Grizzly Flats History

Somewhere around the middle of 1850, Lyc. L. Ramsey (who everybody called "Buck") was out with some prospectors looking for gold up and down the Consumnes River.  They were out around the North and Middle Forks, settling down for some fine campfire dinner fixin's of bread, bacon and coffee... lots of coffee.  Somewhere before the coffee part was finished, one of Sierra's finest, a big ol' Grizzly Bear, happened upon the fellas and, according to them (I mean who knows, they were a little reactionary upon seeing the bear), was intent on having his own supper, preferably nicely flavored with bread, bacon and coffee.  Buck grabbed his rifle and kablooeyed the bear, which they later found and rendered into a fine trophy for ol' Buck.  The "flat" where all this happened was subsequently found to be riddled with gold and soon a town sprang up (although Buck didn't much hang around, but yes, the bar was named after him) and was appropriately called "Grizzly Flats."

 

Or Grizzly Flat, depending on what uneducated mongrel you talk to.  The following year aptly impressed the gold miners who flocked to the town to the point that the town began to grow considerably.

One of the first settlers was William Nox, who showed up around 1851.  William is still around in spirit and takes up residence in the Grizzly Flats Cemetery:

 

Other settlers included Hiram and Eben Odlin (there are a good many Odlins in that cemetery as well) who set up a small mining camp along the river in a place that would later be called the "Steely Fork" after Victor J. W. Steely.

 

"String Canyon," a name familiar to the Grizzly Flats residents of today, was one of the richest strikes in the district, probably even the county.

 

In 1852, the ridge leading down from Leak Springs and between the forks of the Cosumnes was adopted as one of the principle roads by the emigrants that year, although today, little of that passage can be discerned.

It didn't take long for miners to figure out that the gold was not just in the river beds and canyons, but also on the surface of the flats.  Quartz veins reached across the land throughout the region, sparring one of the most extensive and costly mining enterprises in the area.  It was hard work and expensive mining to do and the result produced was minimal.

 

The aforementioned Mr Steely was one of the earliest and most extensive and aggressive of the quartz miners.  He erected two mills at different points upon the Consumnes, which is how the branch got his name.  From here, he built a wooden railroad nearly a mile long to connect his mines.  He was by reputation a man of great energy and character, persevering and full of hope.  He invested great sums of his own money and that of his friends into his enterprise, but after years of effort, finally acknowledged failure.  All that is left of his great industry are the old mills on the Steely Fork of the Consumnes and the last vestiges of the railroads up the mountain sides of Mount Pleasant, as well as some handwritten books of laws and regulations on the Mount Pleasant mining district.   

 

Quartz mining continues to be met with varying results, although it is the principal industry of the district.  The Eagle Quartz Mine, which started around the same time as the Steely, was famous for it's productivity, even as the Steely failed.  Among its original owners were Dr. Clark, its discoverer ; his nephew, Robert Clark ; Elijah Kink, Benjamin Joiner, -------- Tuomey and John Cable. Clark, King, Tuomey and Cable are no longer living, and Joiner--known as Dr. Joiner.

 

From 1853 to '57, quartz mining prevailed, but not to the exclusion of placer or river mining, which held their own in the contest for supremacy. Among other notable mines was the Roberts' lead, struck in 1855, which proved rich for a season.  At present it is owned by A. B. Driesbach, of Carson City. Also, the Valle del Oro, operated in 1867 by Captain Gedge, now of the steamer New World. This is a southern neighbor of the Mount Pleasant, and had a forty stamp mill, hoisting works, etc., erected on the ledge, when work ceased, the mill and other property sold, carried off and rebuilt twenty miles below, upon a worse mine. So also with the Mount Pleasant (originally Steely). This mine, after several years of abandonment, resumed work in 1867, spending three-fourths of their capital in the wrong place--on the top instead of under the ground--with only partial success. In March, 1872, it ceased operations. Its extensive improvements--a twenty stamp mill, boiler, engine, steam hoisting works, buildings, stores of every kind -- were sold, torn down and moved away. These costly but imperfect and superficial attempts did, perhaps, as much or more harm than good, as the results, if not properly studied, looked like a condemnation of this leading industry of the county; but there are men enough with an abiding faith in the value of all these mines and the future will vindicate their confidence.

 

The old Eagle mine, after a five years' of dormancy, was revived under the management of superintendent, John Treglook. Other valuable mines have from time to time been discovered and opened.  Perhaps the most important discovery in this camp of later years is that made in June, 1874, by F. W. Earl.  Upon arriving in Grizzly Flats, he began prospecting right away in abandoned locality near the old Mount Pleasant and Irish lodes.  He struck a quartz ledge that has since proved itself to be worth anywhere from a hundred thousand to half a million dollars.

 

The first store established in the town was in 1852 by a German man named Chris Nelson. He kept only short time, but others soon followed.

