads were subsequently constructed, and for several years the town profited by the large travel through it. In July, 1866, the Central Pacific Railroad reached the vicinity of the town, and soon passing on, making Cisco the depot of passengers and freight, and business relapsed to its former dependence on the resources of its neighborhood.

Dutch Flat is situated high up in the mountains, has an unlimited supply of water from pure mountain springs, and timber abundant and convenient. In consequence of its elevated position, the town is regarded as a pleasant place for summer residence, Its altitude being about 3,400 feet above the sea-level. Its climate is subject to great changes. Snow falls at times to considerable depth in the winter and spring month!!, but the summers are warm and exceedingly pleasant. At this elevation, tender fruits, such as the lemon and orange, are not raised; but the pear, peach, cherry, and apple, the black­berry, raspberry, grape, currant, and gooseberry grow in great perfection; so that the citizens are not dependent on the valleys for their supplies.

The principal street, whereon are located nearly all the business houses, is Main Street. The general appearance of the private residences and places of business is neat and tasty, which speaks well for the culture and thrift of its inhabitants. The town at present supports one newspaper-the Placer Times­ owned and published by W. A. Wheeler, Esq., and is issued every Thursday. There are three churches, one school house, a number of dry goods and gro­cery stores, one drug store, hotel, livery stable, one fire company, and one brewery, besides the usual quota of lawyers, doctors, etc. Its secret societies number five-Masons, Odd Fellows, Red Men, Good Templars, and Ancient Order of United Workmen. The Masons and Odd Fellows each have a fine hall. The Ancient Order of United Workmen use the Odd Fellows Hall for their meetings.

The society is good, owing to the settled and reliable character of the mining interests, and business men find a substantial and legitimate trade; consequently, they gather their families around them.

Numerous pleasant homes cover the hill-sides, and evidences of taste and refinement are abundant.

HENRY A. FROST.
The subject of this biographical notice is a native of Massachusetts, having been born at New Bedford, Bristol County, May 15, 1830. Mr. Frost, through the visitation of the hand of death, lost his father in infancy, and, at the age of twelve years, was left an orphan by the death of his mother. This changed the course of his life, and he removed to the State of Vermont, where he remained until his eighteenth year, at which time he returned to his native State. During the succeeding twelve years, he was engaged in mechanical and agricultural pursuits at Worcester, in Worcester County. In the fall of1861, he came to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama, landing in San Francisco in the month of December. He made no stay in the city, but came immediately to Placer County, and during that win­ter remained at Gold Run. In the Spring of 1862, he located at his present place, near Dutch Flat, where he has since resided. During the first ten years of his residence in this State, he followed mining, but of late has been engaged in agriculture in connection therewith.

In Mr. Frost we do not find a '49er, though his twenty years residence in this State gives him the right to the title of an "old settler." He has been twice married, his first wife departing this life in June, 1878. In June, 1881, he was married to Mrs. S. A. Waggoner, a native of Illinois, but more recently from Nevada County, in this State.

HERMAN R. HUDEPOHL.
This gentleman is a native of Hanover, Germany, and was born March 30, 1823. He remained with his parents until he reached his sixteenth year, when he was apprenticed to a shoemaker, and, in due time, mastered that trade. During eight years succeeding, he worked at his trade in different cities in the old world. In 1848 he came to America, and located at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he followed his trade until 1854. In the last-named year, he came to Califor­nia by way of the Isthmus of Panama, arriving in San Francisco late in the month of March. After a few days sojourn in the city, ho came to Placer County, and located at Dutch Flat, and for six months was a miner. From that time unti11865 ho worked at his trade, and during that year he embarked in the dry goods business, which he has since successfully followed. His stock is one of the most complete in the town, embracing a run line of dry and fancy goods, clothing, etc.

He was married April 5, 1865, in Sacramento, to Miss Catherine E. Power, a native of New York City. By this union there were three children, two girls, aged, in 1881, fourteen and ten years, and one son, aged twelve years. Mrs. Hudepohl died March 8, 1876.

Frytown
Was located on the Auburn Ravine, about two miles below Ophir. It was first settled in 18:19. Only a few houses were built, but the miners were in the habit of using the place as supply head-quarters. There was a general merchandise store, kept by Messrs. Fry & Bruce, which supplied the miners in the immediate vicinity with the necessaries of life. The town received its name from the senior partner in the firm. It was one of those mushroom towns which sprang into existence and soon died. But " 'twas lively while it lasted."

Duncan Cañon.
This stream is an important confluent of the Middle Fork of the Middle Fork of the American, and rises pretty well up toward the western summit of the Sierra, between the main North Fork and Picayune Valley. It was never noted for its gold product, and to-day, by reason of its undisturbed condition, its clear, pellucid water, the tangled mat of undergrowth upon its flats, and noble forest trees growing adjacent to its unscarified banks, it reminds the "old-timer" more of the primitive days than almost any other stream of like magnitude in the mountains. James W. Marshall says that it derived its name from Thomas Duncan, who came to the country overland, in 1848, from Missouri, in the train of Captain Winter, and who entered California via the road, or mountain trail rather, diverging from American Valley, and following down the ridge south of the North Fork.

In the fall of 1850, Antoine and other cañons in that locality having been slightly worked, and con­siderable gold of a coarse character exhibited, which had been taken therefrom, naturally the attention of gold-seekers was directed thither, and person& who had been there were eagerly sought, and the oracular knowledge they dispensed was readily "taken in" by credulous inquirers. No tale was too extravagant; however palpable the canard, there. were always more to believe than to doubt. The chronicler hereof remembers well how, in the spring of 1849, when one of the pioneer mail steam­ers of the Pacific Coast entered the harbor of Panama upon her first return trip, the city was thronged with Americans, who had only purchased tickets to the isthmus and were unable to get further. There were still doubts as to the reputed richness of the gold mines, and a thousand anxious and excited interviewers stood upon the shore, ready to make prisoners of those who landed. Two brave sailors becoming thus corraled, and finding escape impossible, edified the crowd with yarns that did credit to their imaginative powers, satisfied their listeners, and disillumined the brilliancy of Alladin's Lamp. Exhibiting a buckskin bag which evidently contained nuggets, one of them said: "Why, look here, it's no trouble to get gold anywhere in Califor­nia; it's all over-everywhere! Just after we left the port of San Francisco, the mate set me to clean­ing the anchor which we had jl1st hove up, and see! here's over $200 that I panned out from the mud 1 scraped off the flukes!" and the crowd believed him-for why should they doubt?

In like manner did Tom Duncan regale the senses of a crowd of miners who happened to be at work near him on Shirt-tail Cañon, late in the fall of 1850. He had, in coming into the country, traversed the region where Antoine Cañon flowed; more than that, he had found diggings in a creek, but never stopped to work them, nor had he ever been back to them since. Could he find them for a consideration? Most assuredly. Thereupon a company of select spirits entered into a compact with Tom, that he would pilot them to the spot. Furnishing him with a horse, the party started out in quest of the favorite spot, which Duncan declared he had been to two years before. Reaching the vicinity, the cañons all looked so much alike that Tom couldn't strike the right spot; members of the company canvassed the matter; the guide had either lied to them or was "throwing off" for a better thing-each offense deserving capital punishment. Tom was distrusted. At night he 'vas placed under guard, and he roust soon show the place he had contracted to do, or be shot. While camped in the bed of a certain cañon, near its head, the guide led the party to the northern side of the ridge, overlooking the North Fork of the American River above Sailor Bar. Hero were some small flats and ponds, where gold enough was found to induce a relaxation of vigilance, to the extent that no guard was placed over Duncan the following night. The next morning's sun rose in the cañon upon a decimated camp. Tom Duncan and a mule had gone! The party afterward found the mule at Todd's Valley, but Tom Duncan they never saw again. He had sought new diggings out of reach of his late companions-while as a remembrance, they christened the stream upon which they had camped, Duncan's Cañon-and thus it goes down to history.

Fort Trojan.
This peculiarly-named town was located on the Auburn Ravine, about three miles from the present town of Lincoln. It does not date back in its history to the days of '49, but reaches only to the year 1858. It was lively until the starting of the town of Lin­coln, when the business was transferred to that place. There was a hotel kept by Jerry Henderson, who was also postmaster for the town; Mills & Evans had a general merchandise store; Gray & Philipps had a meat market, and Peter Fritchard had a blacksmith shop. There were two saloons, one owned by Honeycut & Hoffman, and the other by E. A. Gibson. James Beck was Justice of the Peace, and James Berg was Constable. There is nothing left to denote the existence of this town, except the memories of the men who were familiar with the facts. The common appellation given the place by the miners was" Fort Trojan."

James W. Chinn.
This gentleman was the third son of Robert and Sidney Chinn, who were natives of Loudon County, Virginia. James W. was born at Richmond, Virginia, December 28, 1822. He remained in his native city until he was sixteen years of age, at which time he removed to Baltimore, Maryland, and was engaged in a wholesale dry goods establishment. About one and one-half years were spent in this place, when he went to Zanes­ville, Ohio, and was first a clerk, and then pro­prietor, in his adopted business until 1849. The excitement incident to the discovery of gold in California attracted his attention, and he joined the throng who were rushing to the scene of battle for wealth on the Pacific Coast. On the 28th of' August, 1850, he arrived at "Hangtown," now Placerville, in El Dorado County, after a long and tedious trip across the plains. From Hangtown Mr. Chinn went to Sacramento, and then came to Placer County, and for a few weeks was in Auburn Ravine. His next move was to Nevada County, where he arrived in October, 1850. He was in that county until September, 1851, when he came again to Placer and located at Ophir. In 1852 Mr. Chinn opened a store and sold miners' supplies, until Sep­tember, 1854. In the fall of the last-named year he opened a store at Dotan's Bar, on the American River, and was agent for Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express. In 1856 he was elected a Supervisor of Placer County. During the latter year he removed to Nevada County and opened a store at Woolsy Flat, and another at Moore's Flat. In 1859 Mr. Chinn was elected Treasurer of Nevada County on the Democratic ticket, and held the office one term. In 1861 he entered the dry goods business in Nevada City, which he continued about two years, when he went to San Francisco and remained until 1866. During the summer of the latter year he came again to Placer County and located at Iowa Hill, which has since been his home. Mr. Chinn has always been an active business man, and is to-day reckoned as one of the lively men of the county. He is the postmaster of' his town, and in connection therewith carries on a banking business, his purchased of gold-dust averaging about $200,000 per year. He is also agent for Wells, Fargo & Co.

He was married January 26, 1863, at San Fran­cisco, to Miss Lizzie Jessup, a native of New York State. Four children live to bless their union, three girls and one boy.

Gray Horse Cañon.
High up on the Rubicon there occurs quite a 1I.at stretch of grass land, in great contrast with the general characteristics of that usually rapid, rocky, and narrow gorge. For a mile and a half the river winds sluggishly along through a tussocky bottom, a quarter of a mile wide, where there is splendid pasturage, and at the sides of which are many deer licks, occasioned by the exudations of salts, of which the animals are fond, from the bor­dering ledges. This place is much frequented in the summer and fall by Indians, from the trans­mountain tribes, who come over from the eastern slope of the Sierra, and in season and out of season remorselessly slay deer of all ages,  and conditions, without regard to game laws or common decency. Near the head of this flat, from the north. comes in Gray Horse Cañon, once known as Big Valley. During the prospecting excitement which resulted in the discovery of the Squaw Val­ley mines, the original party looking for the place, during their peregrinations, happened into Big Valley. and camped. Upon packing up to depart, an old gray horse used for sumptering "threw up," and in his antics "bucked" the camp equippage with which he was loaded off, and scattered the traps around promiscuously over a great extent of terri­tory, to the great annoyance and inconvenience of the prospectors. Hence its present name, in com­memoration of the frisky disposition of the old gray horse.

