Jan... MOTHER LODE The Story of Californias Gold Rush by Louis J. Stellman written 1934. Downieville "It was near the end of 1849, the great year of the Gold Rush, that prospectors who had followed the meandering course of the Yuba River into the higher altitudes reached what was known as the forks of the auriferous stream. Major William Downie was an intrepid spirit, questing forever onward, past the staked claimd and placered waters of previous pioneers. He led a little band finally into Sierra Country, and after many disappointments found gold where the streams divided. When he reached the place where Downieville now stands, at the foot of a long, winding grade, the days were short and brilliant with cold; the nights long and icy. They made camp at the forks of the Yuba. They knew they should have time to develop and reap the riches of this stream before the gold-mad horde would follow and before the deep snows interferred. By February, when the crowd had learned about their find and followed, the little pioneer group and made a clean-up and staked valuable quartz claims. They welcomed the newcomers, and the quickly gathering settlement almost immediatley became a town, laid out in streets by James Vineyard, an engineer, and goverened by competent officials. A meeting was held to determine a name for the new place, and by popular acclaim it was called after Major Downie, who discovered it. Thus Downieville, by some quirk of fate, escaped many of the intermediate stages between location and orderly establishment. It sprang almost full-armed into civic being, and despite a disasterous fire during its third year of existence it continued to grow and progress until it became one of the most important of the more northerly gold centers. Empire Mine The Empire and North Star mines, now combined, at Grass Valley, have produced approximately one hundred millions of dollars in gold, and are at present in active operation under the management of the Empire Star and Mines Company, which also operates the Murchie mine, a good producer. These mines have 125 miles of underground workings. Grass Valley & Nevada City Up in the northwestern corner of Nevada County perch the twin towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City, about four miles apart. The former is a thriving, up-to-date community with modern hotels, theaters, and stores. It has not depended solely upon mining, as was the case with its neighbor, but has developed the agricultural resources of its back country to the fullest extent and has profited thereby. Nevada City is like other purely mining towns. It has suffered from the decline of that industry, but is staging a rapid comeback, with gold at its present value. The two places, so close together, so nearly alike in fundamental interests, are as different as day and night. Nevada City makes up what it lacks in modernity by its picturesque charm, its savor of brave vanquished days. And if the recent hectic race toward improvement has not obliterated all of the architectural monuments to a superbly dramatic, historically important past, it should fill the location scouts of Hollwood with joy. For Nevada City was- and I hope still is- one of the half dozen towns in California that has changed very little since the fifties" Jackie in California [email protected]