Nevada City, CA

Nevada City developed along the banks of Deer Creek in 1849.

Early reports told of miners who pulled a pound of paydirt a day from gold deposits along the creek. The town was first known as Deer Creek Dry Diggins and later as Caldwell’s Upper Store. Several major fires in the 1850s and early 1860s convinced the townspeople to use more brick in rebuilding their structures.

 

Civic leaders named the town Nevada, Spanish for “snow-covered,” in 1850 and the next year the newly-incorporated city became the Nevada County seat. The town’s name was later changed to Nevada City after its title was borrowed by the state to the east.

 

The town has had its share of firsts and famous people in California History. Former U.S. President Herbert Hoover lived and worked here as a gold miner in his younger days. Three former U.S. senators, George Hearst, A. A. Sargent and William Morris Stewart, lived in Nevada City.

 

The consolidation of water companies that formed the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. occurred here and PG&E’s first general office was located in the National Hotel. The area boasts several inventions in the fields of mining, water and electricity.

 

It was in May, 1853, that Professor Henry Durant, formerly of Yale University, met with a committee in Nevada City to formulate plans for an academy that was incorporated two years later as the College of California. It would later become the University of California, Berkeley.

 

In recent years, the Nevada City lifestyle has attracted a number of well-known writers, artists and musicians. The area also draws high-tech business entrepreneurs who are able to locate their enterprises away from the stresses of big city life.

 

While many California gold rush towns have disappeared into the pages of California history, Nevada City has rebounded time and again to emerge as unique blend of yesterday and today. Nevada City’s current cultural and economic renaissance is again proof of the town’s indomitable spirit.

 

“After more than a century of pioneer heritage,” says Edwin Tyson, “Nevada City remains the most complete gold rush town in California. It is a genuine small town and a living museum.

 

There’s more to Nevada City than meets the eye

The deep green hillsides, white church steeples and red brick storefronts are the first visible clues that this colorful Sierra foothills Gold Rush town is a different kind of place.

 

In a stroll though the narrow streets of the downtown historic district, the visitor soon learns there is more to Nevada City than meets the eye. There is, as a Los Angeles Times reporter recently observed, “a Nevada City state of mind. It’s a real place where people of different lifestyles manage to coexist sucessfully. Refreshingly, there is a there there.”

 

Nevada City is a place where business is done with a smile and pedestrians acknowledge each other on the street. Even the motorists are laid back. It is a local tradition to wait at stop signs and let the other guy go first.

Like other Gold Rush towns up and down the Mother Lode, Nevada City began in 1849. While other old towns have disappeared or fallen victim to urban sprawl, Nevada City, located 80 miles west of Reno, via Interstate 80 and scenic Highway 20, has managed to retain its old-fashioned charm.

 

More history

It was first settled in 1849, during the California Gold Rush, as Nevada (meaning "snow-covered", a reference to the snow-topped mountains in the area). In 1850-51, it was the most important mining town in the state, Nevada County being the leading gold-mining county in the state. The town of Nevada was incorporated on April 19, 1856. In 1864, the word “City” was added to the name to relieve confusion with the bordering state of Nevada, and the town has legally been known as “Nevada City” ever since. The former town of Coyoteville, California, later became Nevada City's northwestern section.

 

The Nevada City Downtown Historic District covers the downtown section roughly bounded by Spring, Bridge, Commercial, York, Washington, Coyote, and Main Streets. Several historical buildings have received National Register of Historic Places or California Historical Landmark status, and have been preserved.

 

Settled: 1849

Status: Active Town

Current Population: 3,032

Peak Population: 10,000

Elevation: 2,525 Feet

Primary Mineral: Gold

Nevada City Photo GalleryNevada City Photo Gallery (44)

 

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First settled in 1849, Nevada City is one of the oldest of the Gold Rush towns. The settlement was known by several names until the name Nevada was selected in 1850. In 1861, the creation of the territory of Nevada once again prompted a name change and Nevada City became the final name of the town.

 

A prosperous mining town, Nevada City became Californias third largest city with over 10,000 residents. Nevada City became the most sophisticated of the gold rush mining camps. New England moral influence, and able leadership from early settlers resulted in a relatively lawful town in contrast to the lawless camps of the time.

George Hearst had his first mining success at the Lecompton mine above Nevada City. He took the profits from the Lecompton mine and followed the silver rush to Nevada, where he made a vast fortune on the Comstock Lode. Another noteworthy development that took place in Nevada City was the invention of the Pelton wheel. Lester Allan Pelton designed the wheel at the Miners Foundry in 1879. The Pelton wheel revolutionized hydroelectric power generation and is still used today.

 

Nevada City is Californias best preserved mining town. Hundreds of 1800's era buildings and victorian homes make this a town well worth visiting.

 

By 1873, the number of California miners had dwindled to 30,000. Mining was becoming more of a business, less of an adventure. Wealthy mine owners built large hardrock and hydraulic mines that employed hundreds of men. The rich underground mines of Grass Valley made it the richest mining community in California. Even during the Depression of the 1930s, Grass Valley thrived because of its mining-based economy. The business districts and Victorian neighborhoods of Grass Valley and Nevada City grew from this early mining heritage, and these historical treasures are carefully protected today.