Gray Horse Valley is a fine grazing locality, and is claimed by George Taverner, of Cosumnes Town­ship, Sacramento County, who uses it as a summer pasture for sheep. For about three miles the valley is from 300 to 400 yards wide. It was first claimed by John and George Hunsucker. Five-lake Creek, American Valley Creek, Gray Horse, Bear, and Squaw Creeks all head in one range of mountains, and quite near each other-the two latter running into the Truckee, while the waters of the others run toward the Pacific. Fire Lake Creek comes into the Rubicon above Gray Horse, and between the two is a large and exceedingly rocky point. During the wagon road excitements, when the Georgetown party were out in search of a practi­cable route to Washoe, two members of the expe­dition-W. S. Montague and John W. McKinney ­took a stroll upon this rocky ridge, Rattlesnakes were numerous then in that region, almost any­where, for the sheep had not, at that time, driven them to cover, as now-a-days, and the two men named did not mind an occasional rattler in their pathway; but upon this particular promontory they began to be too frequent for either safety or com­fort of feeling, and when about passing a crevice in a rock, which was about two feet wide, they were stopped by the most wonderful spectacle. It was literally filled with twisting, writhing, scaly, mottled serpents-a veritable den of monsters such as they had never before conceived the existence of. They had revolvers, and McKinney proposed firing a few shots into the mass. This they did; but then there arose such a horrid stench, to which the thousand odors of Cologne were as otto of roses, that the attacking party were forced to beat a retreat, vomiting as they went. McKinney swears to this day that there were not less than four solid cords of rattlesnakes in that single crevice.

Humbug Cañon.
The above-named stream is one of the earliest placers worked, and empties into the South Branch of the North Fork of the American, from the south, a short distance above its junction with Blue Cañon at Euchre Bar. It heads at the base of the grand gravel ridge, upon which are located the Mountain Gate and adjoining mines, having several branches, and was first explored early in 1850. In February of that year L. P. Burnham, now a resident of Damascus; Robert E. Draper, who subsequently lived a long time in EI Dorado County, and at Aurora, Nevada, at which latter place he figured in a duel with Dr. Eichelroth, and a man by the name of Kirkpatrick, were among the crowd who first rushed, during the pleasant weather which at that time prevailed and gave promise of an early open­ing of spring, to the locality of Bird's Valley and Michigan Bluff. Snow covered the ridges, and the water in the main streams was so high that but little mining was done there then, which circumstances caused a feeling of restlessness to pervade the minds of the nomadic prospectors, and these three men concluded to "strike out" in search of other diggings. Therefore, the same month, they mounted snow-shoes, left camp at the future-to-be Michigan City, and boldly turned their footsteps toward the unknown region to the northeastward. Arriving at the head of a cañon  which ran toward the North Fork, after a weary journey of some eighteen or twenty miles, they proceeded down it to where another branch came in, the two forming quite a large stream within a' deep gorge.  Here they camped, and, upon prospecting, found gold sufficient in quantity to induce them to locate claims. As it was of importance enough to do this, a proposal was made that a name be given it, and the throe pioneers having all emigrated to California from Mississippi­ though none were natives of that State but Kirkpat­rick-they bestowed upon the stream the name of Mississippi Cañon. A few days work, however, seems to have disgusted them, for thereafter they shouldered their blankets and climbed the hill, with the intention of returning to the place from whence they started. After leaving their camp in the cañon, and while toiling up the steep mountain side, Kirkpatrick, in an interval while resting in the assent, gave expression to his disgust by saying: "Pshaw, hasn't any gold of any account, it's a regular humbug, and instead of Mississippi we'd better call it Humbug Cañon."

Just as the three men had scaled the precipitous sides of the cañon, and were fairly setting out on their return journey down the ridge, human voices were heard, and soon after human forms descried approaching them. The new-comers proved to be a party of men following up their trail, supposing they had discovered rich diggings. No declarations upon the part of the three could deter the new party from going ahead; the more the three endeavored to per­suade them that the cañon was a "humbug," the more determined were the interlopers that they were upon the portals leading to great wealth, and into the cañon they would descend. This determin­ation on the part of the last party re-enthused the hopes of the first, and they, too, would return and define the boundaries of their claims. Consequently all went into the cañon, when the following day a mining district was organized, and rules and regula­tions were adopted. At the meeting held, Robert E. Draper was chosen to act as Secretary, and in his written minutes of the proceedings occurred the fol­lowing words: " At a meeting of the miners of Humbug Cañon, held this - day of February, 1850," etc., which have ineffacably attached themselves to the place, to the entire obliteration of the primal cogno­men of Mississippi. Subsequent workings have proven the banks and bed of the cañon to be rich -- ­no humbug-it having been washed over several times, and at each time producing large amounts of gold.

Johnson’s Ranch.
Among the many camps that sprang into existence in this county during the few years subsequent to the discovery of gold in California, was the one known as Johnson's Crossing, or Johnson's Ranch. The spot where the little town once stood is still there, but the inhabitants have all sought other fields for their labors. There was a bridge across Bear River at this place, and it was a stopping-place for the many teams engaged in hauling freights from Sacramento to the mines in the upper country. In 1852 there was a small hotel kept by a man named John Shuster, and soon after that the town com­menced to flourish. It was located about twenty­-five miles northwest from Auburn, which was the principal town in the county at that time. Mr. Young Dougherty, now a resident of Sheridan, and from whom the information regarding the place was received, pitched his tent there in 1852. and the next year built his house. In 1856 there were about thirty dwelling-houses and the usual number of business places. Wm. O'Rear was the first postmaster, and was appointed in 1854. He also kept a hotel.

The place at one time had a population of over 100, and supported two blacksmith shop, two stores, and also a couple of saloons. It was a voting pre­cinct and often polled as high as 150 votes, though the voters came in from the surrounding country.

Among the earliest settlers were Claude Chana, who came there as early as 1846. After him came John Shuster, Wm. B. Campbell, John Swearer, A.H. Estell, Joseph Rears, Philip Tracy, Dr. Gray, Dr. Esmond, John Boone, Dennis Neugent, Harrison Kimball, Young Dougherty, and others.

In the year 1862 the floods nearly destroyed the place, and then came the debris from the hydraulic mines higher up on the river, and now there is not a vestige of this lively little town left visible. The deer and bear run wild over the site of the town. The real cause of the desertion of the place was the debris from up the river.

Manzanita Grove.
This remarkable spot claims a place in the history of the county in which it lies. It is situated about half-way between the towns of Lincoln and Sheri­dan, and contains about fifteen acres. The place gained notoriety in early days from the fact of its being a stronghold for thieves, who bad a corral near the center of the grove, where they kept their stolen stock until an opportunity presented itself to drive it to the country lying south. The name is derived from the manzanita bushes growing there, which were much more numerous in the early days than now. Quite a number remain, though the grove is composed mostly of oak. In 1855, some one con­ceived the idea of turning this place into a burial-ground, and there are at the present time several hundred people buried within the enclosure. The first one was buried in the last-named year, in the spring. His name was Wynan. There are some monuments that would grace some of the fine cem­eteries in large cities. The towns of Lincoln, Sheri­dan, and even Wheatland, furnish subjects to pop­ulate this city of the dead. It is a very picturesque spot, and will always remain as a monument to per­petuate the memory of the dead. It is cared for by an annual subscription.

Newtown.
This, like others of its class, has ceased to exist as a place of habitation. It was located on a side ravine that terminated in what was known as Doty's Ravine, and was started about the year 1855. The population increased to about one hundred. The claims paid big, but it was what they called a "spotted" location, and" once you find it and twice you don't." The town was about five miles northeast of the present town of Lincoln. Not a house is left to mark the spot where so many miners found employment in days gone by. There was a largo hotel called the "Cardillion House," owned and run by a man named Cardillion; another was run by - Webdell. Neidihut & O'Teele kept a large grocery store, and another was kept by John Barnes. There was a saloon and dance-hall, owned by Ezra Newell, and a livery stable, by Wm. Johnson.

Grizzly Flat.
The mining Camp of Grizzly Flat is situated directly east of Wisconsin Hill, at the head of Grizzly Cañon.

In 1855-56 this camp had a population of fifty people, the mining ground consisted of nearly forty acres. The gold was course, and was taken out by the handful, and the whole fiat was honey-combed with drifts and tunnels. Every miner made something, and many made fortunes. After the fiat had been worked out, a company of a dozen miners, who had been successful, was formed to prospect the northerly branch. The name of the company was the Rough and Ready. A long tunnel was constructed of several hundred feet in length, from a point down the cañon, which cut through the rimrock of the basin, and drained the claim to a certain depth. A steam-engine was purchased, and a large pump put in operation.

The company worked with constant internal dissentions, until the year 1865, when the members mutually separated, and the claim was abandoned.

Upon the dissolution of the old Rough and Ready Company, in 1865, Messrs. Little & Hazelroth, of Grizzly Flat, obtained a possessory title to the tunnel claim but, not having the capital to successfully carry on the work, a new company was incorporated in 1878, under the name of the Eclipse Company. This company paid Mr. Hazelroth and the heirs of Mr. Little $2,000 for their possessory title. They also obtained title from the Government for 171 acres of mining ground.

Lincoln
Is situated in the valley of the Sacramento, bordering the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada, near where Auburn Ravine debouches upon the plain, being nearly directly west of Auburn, and fourteen miles distant in a direct line, or twenty-nine miles by rail. It is on the line of the California and Oregon Rail­road, ten miles from its junction with the Central Pacific. The place was named in honor of Charles Lincoln Wilson, the builder of the California Central Railroad, which was completed to this point October 31, 1861. The first settlement was made in 1859 by John Chapman, G. Gray, John Ziegenbein, E. A. Gibson, and Camron & Ballinger following soon after. In the years 1862-63, the town was very pros­perous, having at that time between 400 and 500 inhabitants, and from four to eight stages making daily trips from Lincoln.

The section of country surrounding Lincoln is decidedly agricultural, and is especially noted for its certainty of crops. Excellent fruit is raised here, and apples of superior quality. Mr. J. R. Nickerson, the pioneer fruit-raiser, exhibited at San Francisco in 1865, at the Mechanics' Institute Fair, 223 varieties of apples, for which he received a high testimonial from the committee.

The Lincoln Winery, conducted by Stephen D. Burdge, is an industrial feature which will probably grow into considerable importance as a more extended knowledge obtains of California's vintage. It was established in 1880, by the proprietor, who learned the business of wine-making in Italy, in 1828 and the time intervening to 1835, going there from the United States for that purpose. Mr. Burdge came to Placer County in 1850, and has never considered any other place than the locality about Lincoln his home since, as be soon after settled about four miles from the present site of the town, upon the place originally located by Kinsly and Copeland, but now owned by George D. Aldrich, on Doty's Ravine. Mr. Burdge mada wine as early as 1851 from grapes grown on the Hock Farm. In 1852 he obtained at the farm, from General Sutter, a lot of cuttings-the General being loth to part with them then, as they were scarce-which he set out upon the Kinsly and Copeland place, he having purchased it from them for $6,000, In 1854, his cuttings had done so well, that be was enabled that season to make a small quantity of wine from grapes grown upon the young vines.