 

In 1855 the Catholics were sufficiently numerous to erect a fancy place of worship. Its site was on the side of the hill just east of Grizzly Flat and near the residence of A. H. McAffee.  This was the first building to meet the view of the traveler as he came into the town. In 1857 the Methodist church (erected in such a way as to elicit some structural envy from the Catholics) was erected on a lot just at the edge of town. This area is now referred to as "the old Catholic cemetery" and only contains a few graves.  The church itself was converted years ago into  school house and is still in place if you can find it.

That same year, the Grizzly Flats Post Office was opened for business.

 

In 1856 Kine's and Hereford's saw-mills were in full blast. The remains of Kine's mill are yet to be seen in String canyon. The first water ditch brought into the camp was dug by the Eagle Mining Company in 1852 with Bartlett & Co.'s ditch coming one year later. Both ditches still supply the mills and mines in the vicinity, and run water eight or nine months a year. The zenith of prosperity was reached in 1856. At the election in the fall of that year, over six hundred votes were polled, and the population probably exceeded twelve hundred.

 

The first judicial officer was  Mr. Clegget, who was elected Justice of the Peace in 1853. He died in Grizzly Flat. A citizen of Grizzly Flats has never been elected to a county office. James H. Watson was, however, elected to the Assembly in 1858. Colonel Nox, for one term, occupied a seat in the Board of Supervisors from this district. From 1855 to 1857 two semi-weekly stage lines were maintained.

 

In 1857, some of the younger Grizzly Flats guys felt the Mormons were getting uppity and organized a volunteer company to operate against them.  On January 11th, 1858, they elected E. C. Springer captain as head of their anti-Mormon militia. A resolution was also adopted at the meeting, requiring the captain to report the company ready for service and for marching to Utah at the shortest notice. The members of this company were called the "Grizzlies."  Thus was the famous "Grizzly Flats versus Utah War" narrowly averted.

In 1866 the village met with its first calamity when it was nearly destroyed by fire.  Only a few houses remained. At this time, the mines were on the height of their productiveness, so everybody soon recovered their losses. In 1869 the village was again destroyed by fire, and this time the loss was most disastrous, as the place was larger, the houses more costly (when they rebuilt, they did it up right) and a greater amount of personal property contained in them (they were rich now, so they bought stuff). This fire originated in an outbuilding where a drunken Indian was sleeping and the Grizzly Flats folks figured he tried to light some matches during the night and couldn't be bothered to put them out (that's right, white boy, blame the Indian).  His body badly burnt and lifeless was discovered next morning. The town has never been build to the same extent since. Only two stone fire-proof buildings withstood this particular fire.

 

During the rebuilding of the town after this fire, the "Mountain School" was established.  The community never really recovered from this fire, however in the 1880's they did have seven saloons, two grocery stores, a livery stable, a mercantile store and a butcher shop.  There large stamp mills and one canon ball mill were also in operation.  Lumbering soon began to take over from mining as the town's greatest asset and the population hit around 2000.

 

Grizzly Flat, like other mining towns, has had its share of criminal activity. Thus far, only one murder was ever legitimately reported (emphasis on the legitimately) and that was in 1873 when Hiram Palmer got liquored up and killed an Indian (probably a relative of the unfortunate fella who was accused of burning down the town).

 

In 1890, the first telephone lines were established in Grizzly Flats (the original equipment was finally replaced out in 2005-2006).

 

By the turn of the century, the population had dwindled down to about 500 and by 1912, was down to about 150.  The Mount Pleasant Mine closed in 1914, having made over a million dollars during its tenure.  Mining came to a halt during the war times, but resumed alter with Melton, Blue Gouge, Mt Hope, Eagle King, Sunday, Steely and Hazel Creek opening, all of which are still in production.  By 1920, the population had stabilized at about 100 people.

 

During the 1920-1930's, about 1/3 of the town's laborers worked in the mines and about 2/3 in the lumber mills.  Two saloons and a store remained open until around 1937-38.

 

Grizzly Flat is situated about 23 miles a little south of east of Placerville, between the two Middle Forks of the Cosumnes river. The North Fork of the Cosumnes, heading well in the Sierra Nevada, lies three miles north-west of the village; Steely's Fork of the same river, but one half mile distant to the southeast. "String Canyon" was one of the richest that has been in the district, and probably in the county, heads directly in town and flows 3 miles westerly to join the Cosumnes. In 1852, the ridge leading down from Leak Springs and between the Forks of the Cosumnes was adopted as one of the principal roads by the emigrants of that year; nothing but a dim trace of this old thoroughfare can be discovered, and its solitude is broken only by the annual pilgrimage* of the dairymen or sheepherders. The usual red soil predominates, yielding liberally, as often proved, to miner and farmer both. Grand forests of spruce and sugar pine extend up to the summit.

The red soil, so typically seem in the Mother Lode region is a good indicator of metals. Minerals like; gold, copper, silver, iron, etc., can be found in the gravels. When iron rusts it oxidizes into a reddish color, explaining the attractive reddish color of the dirt a long the highways of the Sierra Nevadas.