 

Grass Valley and Nevada City offer a range of gold mining history unequalled elsewhere in the Gold Country. All of the different mining techniques are explained and there are numerous exhibits of mining gear and memorabilia. And if you’d like to try your hand at recreational gold panning, you can still find color in Nevada County rivers!

Gold was first mined in this district in Deer Creek, which, in 1849, was called Deer Creek Diggings. The name Nevada was adopted in May 1850 at a public meeting. The placers were rich, and the town grew fast. Hydraulic mining was first practiced in California at American Hill here in 1852, by E. G. Matteson (hydraulicking was also done that same year at Yankee Jims in Placer County). Hydraulic mining flourished until around 1880. Drift mining began in the 1850s, and the drift mines were continuously active until around 1900. Gold-quartz was discovered in 1850, when the Gold Tunnel vein was found. However, important production of lode gold did not commence until the early 1860s because of difficulties in milling the ore. By 1865, the output from lode-gold mining was averaging $500,000 per year and later ranged from $300,000 to $600,000. The Champion and Providence mines were the major producers during these years. Later these two mines were in litigation, and in 1902 the Champion owners bought the Providence. Large-scale lode-gold mining was resumed in the district again during the 1930s when the Lava Cap and Banner mines were operating. From 193 3 to 1942, the Lava Cap yielded $12-million. There has been only minor activity since 1942. The old town of Nevada City, the county seat, is now a popular tourist center with numerous well-preserved old buildings. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge railroad served the area from 1877 to 1942. The total output of the district is unknown, but it is estimated by the author at more than $50 million and may have exceeded $70 million.

 

Geology

The central portion of the district is underlain by granitic rocks, chiefly granodiorite. Adjacent are beds of slate, mica schist, and quartzite, most of which are part of the Calaveras Formation (Carboniferous to Permian). To the west and southwest are fairly extensive beds of massive greenstone, amphibolite, and serpentine. There are a number of fine- to medium-grained dioritic and aplitic dikes, some of which are associated with the gold-quartz, veins. In places these rocks are overlain by Tertiary channel gravels capped by rhyolite and andesite.

 

Ore Deposits

Several major gold-quartz vein systems traverse the district. In the west portion one system extends northwest along a granodiorite-metasedimentary rock contact. In the southern and eastern portion of the district the veins strike nearly west and dip either north or south. There are also a few northeast-striking and southeast-dipping veins. The veins usually are one to four feet thick, but in places a few are as much as 15 feet thick. The ore contains varying amounts of free gold, often abundant pyrite and smaller amounts of other sulfides. Some of the ore bodies are extensive; the ore body at the Providence mine persisted to an inclined depth of more than 2700 feet. Considerable high-grade ore has been recovered in the district.

 

Several important Tertiary channels were sources of ore-bearing gravels. One, the Harmony channel, which enters the district from the northeast, was extensively mined by drifting. The pay gravel in this channel was 150 to 200 feet wide, two to four feet deep, quartzitic, often sub-angular and well-cemented. These pay streaks yielded $1.55 to $2.50 in gold to the ton, at the old price. The Manzanita channel, which yielded $3 million- is last to the west. Northwest of town is the northwest-trending Cement Hill channel. In the southern part of the district is the Town Talk channel, which was narrow but rich in places. Much of the placer gold taken from the channel deposits in this district was coarse.

 

Mines.

Lode: Alaska, Alice Belle, Alpine, Bagley, Banner $1 million+, Belle Fontaine, Buckeye, Caledonia, California Cons. $1 million, Canada Hill $1.13 million, Carter, Central South Yuba, Champion $3 million, Coan, Deadwood $300,000, Enterprise, Federal Loan $200,000, Fortune, Franklin, Glencoe, Gold Flat, Gold Metal, Gold Tunnel $300,000, Gracie, Hoge $600,000, Kirkham, Lava Cap $12 million, Le Compton, Massachusetts, Mayflower, Merrifield, Merrimac, Montana, Mohigan, Mountaineer $2 million to $3 million, Mt. Auburn, Murchie, National, Neversweat, Nevada City, Oustomah, Phoenix $200,000, Pittsburgh $1 million+, Sneath and Clay $180,000, Soggs, Spanish, St. Louis, Texas, Union, Willow Valley $130,000, Wyoming. Drift: Allison, Cold Springs, Coleman, Dean, East Harmony, Fountain Head, Grover, Hughes, Kansas, Knickerbacker, Live Oak, Manzanita, Nebraska, Nevins, Odin, Pennsylvania, Phoenix, West Harmony, Yosemite. Hydraulic: American Hill, Buckeye Hill, Canada Hill, Hirschmann.

 

The Nevada City, California Chinese Quarter

The 1852 census showed 3,396 Chinese living in Nevada County. By 1880, they constituted 22% of California's mining population making them the largest single nationality engaged in mining.