The wine manufactured at the Lincoln Winery is entirely the product of the mission grape, denominated Hock by the proprietor, with a beautiful amber color, fine flavor and bouquet, and finds ready market. But 2,000 gallons were made in 1881. The vintage of 1882 is expected to produce 30,000 gallons.

The discovery of excellent beds of coal in 1873, has contributed to bringing Lincoln into prominence. The Lincoln coal mine, situated a short distance from the depot, was discovered in 1873, a description of which can be found on page 213 of this volume.

The Clipper Coal Mine was discovered in June, 1874, by J. D. B. Cook. The property bas changed hands several times, and is now owned by John Landers, of Wheatland. In March. 1875, Mr. Glad­ding, the senior member of the firm of Gladding, McBean & Co., the present owners of the pottery, being on this coast, took some of the clay found in the Lincoln coal mine to Chicago, where he had formerly been in business. The sample proved suitable for sewer pipe and that class of goods; a company was soon formed, and in the same year, 1875, he returned and erected a building 110x45 feet, with an engine at one side. The main building is now 216x45 feet; another built recently is 135x30 feet. There are five kilns where the pipe is burned; the engine is sixty-horse power, with two boilers. All the machinery was made in Ohio, and is of the most modern kind. About thirty-five men and boys are employed constantly; the principal manufacture is sewer pipe, but in connection with this they make well-pipes, chimney-tops, flower-pots, lawn-vases, and ornaments of all descriptions.

The present population of Lincoln is about 300, and at the elections about 170 votes are polled. There is one drug store, one express office, two hotels, two grocery stores, one dry goods store, three blacksmith shops, one butcher shop, one tele­graph office, one bakery, five saloons, two doctors, one lawyer, one notary public, and two school teach­ers. There are two churches, one built in 1864 and afterwards sold for taxes, and bought by the citizens of the town, who opened it as a free church, allowing anybody to preach. A Catholic Church was built in 1880, in which services are held regularly. There is one school house, built of wood, with a seat­ing capacity of' about eighty. Two teachers are employed. The buildings in Lincoln are mainly of wood, there being several of brick. The people are supplied with water by a reservoir that is connected with the Bear River Ditch Company, and the water is distributed through the town in pipes. Several disastrous fires have occurred here. In October, 1867, the large flouring-mill of Messrs. Ziegenbein, Heffner & Co. was destroyed, with a loss of about $30,000. October 12, 1875, a fire occurred which destroyed a livery stable, blacksmith shop, and meat market. Another fire occurred March 30, 1876, which destroyed the Logan Livery Stable, together with all its contents, consisting of eleven horses, all the buggies, harness, and saddles, the stock of feed, etc.

Peter Ahart
Was born in Germany June 27, 1833, and when but twelve years of age left his native home for the great Republic of the West, arriving in the United States in May, 1845, with his father, his mother dying on the voyage. His father, George Ahart, settled in Missouri, and died in 1866. Mr. Peter Ahart came to California in 1852, and engaged in mining, which he followed successfully until 1857, when he bought the farm he now occupies at Lin­coln, Placer County. For some years he pursued the business of raising and dealing in cattle, which he continued for Ii period of fifteen years, when he turned his attention more particularly to the culti­vation of his farm and the raising of sheep, in which profitable business he is now engaged.

Mr. Ahart is a member of Valley Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is highly respected in the community in which he lives. On the 9th of May, 1861, he was married by the Rev. Mr. Winters, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to Miss Ursula Prudence Ragsdale, daughter of William B. and Sarah W. Ragsdale, and the happy family occupy the pleasant home shown in the accompanying illustration. The farm of Mr. Ahart comprises the extensive area of 2,200 acres, being almost enough for a Dukedom in the land of his nativity. Here in the fertile valley of the Sacra­mento his broad acres spread out miles in extent, of some of the finest land in the world, showing a wealth that could be acquired by the unaided efforts of man in but few other countries than California.

Isaac Stonecipher.
Isaac Stonecipher, now a resident of Lincoln, was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on the 5th of November, 1819. Leaving Pittsburg on the 14th of January, 1850, for California, via the Isthmus of Panama, at New York he purchased a ticket for passage through, the connecting steamer on the Pacific to be the Monumental City. Arriving at Panama, that mythical vessel never came, and after remaining three weeks in suspense concluded to wait no longer. The whale ship Rowena in the meantime came in and fitted up for passengers, and in her he embarked upon the Pacific side. Not long after the vessel went to sea an epidemic broke out, which prostrated many of the passengers, and before the ship reached Acapulco, in Mexico, thir­teen had died and been cast overboard. Here the Captain of the Rowena determined to leave his sick passengers, and Mr. Stonecipher, being one of these, was taken ashore. Partially recovering, when the steamer Winfield Scott came in, eight days after, he was enabled to procure passage on her, and arrived in San Francisco April 30, 1851. On the 1st of May he arrived at Auburn, and has continuously resided in Placer County ever since.

Sheridan
The village of Sheridan, named in honor of Gen. Phil. Sheridan, is situated near the southwestern portion of Placer County, in township 13 north, range 5 east, Mount Diablo meridian, twenty miles northwest of Auburn, or thirty-six miles by rail; is a station on the Oregon Division of the Cen­tral Pacific Railroad; is the trading point for a con­siderable population of farmers and stock-raisers, who occupy lands and grazing ranges surrounding it, and is the only place in the county which has at this time in operation a flouring-mill. With a public school, several trading establishments, post and express office, and one hotel, it is quite a thriving little town. The locality was first settled upon in 1855, by Mr. E. C. Rogers, and soon after came Mr. Young Dougherty.

The flouring-mill was built in 1870, under the pat­ronage of the late Mark Hopkins, for Daniel Click, who has ever since its construction been the man­ager, and is now its owner. The motive power is steam; the fuel, wood, being hauled from the foot­hills, some six -or eight miles distant in an easterly direction. The water used is obtained from wells sunk upon the premises, and pumped into tanks by steam. The capacity of the mill is about 175 bar­rels of flour per day, and consumes nearly all the grain raised within a  radius of ten miles.

The town site is located near a historic place ­that wayside hostelry, so well and favorably known to all old-time travelers as...

Rogers’ Shed
The "Shed," or "Union Shed," as afterwards called, was built by E. C. Rogers, in December, 1857, and comprised a one-story house, 24x80 feet, and the uninclosed shed in front, 40x40 feet, and twenty feet high, under the shelter of which the monstrous freight teams, then thronging the roads, could repose, and be sheltered from summer's heat or from the winter's rain. A. large barn and corral were als9 an attachment of the premises upon the opposite side of the road. Situated as the "Shed" was upon the old Sacramento and Nevada road, and there being also four other roads diverging there-­from, it became, in those early days, quite a noted place. One road ran westerly toward Nicholaus; one northwesterly to Marysville, via Kempton's Crossing of Bear River; one northeasterly toward Grass Valley, via McCourtney's Crossing of Bear River, and another running easterly to Auburn via Danetown. The distance from the" Shed" to Sac­ramento was thirty miles; to Grass Valley, twenty­-eight; to Nevada, thirty-two; to Auburn, twenty; to Marysvi1le, fifteen; to Nicholaus, thirteen; to Johnson's Crossing, four and to Coon Creek, three. For four or five years after its establish­ment, two stages passed the "Shed" daily; and the number of big freight teams during that period was from forty to sixty each day, the most of the latter either stopping over night or for dinner. The road was then traveled by all teams going to Grass Valley, Nevada, North San Juan, Forest City, Downieville, and other places in the mountains in that direction, and, as they here laid in a supply of feed to last during the round trip, the "Shed" became the market place at which the farmers of the surrounding county congregated for the purpose of disposing of their hay and barley.

And then the" Shed" became a place w here the people of both valley and mountain resorted for amusement. During these lively days, now, alas, all deadened by the remorseless puff and snort of the locomotive, there were two evenings in each week devoted to dancing-school; while, as regularly as the months rolled round, was there a public ball held­ -- one every month-at which the people flocked from all sides, from the very suburbs of Sacramento, Marysville, Auburn, Grass Valley, and from other places. A fine race-truck and frequent trials of speed soon attracted many stock-breeders to the place, some of whom brought and matched blooded horses, and either lost or won considerable sums of money.

Mr. Rogers was an enterprising man, and he desired people with families to settle about him. An objec­tion to this was raised, because there was no school in the vicinity. To obviate this, Mr. Rogers applied for, and was successful in, the establishment of a school district-calling it Norwich District-from a portion of Manzanita District, in 1864. Of Nor­wich District he was elected one of the Trustees. There was no school house in which to hold a school nor school money with which to pay a teacher; but all this did not daunt Mr. Rogers, who hired Mrs. M. E. Reynolds as teacher, gave the use of his ball­room at the "Shed" as a school house, boarded her, and paid her $60.00 a month for two months out of his own pocket. Subsequently the teacher's wages was paid out of the school fund. Thus was the school district at Sheridan established, and for four­teen years did Mr. Rogers retain the position of Trustee.

In 1860, there was a voting precinct established ere called Union Shed Precinct-now changed to Sheridan, as is the name of Norwich to Sheridan School District. The locality being upon quite high ground, in the undulating lands just where the lower foot-hills blend with the stretches of the valley, and overlooking a long distance thereof, it was a central position at which stock-raisers met in searching for estray animals, and a number of them selected this point upon which to erect an observatory, or "lookout," as the vaqueros termed it. This structure was forty feet high, and had a large telescope some four or five feet long, mounted at its apex, which took in a view for many miles, and with which stock could be descried for a long distance. It was situated a little west from the" Shed."

In 1865, a church was organized and also a Sunday­school, the latter probably the first in the valley, both of which were held in the ball-room of the “Shed," and were well attended. Mr. Charles Luce was the first Superintendent of the Sunday-school.

Business was good at the old "Shed" on the road I1til 1866, when the railroad was constructed through as far as Wheatland, and a great change as the consequence. Finally, in 1868, the entire establishment, together with a large quantity of hay, grain, etc., was destroyed by fire, by which Mr. Rogers lost $3,000, there being no insurance.

