Howdy, . At long last, thanks to my friend & listmember CINDY< [email protected]>, I now `have a copy of Robert ECCLESTON's CA diaries, which include his accounts of the Mariposa Mines, as a member of the Mariposa Battalion in the 1850/1851 Mariposa Indian War, and The Discovery[?] of Yo Semite. . Sadly:-), Eccleston fails to mention my ggf, ole J.R. NORRIS, even though they were in the same diggins at the same time. Only Benj. HAYES, out of my multitude of 49er diaries so far, mentions ggf - better than none, I guess:-). .Most goldrush historians seem to consider the Eccleston's diaries equal to or better than any of the other 49er diaries/journals.. I suspect this is because they are contemporaneous accounts of a bunch of different goldrush era stuff. Eccleston is certainly less articulate than many of the others diarists.. Though brief, he details the life and times of the gold miners, etc. Because I have previously posted a lot on the Southern Mines in 1849/1850, I am still undecided as to how much of these diaries to post - hope to find a fresh approach. While I contemplate, here is his description of early Agua Fria, a small town[s] a few miles northeast of the present city of Mariposa. You will note that he spells Fria as FRIO. We join Robert ECCLESTON as he writes in his journal during the winter of 1850: "The AGUA FRIO takes its name from two springs of (Frio) Cold (Agua) water. They are situated at the bend in the Creek below where the Court House & Town stands, the Creek is in places extremely wide, reaching perhaps over a space of 3 or 400 yds having different channels for the conveyance of it[s] waters, it is generally paralleled by high hills sloping gradually, [e]ither studded with the noble oak & towering pine or covered with Gimisal a large bush imposing unpleasant & difficult obstructions to travellers unblessed with trail. "In the various little tributaries or (as Miners call them) Gulchs, emptying into the Agua Frio, Gold has been found in greater or less quantities. the total of one, perhaps the richest, it has been estimated that 600 lbs of the pure metal was taken out, but the best of all these streams have been secured & only the crumbs are left for those who are unfortunate to call themselves Miners of the winter/50. "There are two towns on the Agua Frio besides scattering stores. The Lower of principal Town is situated about 1/4 mile above the springs on the large flat & contains about a dozen stores &c. The Amusements to be had are the Monte & Faro Banks, a Billiard Table & Bowling alley interspersed now & then with a foot & Jackass race.& a knock down. There is also a hotel near the Court House where for money persons are well fed for the Mines, Board $3.00 pr day. " There are not 3 miners to one Store on the Agua Frio. The upper town in about 1 1/4 miles above the Lower & contains a less number of Stores which in the way of business are doing nothing. A vein of Quartz has been discovered near the head of this Creek by a man named CHILDS. But it is not worked as yet."(from"The Mariposa Indian War, 1850-1851, Diaries of Robert Eccleston: The California Gold Rush, Yosemite, the High Sierra" -C. Gregory Crampton, ed., Salt Lake: Univ. of Utah Press, 1957). NOTE: Using "first" or "earliest" almost always invokes controversy. Having said that:-)), I believe the consensus is that Alexis GODEY, an employee of John C. FREMONT, first discovered gold in Mariposa COUNTRY in 1849 as he checked out Fremont's monster land grant known as "Las Mariposas." I used the word country rather than county because Mariposa only later, February 18,1850, become a county.. And where in Mariposa country was gold first found? Probably either on the Aqua Fria Creek, a major branch of Mariposa Creek, or possibly on one of Agua Fria's small tributaries: GODEY'S GULCH or CARSON CREEK. When found? - a little mirky:-)) - a good guess is the summer of 1849. Shortly thereafter gold was found along Mariposa Creek and in many other of its tributaries. Upon Mariposa's election as one of the orginal California counties in 1850, Agua Fria was chosen as the county seat, with its first slate of officers(I think I previously posted their names) elected in April, 1850. For various reasons, mainly the Agua Fria placers pooped:-), the town of Mariposa became the county seat in 1854. Hope you don't mind another slice of Mary Posey historee:-), Bob Norris in Dallas [email protected]>