Plumas County
Biographies
JAMES P. BECKWOURTH
Lying partly in Plumas and partly in Sierra county is the largest valley to be found in the whole Sierra chain. With an altitude of 5,000 feet above the level of the sea, its atmosphere is cool, clear, and healthful. Since 1853 it has been settled by an agricultural population, and is now one of the most prosperous sections of the state, containing six villages, Beckwourth, Summit, Sierraville, Loyalton, Randolph, and Craycroft, the last four being in Sierra county, in which the larger portion of the valley lies.
The valley is entered at its north-eastern end through Beckwourth pass, discovered by James P. Beckwourth, whose name was also applied in former years to the valley. Beckwourth was an old “mountain man,” or trapper, a story of whose life, dictated by himself and written by Thomas D. Bonner, was published in 1856 by Harper & Brothers of New York. The narrative abounds with the exaggeration usual to the mountaineers in relating their adventures to auditors who have no means of disproving them – and art in which Beckwourth excelled his companions because of his long residence with the boastful savages. In fact, it contains hundreds of what a miner characterized as “some of Jim Beckwourth’s lies.” The book reveals the fact that the hero was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, February 26, 1798, from whence the family moved to Missouri a few years later. When quite a young man he began his life on the plains and in the mountains, accompanying General Ashley in his trapping expeditions. For years he lived among the Crow Indians, of which tribe he claims to have been for a long time the head chief and ruler. He came to California in 1844, and remained until the war with Mexico. His part in the struggle in this state consisted of stealing a large band of horses (1,800 he says), and getting out of the country as rapidly as possible with five valiant companions, leaving others to fight the battles. In 1849 he again came back to California. We give the particulars of the discovery of the pass and settlement in the valley as they appear in the book. By following the chronology of the volume, the discovery is placed in the year 1850; but it will appear, as the narrative progresses, that it must have been in 1851. After speaking of a prospecting trip to Pit river, he says:
“While on this excursion I discovered what is now known as Beckwourth’s pass in the Sierra Nevada. From some of the elevations over which we passed I remarked a place far away to the southward that seemed lower than any other. I made no mention of it to my companion, but thought that at some future time I would examine into it further. I continued on to Shasta with my fellow-traveler, and returned after a fruitless journey of eighteen days. After a short stay in the American valley, I again started with a prospecting party of twelve men. We killed a bullock before starting [there were no bullocks in American valley in April, 1850], and dried the meat, in order to have provisions to last us during the trip. We proceeded in an easterly direction, and all busied themselves in searching for gold; but my errand was of a different character. I had come to discover what I suspected to be a pass.
“It was the latter end of April [it was impossible for him to have traveled through this region as early as March, 1850, as he must have done to have gone up the Pit river, then to Shasta, then made a stop in American valley, and finally reach Sierra valley in the last of April, a month before the Gold-lakers started; in the spring of 1851 it could have been done, and he could also then get a “bullock” in American valley of the Turner brothers] when we entered upon an extensive valley at the north-west extremity of the Sierra range. The valley was already robed in freshest verdure, contrasting most delightfully with the huge snow-clad masses of rock we had just left. Flowers of every variety and hue spread their variegated charms before us; magpies were chattering, and gorgeously-plumaged birds were caroling their delights of unmolested solitude. Swarms of wild geese and ducks were swimming on the surface of the cool, crystal stream, which was the central fork of the Rio de las Plumas, or sailed the air in clouds over our heads. Deer and antelope filled the plains, and their boldness was conclusive that the hunter’s rifle was to them unknown. Nowhere visible were any traces of the white man’s approach, and it is probable that our steps were the first that marked the spot. [Some of the searchers for Gold lake had seen the valley from the mountains, in June, 1850.] We struck across this beautiful valley to the waters of the Yuba, from thence to the waters of the Trucky (Truckee), which latter flowed in an easterly direction, telling us we were on the eastern slope of the mountain range. This I at once saw would afford the best wagon road into the American valley, approaching from the eastward; and I imparted my views to three of my companions in whose judgment I placed the most confidence. They thought highly of the discovery, and even proposed to associate with me in opening the road. We also found gold, but not in sufficient quantity to warrant our working it; and furthermore, the ground was too wet to admit of our prospecting to any advantage.