The first depot building constructed at Sheridan as in 1866, near the "Shed," by the farmers in the neighborhood; but in 1868, it was moved some sixty rods to where it now stands in the village, by Messrs. Dougherty and Rogers. The post-office was first established in 1868, with Mr. Young Dougherty as postmaster, to which position Mr. E. C. Rogers soon succeeded, and has ever since and now holds it. The first store was built in 1869. The population of the village, as given by the census of 1880, was 125, but the precinct, including considerable of the surround­ing country, has a voting population of about 130. The village has, in 1881, three stores, one drug store, two blacksmith shops, one shoe store, two hotels, three saloons, two clergymen, one doctor, and one school teacher. The school house is of wood, with seating capacity of sixty, and was erected at a cost of $3,000. It contains a school-room, library, and ante-room. There are two church denominations-Baptist and Methodist. Rev. John S. Jesse is pastor of the Baptist Church, and Rev. L. S. Feathrston is pastor of the Methodist Church. Several social orders are, or have been, represented in Sheri­dan. Sheridan Lodge, No. 304, I. O. G. T., was organized in November, 1870, and a Division of the Sons of Temperance was formed in 1878. Sheridan land of Hope was organized November 7, 1880. The first officers were: Y. Dougherty, Superintend­ent; Mrs. R. V. McDonald, President; J. Boyce Chaplain; Daniel Click, Treasurer; Joseph Jesse, Secretary; Mrs. Lucy McAllister, Sentinel and Usher. The present officers are: Mrs. E. C. Rogers, Presi­dent; Miss Lelah Carpenter, Vice-President; Miss Ella Rickey, Assistant Superintendent; Joseph Jesse, Chaplain; Daniel Click, Treasurer; Mrs. R. V. Mc­Donald, Secretary; Miss Alice Murphy, Sentinel; Miss Mary Raymond, Usher. There are thirty-six members. Mr. J. T. Briggs is the Justice of the Peace, and E. C. Rogers is Constable.

Shirt-Tail Cañon.
A short distance above the historic spot once known as Barnes' Bar, on the North Fork of the American River, a stream flows into the river from the southward, known as Devil's Cañon. Going up this, perhaps three miles, a branch joins it upon the left hand side, and Shirt-tail Cañon presents itself, to the beholder. Like all streams of its magnitude, its bed is a deep gorge, narrow and rocky, from 1,000 to 1,500 feet below the crests of the surround­ing " divides." It became an important auxiliary to the gold-producing fields at an early period in the history of t be State, and has poured forth from its rough bosom a large quota of treasure to swell the volume of that precious commodity by which com­merce regulates the standard of values.

The unique name it bears was bestowed in the following manner: Early in the summer of 1849 two men, one named Tuttle, formerly from the State of Connecticut, and the other Van Zandt, from Oregon, were prospecting upon Brushy Cañon and in that locality, and at the time supposed there was no one nearer to them than the people who were at work along the river bars. From Brushy they emerged into the valley of the larger stream into which it emptied. It was sultry and hot, and no sound but their own suppressed voices broke the silence of the gorge. A bend in the creek a short distance below them obstructed the view, and they walked down the stream to overcome it. Abruptly turning the point, they were astonished to see before them, but a little way off, a solitary individual -- whether white or red they could not at first determine-engaged in primitive mining operations, with crevicing spoon, and sheath-knife and pan. The apparition was per­fectly nude, with the exception of a shirt, and that was not overly lengthy. The lone miner was in the edge of the water, and, happening to look up, saw the two men who had intruded upon his domain at about the same time that they discovered him. Had this not been so, Tuttle and Van Zandt, as they declared afterward, would have stepped back, made some noise, and given the man a chance to don his overalls. As it was, the eyes of both parties met, and an involuntary "hello!" came from all three mouths. " What in the devil's name do you call this place?" queried one of the intruders of the sans cullottes, who proved to be an American. He glanced at his bare legs, and from them to his questioners, took in at a moment the ludicrous appearance he made, and laughingly answered: "Don't know any name for it yet, but we might as well call it Shirttail as anything else," and under that euphoneous nomenclature has it since been known, and must thus go down to posterity. It is to be regretted that no record can be found of the name of the man in the shirt.

Sunny South.
The little town of Sunny South, represented in the picture upon another page, owes its existence entirely to the extensive and rich gravel mine known as the Hidden Treasure. Lying upon the southern slope of the ridge which separates the waters of the North and Middle Forks of the American, the exposure to sunshine causes such a contrast with respect to climate to that of the temperature enjoyed by the kindred villages upon the northern side of the ridge, that its first residents bestowed upon it the above appellative, in contra-distinction between their own and the snow-buried domiciles of their neighbors. Being about 3,500 feet above sea-level, on the north crest of the ridge, which here assumes the char­acter of a broad plateau, rises some 700 or 800 feet higher, and is, for four or five months of the year, ordinarily covered with snow-sometimes to a great depth-during which time the ground at the immediate locality of the village will be nearly or quite bare. It is five miles from Michigan Bluff, which lies in a southerly direction, and seven from Damascus, situated toward the north; and from the site of the town appears one of the most magnifi­cent views of the rugged side of nature that can be well imagined in a bird's-eye survey of the tremen­dous gorges of the branches of the Middle Fork of the American, with the towering bluffs and peaks that skirt them, which are here spread out at the feet of the beholder. A school house, two hotels, and two stores, and numerous cosy and well-furnished family cottages, are among the structures of Sunny South. The school has an attendance of about twenty scholars. The stores are kept, respectively, by Peter Just and John Abram & Son, and the hotels by Mrs. B. Lyons and James A. Abram.

Emigrant Gap.
Is a station on the Central Pacific Railroad, forty­-seven miles northeast of Auburn, at an elevation of 5,221 feet above the sea, in Township No.4, and has a population of 137. It is in the midst of the great pine forests of the Sierra, and lumbering i8 the chief resource of the place. The scenery around Emi­grant Gap is grand and inspiring, and, coupled with its fine summer climate and good hunting, makes it a pleasant place of resort for those seeking health and pleasure.

Forest Hill.
This mining town is pleasantly situated on the ridge between Shirt-tail Cañon and the Middle Fork of the American River, twenty-two miles northeast of Auburn, at an elevation of 3,230 feet above the sea. The region is a gravel formation, and was originally covered with a noble growth of pine trees. Before March, 1850, the surface of the ground was un­broken, and its forest unhacked by the hand of the white man. In that month the story was spread of the discovery of rich diggings at Bird's store, and a rush of people passed up the country via Coloma and Greenwood Valley from the south, and via Auburn from the west. On the top of the ridge, a few miles from Dr. Todd's store, now the village of Todd's Valley, the two routes came together. Some of the prospectors stopped near the junction and washed in the surface for gold, making from five to ten dollars a day each, with a rocker. The first of such mining was in the middle of April, 1850. Wher­ever running water was found, there gold could be ob­tained; but with the simple appliances of pan, shovel, and rocker, in use at that time, the returns were not such as satisfied the expectations, and the inexperienced and hopeful miners moved on. The point being well situated for trade, it was occupied in the fall of that year by M. and James Fannan and R. S. Johnson, who established a trading-post. This way­side brush shanty grew into a house and hotel, known as the Forest House, as here was a dense forest of pine, fir, spruce, and oak trees. In 1851 other houses were built in the vicinity, and the Forest House became quite an important trade and travel center.

Mining was continued in a small way in the neigh­boring gulches, but an accident in the winter of 1852-53 led to greater enterprise and the opening of the deep mines which have given to Forest Hill its celebrity. That winter is historically remembered as one of great severity of storm and flood. During one of the storms a mass of earth was loosened at the head of Jenny Lind Cañon, above the mining claims of Snyder, Brown &; Co. Upon going to their claim, when the storm had abated, they saw with dismay the havoc that had been wrought. A great slide of earth had covered their mine and mining implements, and, in curiosity, they proceeded to examine the mass and the freshly-rent bank whence it came, and it was a bank of rich deposit for them. Chunks of gold were seen glistening in the gravel, and these they at once proceeded to gather, finding some $2,000 or $2,500 worth a day. This led to the opening of the Jenny Lind Mine, which has pro­duced over $1,100,000 of gold. Claims were then located on all the gravel region thought accessible, and tunnels started to develop them. Among these were the Deidesheimer, Rough and Ready, Inde­pendent, Northwood &; Fast, Gore, Alabama, Darda­nelles, Eagle, Garden, India Rubber, and others, covering quite an extended area. The miners were considerably scattered, and, for some years, the labor was devoted to opening the mines, rather than extracting the precious metal.

Forest Hill is remarked to have seen its most pros­perous days in the first eight or ten years of its existence, but under the more skillful and economical management of mining of late years the prospects must be considered very favorable. There are, moreover, many resources besides mining, but the absence of railroad facilities and an abundant supply of water prevent full development. In 1859, and for several years, the Placer Courier was published here, and with its newspaper, fine blocks of fire­proof stores, hotels, elegant saloons, banks and express offices, and pleasant dower-adorned resi­dences, Forest Hill had quite a metropolitan air. This, in a measure, it retains at present, though the bustle on the street is not so great, and it still bears the appearance of a prosperous and pleasant village. The population, as given by the census of 1880, was 688, showing it to be one of the large towns of Placer County.

J. G. Garrison
Is a native of the State of Maine, and W:J.S born in Harpswell, Cumberland County, March 15,1830. At the tender age of fourteen years, he left his home and became a sailor on the "briny deep," making his first voyage in the brig Rebecca C. Fisher. This vessel was engaged in the West India trade. Mr. Garrison followed the sea until the year 1850, at which time he came to California by way of Cape Horn, in the ship Powhatan, from Baltimore, Mary­land. One hundred and seventy-five days were con­sumed in the trip, and he landed in San Francisco on the 15th of November. About four months were passed in the latter city by him, when he went to Dry town, Amador County, but remained only a few weeks, returning to the city, and, soon after, coming to Placer County, and locating at Auburn. In the fall of 1851, he removed to Coloma, and from there to Trinity County, and engaged in mining for about nine months. He then returned to Placer County, and was engaged in the same line of business, until 1855. During the latter year he conducted a butch­ering and meat business at Volcanoville, El Dorado County, and, in March, 1856, was engaged in mer­chandising with Harding & Kennedy, at Gray Eagle, in the same county. He remained with this firm about one year and a half, and then removed to Horse-shoe Bar, in Placer County, and established n business of his own, general merchandising, which he conducted until the great flood of January, 1862, destroyed his place and stock. Mr. Garrison barely escaped death in the troubled waters, by breaking a hole through the roof of his house. His next ven­ture was purchasing the interest of S. S. Kennedy in a mercantile house, at Forest Hill, where he has since resided. His establishment is one of the largest in the county. His residence at Forest Hill is in keep­ing with the cultivated tastes of its owner, and will compare favorably with many in large cities, costing about $14,000. Among the misfortunes to which be bas been subjected during his eventful life, was the burning of' a $10,000 residence, July 30, 1879. His present house is erected upon the site of the former.

Mr. Garrison was married October 23, 1864, to Miss Alice M. Humphrey, a native of Wisconsin. They had, in 1881, four children, three sons and one daughter, aged respectively, fourteen, twelve, ten and eight years.

William Rea.
This gentleman is the fifth son of Robert and Mary Rea, who were natives of England. Our present subject was born at Hillsboro, New Brunswick, March 25, 1833. In his infancy he removed with his parents, to the State of Maine, where he lived until he was twenty-one years of age. He was employed in the mills after he became old enough to work. In 1854 he came to California, by the Nicaragua route, arriving in San Francisco in the month of June. He went immediately to EI Dorado County, and two months later removed to Lakeport, in Lake County. In company with an elder brother, he erected a saw-mill at the outlet of Clear Lake, on Cache Creek. About one year later he came to Placer County, and located at Forest Hill. Mr. Rea has been largely interested in the milling business during his life in California, and is at pres­ent the owner of a mill situated in Black Hawk Cañon, about three miles from Forest Hill. This mill was erected in 1869, by two brothers of Mr. Rea, but was subsequently purchased by him, and moved to its present site. About five years since Mr. Rea leased the well-known "Forest House." which hotel he has since conducted. In the fall of 1880, he became one-third owner in the stage line running between Auburn and Michigan Bluff, a dis­tance of about thirty miles.