 

Nevada County towns such as Grass Valley, French Corral, North San Juan, North Bloomfield, Washington and Nevada City had a commercially-oriented Chinese community that served the unique needs of the Chinese miners. As other nationalities set up their businesses in centrally located towns, so did the Chinese. Nevada City's Chinese Quarter was well established by the 1860's. Here the hard-working miners from along Deer Creek, ditch diggers from North Bloomfield or cord-wood cutters from Washington could find a place to buy supplies and socialize with those who spoke a common language. General stores provided traditional foods from home, clothing and tools, as well as a place to pick up mail, messages and local news of the day such as job and investment opportunities.

Most of the original buildings were simple structures made of locally milled lumber. It was not unusual for wooden structures to catch fire. Nevada City had many fires over the years and the Chinese Quarter was no exception. When a major fire in June of 1880 devastated the Chinese Quarter, Nevada City passed an ordinance stating "all Chinese shall be removed from Nevada City within sixty days." This was during a time when such ordinances against the Chinese were common throughout California. Attorneys for the Six Companies, a powerful Chinese organization based in San Francisco, argued against the ordinance in Nevada City and similar ones in other mountain towns. Although a "new Chinatown" was established just outside of town, the city could not effectively prevent the Chinese from re-establishing themselves along Commercial Street between York and Pine.

 

Nevada CityThe nineteenth century Californian attitude toward the Chinese was patronizing at best. The Chinese made undeniable contributions to the economy of the frontier west by providing a reliable source of inexpensive labor and by offering a wide range of services such as laundries, garden fresh vegetables, firewood and domestic services. They also bought tools, supplies and mining equipment from American manufacturers. Nevada County collected $103,250.00 in Foreign Miners Tax almost exclusively from the Chinese between 1850 and 1870. When the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, thousands of unemployed Chinese went looking for work. At the same time California experienced an economic depression for which the Chinese were blamed. In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which suspended the immigration of "laborers" and prohibited naturalization of the Chinese. After 61 years, President Roosevelt repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act on December 13, 1943.

 

Mortality as well as the Exclusion Act reduced the Chinese population in California from 75,132 in 1880 to 45,753 in 1900. By 1900, Nevada County's Chinese population was 632 as compared to 3,003 in 1880.s

 

San Juan Ridge area

This area is located north of Nevada City, CA and includes; North Bloomfield, The famous ‘Malaoff Diggins’ (which is now a state park), Noth San Juan, etc. The San Juan Ridge (39°22′40″N 121°01′33″W) is a geographic feature extending approximately 24 miles (39 km) east-northeast between the South and Middle Yuba Rivers in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains. The elevation is approximately 790 m (2,600 ft) above sea level.

While beautiful in its own way, the Malakoff mine pit on the San Juan Ridge is a testimony to the avarice that was part of the California gold rush, and to one of the nation's first environmental protection measures.

 

In 1850 there was little gold left in streams. Miners began to discover gold in old riverbeds and on mountainsides high above the streams. In 1851, three miners headed northeast of what is now Nevada City for a less crowded area to prospect. One miner went back to town with a pocket full of gold nuggets for supplies and was followed back by many prospectors. These followers, however, did not find any gold and declared the area "Humbug", thus the stream was so named "Humbug Creek". Around 1852, settlers began to arrive in the area and the town of "Humbug" sprang up. These miners could not decide how to move the dirt to a place where there was water.

By 1853 miners invented a new method of mining called hydraulic mining. Dams were built high in the mountains. The water traveled from the reservoirs through a wooden canal called a flume that was up to forty-five miles long. The water ran swiftly to the canvas hoses and nozzles called monitors waiting in the old river beds. The miners would aim the monitors at the hillsides to wash the gravel into huge sluices. Over time the monitors became bigger and more powerful. Their force was so great they could toss a fifty pound rock like a cannonball or even kill a person. Over 300 Chinese worked on this project and two Chinese settlements existed in North Bloomfield.

By 1857 the town had grown to 500 residents. Locals felt the name "Humbug" was too undignified and renamed the town "Bloomfield", but California already had a town by this name so they renamed the town "North Bloomfield".  By 1884, over four million dollars in gold was pulled from forty-one million yards of earth from the

Malakoff Diggins.

 

I own some claims down from this mine near the old Cherokee Diggings hydraulic pits.

 

North San Juan 

In 1853, gold was discovered here and North San Juan became a boomtown. North San Juan was named by a German miner who had served in the Mexican war and thought the area looked like a hill he saw with a prison built on it called San Juan de Ulloa.

 

The middle Yuba Canal provided water, making hydraulic mining possible in the area on a grand scale. And North San Juan became home to thousands. In 1884, hydraulic mining ended and North San Juan real estate ceased being about gold and became desirable for its fertile soil and away-from-it-all location.

 

Many of the town’s early structures were built of brick and equipped with the mandatory iron doors and shutters, and a few still remain in good repair today, even as impressive homes and organic farms replace the outdated makeshift homes settled by disillusioned hippies fleeing San Francisco after the Summer of Love.