“On my return to the American valley, I made known my discovery to Mr. Turner, proprietor of the American ranch [Turner brothers did not settle there until late in the summer of 1850], who entered enthusiastically into my views; it was a thing, he said, he had never dreamed of before. If I could but carry out my plan, and divert travel into that road, he thought I should be a made man for life. Thereupon he drew up a subscription list, setting forth the merits of the project, and showing how the road could be made practicable to Bidwell’s bar, and thence to Marysville, which latter place would derive peculiar advantages from the discovery. He headed the subscription with two hundred dollars. When I reached Bidwell’s bar and unfolded my project, the town was seized with a perfect mania for the opening of the route. The subscriptions toward the fund required for its accomplishment amounted to five hundred dollars. I then proceeded to Marysville, a place which would unquestionably derive greater benefit from the newly discovered route than any other place on the way, since this must be the entrepot or principal starting-place for emigrants. I communicated with several of the most influential residents on the subject in hand. They also spoke very encouragingly of my undertaking, and referred me, before all others, to the mayor of the city. Accordingly I waited upon that gentleman (a Mr. Miles), and brought the matter under his notice, representing it as being a legitimate matter for his interference, and offering substantial advantages to the commercial prosperity of the city. [Here the facts show beyond dispute that this all occurred in 1851 instead of 1850. The city of Marysville was incorporated by Act of February 5, 1851, and S. M. Miles was elected mayor in March – the first mayor the city ever had.] The mayor entered warmly into my views, and pronounced it as his opinion that the profits resulting from the speculation could not be less than from six to ten thousand dollars; and as the benefits accruing to the city would be incalculable, he would insure my expenses while engaged upon it. I mentioned that I should prefer some guaranty before entering upon my labors, to secure me against loss of what money I might lay out. ‘Leave that to me,’ said the mayor; ‘I will attend to the whole affair. I feel confident that a subject of so great importance to our interests will engage the earliest attention.’
“I thereupon left the whole proceeding in his hands, and immediately setting men to work upon the road, went out to the Trucky (Truckee) to turn emigration into my newly discovered route. While thus busily engaged I was seized with erysipelas, and abandoned all hopes of recovery; I was over one hundred miles away from medical assistance, and my only shelter was a brush tent. I made my will, and resigned myself to death. Life still lingered in me, however, and a train of wagons came up and encamped near to where I lay. I was reduced to a very low condition, but I saw the drivers, and acquainted them with the object which had brought me out there. They offered to attempt the new road if I thought myself sufficiently strong to guide them through it. The women, God bless them! came to my assistance, and through their kind attentions and excellent nursing I rapidly recovered from my lingering sickness, until I was soon able to mount my horse and lead the first train, consisting of seventeen wagons, through Beckwourth’s pass. We reached the American valley without the least accident, and the emigrants expressed entire satisfaction with the route. I returned with the train through to Marysville, and upon the intelligence being communicated of the practicability of my road, there was quite a public rejoicing. A northern route had been discovered, and the city had received an impetus that would advance her beyond all her sisters on the Pacific shore. [Rather an exaggerated idea of importance of the road.] I felt proud of my achievement and was foolish enough to promise myself a substantial recognition of my labors.
“I was destined to disappointment, for that same night Marysville was laid in ashes. [The first fire of consequence in Marysville occurred on the night of August 31, 1851. This fact also fixes the year of the discovery of the pass.] The mayor of the ruined town congratulated me upon bringing a train through. He expressed great delight at my good fortune, but regretted that their recent calamity had placed it entirely beyond his power to obtain for me any substantial reward. With the exception of some two hundred dollars subscribed by some liberal-minded citizens of Marysville, I have received no indemnifications for the money and labor I have expended upon my discovery. The city had been greatly benefited by it, as all must acknowledge, for the emigrants that now flock to Marysville would otherwise have gone to Sacramento.
“In the spring of 1852 I established myself in Beckwourth valley, and finally found myself transformed into a hotel-keeper and chief of a trading post. My house is considered the emigrant’s landing-place, as it is the first ranch he arrives at in the golden state, and is the only house between this point and Salt lake. Here is a valley two hundred and forty miles in circumference, containing some of the choicest land in the world. Its yield of hay is incalculable; the red and white clovers spring up spontaneously, and the grass that covers its smooth surface is of the most nutritious nature. When the weary, toil-worn emigrant reaches this valley, he feels himself secure; he can lay himself down and taste refreshing repose, undisturbed by the fear of Indians. His cattle can graze around him in pasture up to their eyes, without running any danger of being driven off by the Arabs of the forest; and springs flow before them, as pure as any that refresh this verdant earth.”
That Beckwourth discovered this pass in the spring of 1851, led a train of emigrants through it that summer, and in the spring of 1852 established himself in the valley on the route from the pass, took up a land claim, built a hotel, and began trading with the emigrants, are facts beyond dispute, and to him should be given all the credit due. His complaint about losing his time and money in opening the road was not well founded; for at his ranch he reaped his proper and ample reward in the profitable trade he carried on with the emigrants who came over the new route. The supposition that this pass and route may have been after Lieutenant E. G. Beckwith is an erroneous one, for that gentleman did not come through this pass; in 1854 he surveyed a railroad route through Noble’s pass from Honey lake to Ft. Reading [see history of Lassen county], two years after Beckwourth settled in the valley.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 256-259
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler, Nov. 2004