Mr. Rea returned to Maine in the spring of 1861 and was married to Miss Angeline Rice, and returned with his bride to California during the following winter. In 1864 he went East again, in hopes to recruit his wife's health, but she died in 1866. He was again married in 1870, to Miss Annie Allen, a native of Maine, and the same year returned to Cal­ifornia, and has since resided at Forest Hill.

Gold Hill.
In the early history of Placer County Gold Hill was quite a conspicuous point, but as a village its glory has departed. It is situated in Auburn Ravine, seven and one-half miles west of the county seat. Here are the lower foot-hills of the Sierra, slight undulations distinguish it from the great valley that a few miles west stretches off a level plain, and at the present time orchards, fields, gardens, and vine­yards occupy the places once devoted to mining. The first attempt at mining was in 1851, and in April, 1852, the village was organized and received its name. J. M. Bedford was Justice of the Peace; T. Taylor was Constable, and C. Langdon was Recorder of mining claims. The busy population of its early days may be estimated from the votes given. In 1852, Presidential election, the vote at Gold Hill numbered 444; in 1853 it was 304, and in 1854, 294. The diggings were in the surface, and almost everywhere, where water could be obtained, a miner could get some gold, and in some spots rich deposits were found. Gradually the village declined, until at present it is not distinguished as a voting precinct.

Gold Run
Is situated on the line of the Central Pacific Rail­road, twenty-nine miles northeast of' Auburn, having an elevation above the sea of 3,206 feet. Through this region extends that succession of auriferous deposits of gravel found in Nevada and Placer Coun­ties, which some have, without authority of facts, constructed into an imaginary and impossible con­tinuous "Dead Blue River ,. channel. For some miles around Gold Run are these gravel deposits, constituting hills similar to Dutch Flat, and which are mined by the hydraulic process. This system of mining has been carried on here very extensively until enjoined, in the fall of 1881, by order of the Superior Court of Sacramento, in a suit brought by the Attorney-General in behalf of the State against the Gold Run Ditch and Mining Company, to restrain the running of debris from the mines into the American River. This put a temporary stop, pos­sibly perpetual, to the hydraulic mining.

In this vicinity were some of the first hydraulic mines of the State, opened by that process, as sworn to by J. F. Talbott in the trial above referred to, early in 1853, on Indian Hill. Mr. H. H. Brown stated in the trial that the population of Gold Run, engaged in mining in 1865, was about 250. In 1866 it was about 400. From 1866 to 1878 the population diminished, until now they only poll about 100 votes. The census of 1880 gives the population at 377. Mr. Brown, who had formerly been a banker at Gold Run, stated that there bad been shipped, through Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express, from 1865 to 1878, $4,500,000, and via Dutch Flat $1,625,000, making the. product, in twelve years, $6,425,000. In 1865 the product was $400,000; in 1866, $600,000; in 1867, $500,000, and a gradual decline to 1877, $250,000. Prior to 1878 the wages paid to miners was 83.00 for ordinary and $5.00 for foremen per diem of eight hours. Since then the ordinary pay is $2.50 a day, the miners paying all their own personal expenses. While much mining was done prior to 1865, it was not until that year that an abundance of water was supplied and the mines opened systematically and with improved mining apparatus. Since 1877 the product has averaged about $200,000 annually from this locality.

The early history of Gold Run is given in the bio­graphical sketch of O. W. Hollenbeck (see page 307), who laid out the town in 1862, when called Mountain Springs, and was its first postmaster. The name of Gold Run was adopted in September, 1863, by the authorities at Washington as the name of the post­-office. In July, 1866, the Central Pacific Railroad was completed to this point, and since then the village has been one of the important ones of Placer County.

 Iowa Hill.
 So much has already been told in this history of the mining region of the Iowa Hill Divide that an extended notice here specially devoted to the town would be superfluous. The town is located on a nar­row part of the ridge between the North Fork of the American, on the north, and Indian Cañon, on the south, twenty-six miles northeast of Auburn, via the Central Pacific Railroad to Colfax, in Township No. 7. The population, as returned by the census of 1880, was 450; the elevation, 2,867 feet above sea level. The surrounding localities are, Independence Rill, Roach Hill, Birds' Flat, Monona Flat, Grizzly Flat, Wisconsin Hill, Elizabethtown, and Stephens' Hill. The first discoveries of gold were made in 1853 on the ground subsequently so famous for its productions, called the Jamison Claim. Other claims were opened, first by drifting and ground-sluicing, and then by the hydraulic. The weekly product in 1856 was stated at $100,000. The historian of 1861 says, "The business portion of Iowa Hill consists of three large grocery stores, four hotels, five dry-goods and clothing stores, one fancy store, three variety stores, one brewery and soda factory, two hardware and tinware stores, and two butcher shops, besides the usual number of bowling alleys, billiard and lager beer saloons. Iowa Hill also has a splendid Catholic Church, a Methodist Church, a Masonic Lodge, and a lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, also a public school, and a theater.

February 2, 1857, the town was destroyed by fire, of which the following account was published in the Iowa Hill News, Extra, of that day:

                        MONDAY, February 2, 1857.
This morning at 3 o'clock the alarm of fire was given. In a few moments the central portion of the town was in flames. The fire was first discovered in the back part of the City Bakery, and is supposed to have been the work of' an incendiary, as there had been no fire in the building for baking purposes since Sunday at 10 A. M.

The east side of Main Street, from Temperance Hall to McCall & Co.'s Brewery, is swept away with the exception of Colgans' brick store. The post-office was in this building. On the west side of the street the fire extended from the office of the News to Hill's reservoir. The dwelling-houses in the rear on either side of Main Street were all saved. About one hun­dred buildings and tenements are destroyed. It is almost miraculous that no lives were lost.

The material of the News printing office was all moved, but by tearing away a building between it and the St. Louis House, and by the indefatigable exertions of our citizens, our office was saved and the fire arrested on the west side of the street. We are under deep and lasting obligations to friends and our citizens generally, for their generous and timely assistance.

It is almost impossible to approximate anything near the loss sustained. So rapidly did the flames extend that the fire-proof cellars under the most of the large stores were of little use, there being no time to remove merchandise into them.

Wells, Fargo & Co. saved their papers.
Up to the time of our going to press P. J. Edwards' safe had not been opened; probably all his papers are preserved.
A meeting was held to-day at 12 o'clock for the purpose of devising means for the alleviation of the destitute.

Messrs. Ladd, Crutcher, Hotchkiss, Rich & Bennett of Iowa Hill, Wm. D. Lawrence of Birds' Flat, Housel of Grizzly Flat, Brown of Wisconsin Hill, Reno of Independence Hill, and Trask of Roach Hill, were appointed a committee to receive sub­scriptions. A meeting will be held at 3 o'clock for the purpose of taking into consideration the widening of the streets.

Two o'clock. The work of re-building has commenced. Two houses have been moved on to Main street. Teams are busily engaged in hauling lumber for the reconstruction.

The telegraph office has been removed to the News office, and was in working order by 9 o'clock, A.M.

Main street has been surveyed by Mr. Young twenty feet wider than originally.  

The town was again burned on the 27th of March, 1862, involving a loss of $65,000.

 Notwithstanding these disasters the citizens rebuilt. in a substantial manner, but the 1osses were such as to seriously impair the fortunes of the wealthy and bring to ruin and discouragement those of feebler characters.

Dr. Oliver H. Peterson
Is the only son of Oliver and Elizabeth Petterson, the former a native of Sweden, and the latter a native of England. Oliver H., our present subject, is, however, a native of New York City, having been born there on the 12th day of November, 1830. He received a classic education in his native city, and was a graduate of the College of' Physicians and Surgeons in 1851. He also attended a full course of lectures at the State University. At the age of twenty-one years he bade farewell to the great metropolis and sailed for California in the ship Philip Horne. Nearly six months were consumed in the voyage, as he made the passage of Cape Horn, Early in August, 1851, he landed in San Francisco, and proceeded at once to Sacramento, where he took charge of the City Hospital. This position be held for one year, and then removed to Salmon Falls, El Dorado County, and commenced the practice of his profession. He remained at that point about two years, and while there was Justice of the Peace and Associate Justice of the Court of Sessions. His next location was at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine, in Santa Clara County, where for eighteen months he was surgeon for that company. 

        
He then returned to San Francisco and practiced medicine for two years in that city, but the climate proving detrimental to his health, he was obliged to seek other fields for his labors. We next find him located at Iowa Rill, in Placer County, in the enjoyment of a large and lucrative practice in his profession. The Doctor is a man well known outside of his practice, as well as recognized in his calling for honesty, integrity, and the skillful treatment of diseases.
He was married May 4, 1864, to Miss Elizabeth Beybring, a native of Mexico, of German descent.

Michigan Bluff
One of the oldest of Placer's mining towns, rests high upon the brow of the cañon of the Middle Fork of the American River, looking over into the neigh­boring county of El Dorado, thirty miles northeast ot Auburn, from which point it is reached by wagon road through Todd's Valley and Forest Hill. It is in Township No.6, has a population of 468, and is 3,488foet above the sea.
There is no authentic data attainable whereby the facts can be chronicled in these pages, relating to the nomenclature of this noted mining locality. It is presumed, however, that a party of prospectors from the State of Michigan, in the spring of 1850, camping somewhere near the base of Sugar Loaf Hill, gave cause for the name. Sugar Loaf is a peak, the shape of which is indicated by the name, whose crest rises 3,740 feet above the sea level, or 250 feet higher than the main street of the town, at the Phœnix Hotel. The present village is situated immediately at its southern base; but the first town, which in earlier days was commonly known as Michigan City, was located about half a mile below upon a stretch of tolerably flat ground which once existed there.

While little mining was done in that vicinity, on the rivers, as early as the summer and fall of 1848 -first at Rector's Bar by a party of sailors, and later in the season by a company who went there from Sutter's Fort with J. D. Hoppe-it was not until 1850 that any extensive operations were begun. In the fall of 1849 there seems to have been two men, one named Robert Wilson, who worked a short time in Dutch Gulch, but who did little, as one would stand out upon the flat and watch for Indians-of whom they were afraid-while the other dug and washed the gravel for gold. They did not stop hero long, however, under these circumstances; but that they did well in thus working, is evinced by the fact that Mr. Wilson returned to the spot in 1880, after a lapse of thirty-one years, confident that he knew of a spot in the vicinity of his early labors, where a fortune lay awaiting him.

With the above exception, the work done in that vicinity during the year 1849, seems to have been confined entirely to the bars upon the adjoining streams in the deep cañons, and this was only in the shallow places, by crevicing. That fall two men, Ned and - Bronson, being at work upon the Middle Fork of the American, decided to follow up the stream for the purpose of prospecting. 1n doing so they reached the mouth of a large cañon coming into the river from the northeast, where they found in crevicing the cleanly water-washed bed-rock, con­siderable quantities of large, heavy gold. Not long after this the rainy season begun and they were compelled to leave-going to Pilot Hill, El Dorado County, where, during; the summer, they had located claims to be worked in the winter after water came.

While at Pilot Hill they exhibited their gold to a number of persons, whom they informed of their intention to return in the spring to the spot where they obtained it, but only to their intimate friends would they disclose the locality. As time wore on, the flight of imagination became loftier and loftier, increasing the importance of. the new find, until the Bronsons gave away their claims at Pilot Hill, as they were too insignificant for them to work, and awaited the coming of spring, when they could return to the cañon they had left on the Middle Fork-always representing it to be a long ways off and in an almost inaccessible locality. Lawrence Bargy, Sid. Kitchum, and several other men who came from Syracuse, New York, with the Bronsons were at that time also living at Pilot Hill, and, being townsmen, became allied, and were all to go in the spring together to the wondrous mines on the Middle Fork. Quite a company of men thus became inter­ested in the prospect between the friends of all­ -- some of whom were living at Coloma, some at Hang­town, and at other places-to the number of twenty or twenty-five. Outside of this particular circle nobody new where the good diggings of the Bron­sons were located. It nevertheless became notorious that they were to start out in the spring, and parties were constantly on the watch prepared to follow them up. Meanwhile the favored ones were going well provided for; they had purchased not less than sixty mules and horses, and packed to the rendezvous at Pilot Hill several loads of tools, provisions, etc., from Sacramento, during the latter part of the winter, to be ready to start on the melting of the snow in the mountains. February was a pleasant month; the rendezvous was below the snowy zone; the continued fine weather that prevailed through the first week of March brought out the early vege­tation and flowers, so that by the middle of that month the party thought the season far enough advanced to justify a movement. Accordingly, with as much secrecy as any such large party could gather, they assembled, packed up and went away at night. Not many days elapsed after the cavalcade had got under way, before there were from 500 to 600 men in their wake-pursuing them, and as rolling snow gathers volume as it courses down an inclination, so did the crowd of pursuers increase as it proceeded, until the rush became enormous.

The Bronson party traveled up the Georgetown Divide, crossed Cañon and Otter Creeks to where Volcanoville now is, and thence descended the hill to Volcano Bar, on the Middle Fork. Finding the river so high that it was impossible to proceed up the cañon, with much delay and difficulty they got across the stream, climbed the hill on the north side, and were upon the ridge between the North and Middle Forks of the American, up which the party traveled. Upon arriving at Bird's store, in a little valley about a mile west of where the town of Michigan City was afterwards built, they went into camp -- the Bronsons believing they were not far away from the cañon at the mouth of which they had found their gold. A few people even at that time had preceded them; but it was the operations of this party which caused the great influx of popu­lation into Bird's Valley to the number of two or three thousand in the spring of 1850, and the subse­quent creation of the little temporary town there, and of building the permanent one afterward, of Michigan Bluff.

Research determined that it was at the mouth of EI Dorado Cañon where the Bronsons had obtained their gold; but how changed in appearance! Instead of an insignificant stream as they had left it in the fall, the Bronsons and party found a great, rapid river-larger now, a great deal, than the Middle Fork was the fall before-and the water so high that but little work could be done. Bird's Valley was at that time about as far up in the mountains as it was pos­sible for animals to travel, for snow, which, as late as the middle of April, fell in the valley to a depth of eight inches to one foot. Hundreds of men sought the river for diggings, at Stony, Rector, and other bars, but the water being too high to enable them to work to any great extent, the majority of them remained congregated at Bird's and other eligibly located camping places, awaiting a time when the water would be low in the streams. Some of these who had camped upon the flat east of Bird's, and nearer to the supposed rich diggings, while waiting for the subsidence of the water, and being attracted by the fine growth of sugar-pine in the vicinity, became of the belief that by riving out shakes, etc., and constructing shanties they might be rented to some of the many homeless, tentless and shelterless prospectors thronging the vicinity. In accordance with this suggestion several of the more speculative individuals of the community began the work of building, and being in some instances obliged to do slight grading for their primitive structures, while doing so discovered that they were upon ground composed largely of gravel--smooth-washed, rounded, white quartz gravel-which upon being washed was found to contain gold. This ultimately led to the location of the ground for mining purposes; as also, the permanent establishment of the town of Michi­gan Bluff. Not long after this time Lawrence Bargy returned to Pilot Hill, disgusted with the diggings at the mouth of EI Dorado Cañon, and reported the discovery of gold at Michigan Bluff, saying that some fine gold had been found away up near the top of the ridge from the river-fine gold, and but little of it­ and men had located claims there, but were wild for having done so; and for his part said he "wanted no diggings so far away from water," which opinion goes to show the citizen of to-day what the esti­mated value was of the mines there in the mind of some of the pioneers.

Though many claims had been located in the deep gravel diggings of Michigan Bluff from 1850 to '52, but little progress had been made toward their develop­ment until the latter year, when several ditch compan­ies were organized to bring the water to the banks, where it could be made available in washing the ground. The first of these was begun in 1852, but was not completed so as to run water until the spring of 1853. The water was taken from Volcano Cañon, a distance of about five miles, and its carrying capacity about fifty inches. Philip Stoner, George Smith and  ___Barker were the owners.

The second ditch was also begun in 1852, and completed in 1853; but did not convey water to the diggings as soon as the other, owing to careless engineering-four miles of the lower end being too level. This brought water from EI Dorado Cañon; was twelve miles long, with a capacity of five hundred inches. Edwin Tyler, Charles Blake, C. H. T. Palmer, and ___Webster were the owners. Several years later it was extended some six or eight miles to the east branch of EI Dorado Cañon.

With the introduction of water, although the price for it" use was one dollar an inch, several hydraulic operations were started, many shafts and tunnels were begun; population augmented rapidly, and the "city" soon became a tangible reality. Previous to this time, in the fall of 1852, a hydraulic apparatus had been put in place at EI Dorado Hill, a mile east of Michigan Bluff, by Jo. Burnham, Jo. Millsap, Lex. Gooch, John Lowe, Wm. Burnham and Benj. Mitten, which was operated by water from Poor­man's Cañon, flowing through a ditch about one and a quarter miles long, of a capacity of one hundred inches, where with a pressure of seventy-five feet, directed by canvas hose through a one-inch and three-quarter-inch nozzles, and sluices one foot wide, the gravel was sent off (as they then thought) with great rapidity.

Among the first hydraulic miners at Michigan Bluff was Tim. G. Smith, afterward Sheriff of Ormsby County, Nevada, who began upon the first introduction of the water. Claims were very small in those days compared with those of the present time. The Millsap claim, tailing into Poorman's Cañon, was also one of the earliest hydraulic mines worked, with water taken from Volcano Cañon by a ditch about six miles long, costing $7,000, constructed by Jo. Burnham and Jo. Millsap, who also sold water at seventy-five cents an inch, having more than they required for their own use. The Millsap hydraulic used about two hundred inches of water, and was rigged with four-inch leather hose. This company built the pioneer car of the district -- a wooden one entirely -- laid a track, and moved the bowlders from their claim with it.

The mines, as first located at Michigan Bluff, lay upon an extensive flat, where the town was first built, lying between Skunk Cañon on the west, and Poorman's Gulch on the east, with Tichenor's Ravine and Dutch Gulch intervening; the latter, where it reached the flat, being a mere channel cut into the gravel, with no bed-rock at sides or bottom, the depression dividing the gravel plateau. The eastern side of the flat was named Red Hill, while the west­ern part was called Michigan Bluff Flat. The claims around the flat were only twenty feet front, and were numbered from 1 to -, and went in that order all round the brow of the oval plateau, narrowing us they went back toward the center. When the main hill was reached different mining regulations were adopted, in 1854, and one hundred feet square was allowed to each claim. As the ground became deeper shafts were sunk and horse-power whims erected to raise the dirt and water. The first of these whims, with a twenty-foot drum, was con­structed by the "Know Nothing" Company, the members of which were Joseph and William Burn­ham, Matthew Nunan (now an Ex-Sheriff of San Francisco County), Capt. Michael White, Nelson Finley, J. Hugh Ivins, and William Christie, each one of whom had consolidated his 100x100 claim. This shaft was sunk in 1854, and was 150 feet deep, seven feet deep of the bottom stratum of which was drifted and washed, yielding a net profit per man of $10.00 a day until worked out. The Empire Com­pany sunk the first shaft in deep ground and began drifting, That ground was drifted over twice, and in many places three times-the posts first put in hav­ing, by pressure above, been driven into the bed-rock so that it again united with the gravel, while at the same time the bed-rock coming in contact with the air would rise up, or, in mining parlance, "swell."

As time passed by, one by one these small-sized claims were purchased from the original locators, until at the present time nearly all of the ground embraced in Michigan Flat and Red Hill is consoli­dated under the name of Big Gun Mine, under the ownership of J as. A. and H. L. Van Emmon, who have a patent for about 300 acres.

To such an extent had the ground around the rim of the flat upon which Michigan City was built been washed away or cut up by drifts, and with the reser­voirs in which the water from the ditches was stored so situated above that it percolated the land remain­ing, in 1858 the whole site upon which the town was built began to settle and slip downward, cracking the walls of buildings and seriously affecting the stability of every structure, great and small. This continued until it was rendered unsafe to remain longer, and, in 1859, the site where the present vil­lage stands was selected and built upon. Sugar-Loaf Hill affords most of the water used, there being an occasional well dug in the sloping ground at its base, but the main supply, cold, clear, and delicious, is delivered throughout the village in pipes under pres­sure from tunnels run in the side of the hill.
This flourishing village was almost wholly de­stroyed by fire on the 22d of July, 1857, causing a loss of $150,000, as the work of an hour.

Newcastle.
The present village of Newcastle is on the line of the Central Pacific Railroad, five miles southeast of Auburn, in Township No.2, having an elevation of 956 feet above the sea. Here was a mining town of the early days, but now it is the center of one of the most important fruit-growing districts of the State.

Ophir.
The name of Ophir was a favorite one with the pioneer gold-hunters, and it was given to numerous localities and claims which were supposed to be of extraordinary richness. Here was supposed to be the land of Ophir spoken of in the Bible, whence came the gold to adorn the temple of Solomon. The Ophir of Placer County is situated on Auburn Ravine, about three miles west of the Court House, and is still an important and pleasant village. Its history as a village dates from 1850. In 1852, it was the most populous town in the county, polling in that year 500 votes. In recent years it has been distinguished for the number and wealth of its quartz veins and the fruitfulness of its orchards and vine­yards. Oranges, figs, olives, almonds, and other semi-tropical fruits grow luxuriantly. The present population is about 600.

Penryn
The busy town of Penryn bases its prosperity upon the enduring granite, and a more solid and lasting foundation could not be found or desired. The site is on the line of the Central Pacific Rail­road, eight miles southeast of Auburn, twenty-eight miles- from Sacramento, and at an elevation of 610 feet above the sea. The population, as given by the census of 1880, was 238; but the vote of the precinct in the same year being 91, a larger population is indicated. The town is a growth of the granite quarries in the neighborhood, which were opened in 1864. This was not at once made a station, and pas­sengers to and from Penhryn-as it was then spelled, after its patronym in Wales-were obliged to go to some other station. Later a station was established, and the spelling of the name changed by Judge Crocker to suit the modern method of sim­plicity. Penryn owes its existence and prosperity as a town to...

Griffith Griffith,
The proprietor of the celebrated Penryn granite quarries. This gentleman is a native of Great Britain; was born December 8, 1823, at Ty Gwyn, Llanllyfni, Carnarvonshire, North Wales. His parents were David and Mary (Roberts) Griffith, the father being superintendent of a large slate quarry in that country. The elder Griffith died when the subject of our sketch was but fourteen years of age, leaving a family of seven children, the youngest being but one year old. Hard labor on the farm, to aid the mother, burdened by heavy taxes and high rents/added to the support of the large family, occu­pied the next five years of his life. At the age of nineteen, he went to work in the slate quarry, and soon became foreman over a gang of thirty men.

In June, 1847, Mr. Griffith came to the United States, taking a sailing vessel via Quebec, and mak­ing his way to the granite quarries of Quincy, Mas­sachusetts. There he obtained employment of Wright, Barker & Co., first as a quarryman, and then as a stone-cutter. For this firm he wrought some years, at Quincy, Milford, and Lynnfield, in Massachusetts, and at Millstone Point, in Connecticut, for Barker & Hoxie, of Philadelphia.

In 1853 he removed to California, arriving in San Francisco on the 14th of April, of that year. His first effort in this State was in mining at Coloma, and afterwards at Mormon Island and Negro Hill, in EI Dorado County. There the bed-rock was gran­ite, and along the river banks were immense bowl­ders and projections of this rock, glistening with the polish of the waters, and as hard as adamant. The experienced quarryman viewed these as his familiar companions of past years, and here was promised a vocation more to his taste than the precarious search for gold. But of Mr. Griffith's experience in this new line of business for California, we will relate in our notice of the Placer County granite.

Mr. Griffith is fond of society, and is a genial com­panion. His wife is a native of North Prospect, Maine, her maiden name being Julia Ann Partridge. He is a member of the Masonic Order, a Knight Templar, Thirty-second Scottish Rite, Knight Defender of the Shield and Star, and a life member of the Cambrian Mutual Aid Society. In politics he is a Republican since the Charleston Convention of 1860, but never has held or aspired to office.

Placer County Granite.
While fruit-growing, the product of gold, raisin manufacturing, the grain interest, wool-growing, lime-burning, pottery manufacture, smelting of iron ore, the production of wines and brandies, and other industrial interests in which multitudes are engaged, are noted in their proper order in this work, there is another important industry, which, though even at this time may be considered large, is yet in compar­ative primacy. This is the quarrying, dressing, and preparing of granite for builders' use. This primitive rock occurs in a zone which, upon the eastern side, reaches well up in the foot-bills-to an elevation, ap­proximately, of 800 feet--and crops out as far to the westerly as a height above the tide level of about 150 feet, at which point the abrasions of centuries have washed down and hidden it under the undulating sur­face of the higher plain lands, where it is no longer seen. This granite zone extends across the entire county from north to south, and is visible in width, from east to west, a distance of at least twelve miles. In traveling through the granite region, one is im­pressed favorably by the peculiar aspect of the landscape; with the smooth roads, which are without dust in summer and mud in winter, the white-oak, with its hanging mosses; the first appearance of the silver­ leafed pine; the live-oak with deep verdure; the chapparral and the buckeye, with an occasional bush of holly; while not infrequently will be seen monu­mental nodules of the solid granite itself rising to a height of twenty or more feet, that have been left as the erosion of thousands of years of frost and sunshine has worn away its surroundings, leaving it unscaleable without the aid of ladders -- a reminder that once the overhanging cliffs of granite looked down upon a deep, yawning chasm, now occupied by the fair valley of the Sacramento.

The pioneer worker of granite in California for building purposes is Mr. G. Griffith, whose works are illustrated in this book. His experience was brought into requisition in the year 1853, by the Meredith Brothers, at Folsom, Sacramento County, in testing the quality of some large granite bowlders, which were then lying near the American River, at Negro Bar, to determine the worth of the material for constructing large buildings. The granite proving to be of fair quality, Mr. Griffith soon had large contracts at Sacramento, and opened his first quarry of importance near Mormon Island. While established in that locality, he furnished the granite used for all buildings of importance in the State, such as the Adams & Co.'s Express, Sacra­mento; for the fortifications at Alcatraz, Fort Point, and other costly structures.

As the demand for cut granite steadily increased with the progress of the State, in 1864 Mr. Griffith located a quarry at Wildwood, on the line of the Sacramento, Placer & Nevada Railroad, and when this road was destroyed he moved to the Penryn Quarry, upon the line of the Central Pacific Railroad -- thus securing most advantageous shipping facilities. This location being nearly in the center of the granite belt, the stone is here found to be of a superior quality to that lying nearer either the eastern or western edges of the zone, in that it is entirely free of iron, and, therefore, never changes color from atmospheric effects, nor, where polished and placed in position in buildings, or as monuments, can Time's corroding tooth mar the beauty of its glassy and faultless surface. In appearance, the Penryn granite is beautifully mottled in white and black, equally proportioned, and in larger spots than that of the granite from quarries nearer the edges of the zone, while occasional dark-gray" knots" of varying sizes and form occur to relieve the block or column of monotonous color.

Besides the mottled granite principally wrought, there are several other kinds at the Penryn works equally susceptible to finish, and quite as durable. One of these is a beautiful black granite, polished columns and ornaments of which can be seen in most of the important business buildings and pri­vate mansions of the State.

Samples of the several kinds of granite were sent to the Centennial Exhibition, as a part of the Central Pacific Railroad Company's cabinet exhibit, and were pronounced to be the best in the world with reference to freedom from iron, and liability to stain or abrade. This fact brought it to the notice of the officials of the Interior Department, at Washington, whose duty it was to report upon the building mate­rials of the United States, who wrote to Mr. Griffith for samples, which were sent.

And yet, with such quarries as these in Placer County, to the derricks of which are laid the rails of a commercial highway; where there is no difficulty in procuring all the building material necessary for the wants of the whole Pacific Coast, in as large blocks as any contract ever called for; when the present United States mint at San Francisco was built, the architect saw fit, for some reason the outside looker-on cannot divine, to only procure a portion of the rock used therein from the California quarries, obtaining the rest from British Columbia, a sort of sandstone in which there is iron, and which being laid above the California granite, Bends down upon it, from its own discolored surface, unsightly stains which nothing but the chisel and hammer can efface.

In 1874 Mr. Griffith erected at the Penryn quarry a large polishing mill, the first and only one of the kind in the State. This building is 200 feet long by 40 feet wide, with a polishing capacity of 100 feet per day. A fifty-horse power engine is the motor. There are two stone-polishing carriages for flat sur­face work, 26 feet long by 6 feet wide, worked by a spring wheel driven by two belts. A block of stone weighing upward of ten tons can be polished with ease upon these carriages. There are also two polishing pendulums in the mill, as well as eight vertical polishers, so arranged that the operator can readily handle them for the smallest and most intri­cate portions of his work, either upon flat surfaces or moldings. Two large and powerful lathes occupy space in the building, upon which are placed, and turned, and polished, granite columns of ten tons weight. Railroad tracks are laid in the building, and car8 run immediately under each of these polishing and turning machines to deliver the rough granite, and again receive the polished block or column.

The granite of Placer County is steadily gaining favor, and this industry must increase as the years go by, as a feeling of permanency obtains among the population, and those of other generations appear upon the scene, who know no other home but California. Then will wood be discarded as the principal material for building, and the eternal granite, so easily obtained, more generally substituted.

Other extensive granite quarries besides those at Penryn are also in operation in Placer County. Mr. Griffith has one at Rocklin, also; and A. D. Hath­away and J. N. and J. W. Taylor have large, fine quarries there, with steam hoisting apparatus, and many men constantly employed. At Pino there is also a good quarry opened.

Elisha Grant
Was born in the town of Prospect, Waldo County, Maine, February 24, 1815, and for the succeeding thirty-seen years was a resident of that State. He was married in November, 1850, and in 1852 he fell into the big column of immigration and started for California, via Cape Horn, on the 12th day of February.

His first halt was made in the harbor of Rill Janeiro, where his vessel was detained for eighteen days. Leaving Rio de Janerio on the 8th of April, he arrived in San Francisco July 12th. He left at once for the mines, where he spent the first four years of his California life in "seeking the golden fleece." In 1856 he located at Rich Gulch Flat, in Calaveras County, where he formed a partnership with Tunis Sylvester Bever, for the hotel business, the firm being known as Grant & Bever. After remaining together for twelve years the partnership was dis­solved, and, in 1868, Mr. Grant removed to Railroad Flat, in the same county, where for six years he continued in the same business. In 1874 he sold out, and removed to Penryn, where he is at present engaged in his old occupation, that of hotel-keeping. The character of his place will be best learned from the fine engraving which accompanies this volume.

In politics Mr. Grant is a staunch Republican, having always voted the Republican ticket, and has never had cause to change his views. He is a mem­ber of Independent Lodge, No. 158, Independent Order Odd Fellows, and Placer Lodge, No. 52, Knights of Pythias.

Mr. Grant was married in November, 1850, at his native place, Prospect, Maine, and, in 1856, Mrs. Grant joined her husband in California, making the journey via the Isthmus of Panama.
Rocklin.

This is a thriving village on the line of the Cen­tral Pacific Railroad, fourteen miles southwest of Auburn,249 feet above the level of the sea, in Township No.9, and has a population of 624. Here is a round -- house of the Central Pacific Railroad, where the extra locomotives are kept which are necessary to attach to trains ascending the mountain. Here also are large granite quarries, giving employment to many people. The history of the village dates from the construction of the railroad. The water supply of the railroad company is brought a distance of six or seven miles, from Secret Ravine. Wells are sunk in various parts of town, and fair water obtained at depths varying from fifteen to forty feet-all in granite. Well water is used for animals .and many domestic purposes, but all the drinking-water is furnished free by the railroad company, from Blue Cañon, from the tenders of the locomotives. These all come down from the mountains filled with the most delicious water, and as there are always several locomotives in the round-house, a syphon is always kept attached to the tank of one of them, and all who wish go there and take away all they have a mind to; therefore the wells are not depended upon for water for drinking. All Rocklin people have the best of mountain water to drink, and to this fact do they attribute their immunity from intermittent fever, which is so prevalent upon all sides of them. It is also the boast of its citizens that not a single case of diphtheria has ever occurred there. Not a Chinaman is to be found at Rocklin. The round­house is capable of accommodating about thirty engines-not as large now as before the fire that partially destroyed it. A great deal of wood is con­sumed by engines, there sometimes being as much as 25,000 cords piled there at once.

19th Century Northern California History from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe Only $21.95 Including Sacramento, Folsom, Placerville, Nevada City, Grass Valley, Auburn, Colfax, Dutch Flat and smaller towns in-between -- Click link to preview PDF files 176 Photos -- 202 pages  Buy Now     4 Retailers Reviews       More Info

W. Dana Perkins.
Of the pioneer residents of Placer, none are better or more favorably known than Will Dana Perkins, of Rocklin. Mr. Perkins is a native of the "Old Granite State," New Hampshire, where he was born in 1831. For many years he was the proprietor of the Pine Grove House, on the Auburn and Sacra­mento road. This house was distinguished as pos­sessing. one of the finest and most capacious dancing-­halls in that part of the State, and the grand parties there held are among the most pleasant reminiscences of the people. The genial Perkins, as well as being a very popular host, has always taken a prominent part in politics, being one of the leaders of the Democratic party in Placer County, and has held several offices of honor and responsibility, as has been previously noticed in these pages.

Roseville.
The railroad name of this place is Junction, as here the Oregon Division joins the Central Pacific. It is eighteen miles southeast of Auburn, at an eleva­tion of 163 feet above sea level, is in Township No. 1, and has a population of 288. The town plat was laid out in 1864. Cyrus Taylor was the first resi­dent; Van Trees built the first hotel, and W. A. Thomas opened the first store. A good farming and grazing region surrounds the town, giving it a sub­stantial and increasing business. The name is derived from the neighboring ranch of Rose Spring, formerly the property of Judge James McGinley.

Todd’s Valley.
This charming and prosperous village lies on the southern slope of the divide, between the north and Middle Forks of the American River, twenty miles northeast of Auburn, on the line of road reaching to Forest Hill, Michigan Bluff, etc., in Township No.5, and has a population of 226, as returned by the census of 1880. Previous to the time that the coun­try was overrun with gold-seekers, and before they had begun to scarify the beautiful ridges and seam up the gently sloping vales that were occasionally found nestling upon the park-like plateaus, with the unsightly gashes necessary to the pursuit of their occupation, there were few more inviting places than Todd's Valley. Beautiful streams, with broad flats; meadowed slopes abundant with grass; clear, cold and deliciously sweet water; fern-covered hills; towering pine and other trees, and the various foli­age of maples, dogwood and indigenous shrubs of many sorts, waving to the song of passing zephyrs, combined to form a panoramic scene of wondrous beauty.

The first settler there was Dr. F. Walton Todd, in June, 1849, and whose name this place has since borne. He built a log-house, for a store and tavern, about three-fourths of a mile from the present town­-site, and there, in the fall of that year, drove a lively trade with passing miners who were in need of his commodities, at good round prices-his rice, not first-class, selling in December at $1.50 a pound; flour, that upon 'Change would have been rated as "sour," $2.50 a pound, and other articles at propor­tionate rates. The station being upon the main trail, over which the wandering prospectors from the mining camps further south traveled toward the upper portion of Placer County, in 1850, became a general stopping-place for travelers, as well as It trading-point for the mines upon the river, and the few men who had then begun to work the shallow diggings upon the ravine, near the head of which Dr. Todd's buildings stood. As the ravines were found to pay well, it occurred to some of the men who had been working upon the main one leading out of the valley, that a shaft sunk in the flat itself might develop good-paying ground. This fact caused Joseph Swasey, Mark E. Hubbell, and Joseph Simmons, in the winter of 1850-51, to begin the work of sinking...

The First Shaft in Todd’s Valley,
...that ultimately led to the opening of the deep dig­gings there. Just below the valley, or the little stream near the doctor's house, a company had located a claim which was called Long Island-the uppermost one on the ravine. Above this, in the flat, Swasey, Hubbell, and Simmons located and commenced their shaft. Deep mining, at that time, was to these three men an untried mystery, but they were willing to attempt to fathom it. They sank down into the gravel to the depth of twenty feet, and at that point encountered a soft, whitish sub­stance, which, yielded to their shovels-the "pipe-­clay," so called, now so well known to all hydraulic miners. Continuing to sink in this stratum some four or five feet further, and not reaching any other material, they decided that the substance they were working in was either the bed-rock itself, or that it laid upon it; at all events, they had gone to the bottom of the gravel. The gravel they had thrown out, though containing gold all through, would not pay as well as that of the more shallow diggings they had left in the ravine; and as the quantity of water met with in sinking the shaft was then to them a formidable obstruction to the further working in the flat, they abandoned the shaft and went back to their old claim on the gulch.

The succeeding spring two men – brothers -- came into the valley from the lead mines of Illinois, both of whom had had experience in deep mining, and seeing the abandoned shaft, thought they would bail out the water and explore it. They did so, and then went further down into the bottom stratum, not knowing what it was, nor the nature of gold placers. Fortunately they had but a little depth to go until the pipe-c1ay was penetrated, under which another stratum of gravel was found, that prospected much better than that above. This stimulated them to greater efforts, and they continued working, with more favorable results as they went deeper, until they reached the bed-rock. Here the extreme bot­tom stratum was found to be very rich, not infre­quently yielding a half ounce to the pan. The two men, in the meantime, having kept their own coun­sel, Bought Swasey and his companions, whom they informed of the find, and generously offered to share the discovery with them. At that time, Swasey and his partners happened to be doing remarkably well in the old claim, where the gravel was shallow and the work easy and in the open air. He and his associates, upon consultation, concluded that, as the shaft was wet and deep, and they inexperienced in underground work, that if they went there, they must of necessity endure many discomforts, and that there was more danger in that method of working than that in which they were now engaged, they would decline the offer tendered, which they did, telling the two brothers to keep the ground in the flat all to themselves. In this manner was deep mining begun at Todd's Valley. Before a year passed, the two brothers owning the ground had realized $20,000 each, when, becoming satisfied with their accumulations, and desiring to return to their former home, disposed of their claim, and left for Illinois.

From that time mining at Todd's Valley has con­tinued. In 1867 the principal mines were purchased by Mr. Alfred A. Pond, who has continued the pos­sessor with fine success. But this pleasant locality is not dependent upon mining alone. The altitude is 2,738 feet, which is usually regarded as too high for the semi-tropical fruits which flourish so well in the western part of the county, but this valley is peculiarly favored in location, and most of the fruits grow to perfection. Dr. Todd, at an early day, planted fruit trees and vines, and in 1865 made a large quantity of wine, which was regarded as of an excellent quality.

Destroyed by Fire.
Todd's Valley, like other villages of California, has had the sad experience of fire. On the 25th of September, 1859, the whole business part of the town went down before the terrible flames, leaving only the store of A. A. Pond, the Masonic Hall, the store of Read & Hall, and a butcher shop, all of brick and fire-proof. The loss was estimated at from $150,000 to $200,000. The fire originated in the Pacific Saloon, in the center of the village, and as it had not been occupied for some months, the conflagration was undoubtedly the work of an incendiary. The work of re-building commenced immediately, and in December following the burned district presented a better appearance than before the fire.

ALFRED A. POND
Is the second son of Jonathan and Charlotte Pond, natives of New England. Alfred A. was born on the 6th of January, 1830, in Essex County, Massachusetts. His first recollections are of the "Old Bay State," but at the age of nine years he removed, with his parents, to Scott County, Illinois. In the latter State he received his education, and at the early age of nineteen years we find him among the hardy pioneers wending his way toward the land of gold. In Mr. Pond we find a real '49er, he having arrived in California in the fall of 1849, after spend­ing about six months in making the trip across the plains. His first location was at Weaverville, Trin­ity County, where he engaged in mining for four months. In the spring of 1850 he came to Placer County and located at Todd's Valley, and since that time has been a permanent resident of that place. Mr. Pond has for many years been extensively engaged in mining and merchandising, and has the largest mercantile establishment in the town. In early times he had all his goods packed upon mules from Sacramento, there being no wagon road to the valley. He is interested in some good paying mines, one of which is being worked by Pond & Co. This mine has been worked since 1854, and has always paid well. He was married July 1, 1855, at Diamond Spring, EI Dorado County, to Miss Olive Constable, a native of Pennsylvania. Their union has been blessed with eight children, three girls and five boys.

Nicholas Quirolo
Is a native of "Sunny Italy," having been born at San Ambrosia January 1, 1834. The first twenty years of his life were passed in his native land, and on the 11th day of July, 1854, he sailed from Genoa in the bark Angel for New York. During the suc­ceeding two years he followed the calling of a sailor, and on the 17th of January, 1856, landed in San Francisco. He went immediately to the mines in Calaveras County, where for two years he was engaged in search of the precious metal. He then engaged himself as a clerk at Campo Seco. From that point be went to Jenny Lind Camp and conducted a store for one and one-half years. He came to Todd's Valley in 1861, where he has since made his home. He has a store in which he keeps a full stock of miners' supplies. A view of his busi­ness house will be found in this work.

Wisconsin Hill.
Is situated on the Iowa Hill Divide, thirty-eight miles northeast of Auburn and opposite Iowa City, the two places being separated by Indian Cañon. The first settlement at Wisconsin Hill was made in June, 1854, and as the reports of the rich hill dig­gings gained circulation the camp began to increase, so that in a few months many families were located there, and the place had a population of about 700 inhabitants. At that time the people were support­ing some half dozen saloons, several restaurants, dry goods and grocery stores, and two hotels. In the spring of 1856 the tunnels that had been work­ing began to reach the center of the hills, and no rich deposits being struck the claims were" laid over" to wait for future developments. The popu­lation then began to dwindle, but soon again the hopes of the business men and property holders were revived by the completion of a turnpike road across Shirt-tail Cañon, connecting the place with Yankee Jim's, and another across Indian Cañon, connecting with Iowa City. But instead of these roads tending to increase the population, by render­ing the place easy of access, they furnished the peo­ple with an easy mode of transit to some more favored locality, and the place began to decrease in population and importance.

Yankee Jim’s.
 About eighteen miles northeast of Auburn, in Township No. 5, is the ancient mining town of Yan­kee Jim's. This town is situated on the northern side of Devil's Cañon, which stream forms a junction with Shirt-tail a mile or so above its entrance into the North Fork. Among the first permanent settlers there were Nicholas F. Gilbert, Geo. W. Gil­bert, Benjamin F. Gilbert, and Thomas Farthing, from Missouri; Thomas Adams, of Massachusetts, and Samuel W. Bowman, of Pennsylvania, who all reside there now but Mr. Adams, who still lives in Placer County. The Messrs. Gilbert were the pioneer wagoners into town, arriving there with a team in the fall of 1850. Thomas Adams was one of a firm that established the first trading-post the same fall.

In March, 1851, the diggings on Georgia Hill, on the opposite side of Devil's Cañon from Yankee Jim's, were discovered by a party of Georgians. The discovery of this rich deposit of gold was purely accidental. While lying upon the ground to rest, one of the party saw some particles of gold upon the surface. Taking some of the dirt to the cañon and washing it, a fair prospect was obtained, but it was believed that it was gold that had been spilled there by some one. However, they continued, and thus opened, probably, the richest surface diggings ever found in the State, and soon loaded their mules with clean gold-dust and departed for their Georgian home.
During its history Yankee Jim's has been one of the largest towns of the county, and the leader in many enterprises. Here was one of the first ditches in the State, made by H. Starr and Eugene Phelps; here Colonel McClure introduced the hydraulic in 1853, and here he planted his large orchard in the same year, having purchased 500 trees in Philadel­phia in the fall of 1852.
The Mountain Courier was established at Yankee Jim’s in 1856 by Parker & Graves, and in 1857 E. B. Boust published the Placer Courier. The place was of such importance that the Democratic County Convention of 1857 was held here.

In June, 1852, a fire broke out in the lower part of town, and before it could be checked had consumed over half the entire number of' buildings, embracing more than half the business portion. The loss was estimated at $55,000, leaving several of the most enterprising citizens penniless. The town is off the main road of travel up the divide, and bears little of its former importance, the population, according to the last census, being 150.