County Histories

Yuba County

“Yuba County, while one of the smallest in the Sacramento Valley, having an area of only 638 square miles, is one of the richest in resources in all California.  In the early days Yuba was famous as a gold producer.  “To-day, while still a heavy contributor to the State’s output of precious metal, principal importance attaches to its agricultural production and it is far more famous for some of its farm products.  For instance the largest hop fields in the world are located at Wheatland in this county and the quality of hops grown compares favorably with those of the best hop yards in Europe.

“This county offers exceptional advantages to the homeseeker and settler.  The soil and climatic conditions are favorable to the production of practically every crop known to temperate and semi-tropic climates.  The crops principally grown are wheat, barley, oats, hops, beans, alfalfa, garden truck, fruits, grapes and nuts.  Some Indian corn is grown on the low moist lands near the rivers or by irrigation, also Egyptian corn and other grain bearing sorghums.

“The orchard crops principally grown are pears, peaches, plums, prunes, apples, olives and grapes.  Among other orchard crops grown here are oranges, lemons, grape fruit, cherries, apricots, nectarines, figs, almonds and walnuts.  Apples do especially well in the higher foothill and mountain areas and will no doubt become an important product when this region has the advantage of railroad transportation.

“The subdivision of large tracts of land has been going on steadily for several years and this has brought new settlers into the county; as a result new farms are being developed and new crops introduced.

“During the last few years there has been a large planting of alfalfa which thrives luxuriantly, producing when irrigated five or six crops a year, and providing the basis for a rapidly growing dairy industry which promises to become one of the most important in the county, as it is one of the most profitable.

“A considerable area is under irrigation and this is constantly being increased.  The principal irrigation canals are the Browns Valley and Hallwood systems which together irrigate several thousand acres.  Along the Feather River extensive areas are irrigated by pumping, and some valley land is irrigated from wells, an abundant supply of water being secured near the surface at a comparatively small cost.

“Cheap electric power is available for pumping and for other farm uses.  Many Yuba County farms have motors installed for driving pumps and other farm implements, with electric lights in house and barn.  The first successful long distance electric power transmission line was built to convey to San Francisco power generated in this 20,000 horsepower and is one of a great chain of power generating stations which utilizes the waters of this and other streams in this and adjoining counties.

“The mineral resources of Yuba are great.  The methods of mining now followed include placer, quartz and dredge.  In the upper foothills and mountain sections, quartz mining is successfully followed and rich strikes have been made in recent years, which have had a tendency to stimulate this important industry.  Dredge mining is followed successfully along the bed of the Yuba river, where there are great deposits of gold bearing gravel.  The annual gold output of Yuba County is between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000.

“In a county where most of the boundary lines are never-failing streams, it is but natural to expect that there is plenty of water for all purposes.  This is the condition in Yuba County.  The Feather and the Yuba Rivers are both important streams.

“Transportation facilities are excellent; the main California-Oregon line of the Southern Pacific Railway Company passes through this county, also the Western Pacific Railway, a new transcontinental lime, and the Northern Electric Railway, which is a part of an extensive interurban system centering at Sacramento and San Francisco.  During certain seasons of the year the Feather River, which is the county’s western border, is open to navigation as far as Marysville.

“Yuba offers enjoyable recreation to the sportsman.  The county’s streams and forests afford the best of fishing and hunting during the proper season.  Quail and dove are numerous in the valley and foothill sections, while in the higher altitudes deer are plentiful, and occasionally a bear falls before the gun of the skilled huntsman.  Ducks and geese are abundant along the rivers and lakes.

“Marysville, the county seat and railway center of Yuba County, is a prosperous and progressive city of 7,000 population situated at the confluence of the Feather and Yuba Rivers.  Since the early days, Marysville has been an important commercial city; for years it was the principal supply point of Northern California and to-day it is the trading center of a large territory.  Some idea of its importance may be gathered from the fact that there are located at Marysville three large banks, the combined resources of which on January 1, 1914, were $5,300,000; total deposits, $4,200,000; total capital and surplus, $870,000.  Because of its importance as a trading center and lines of communication extending in many directions Marysville has been called the ‘Hub City.’

“The second city of the county is Wheatland, known far and wide as the center of the principal hop district of California and the scene of the largest single hop field in the world.  Wheatland is the center of an extensive agricultural area producing a wide variety of farm and orchard products and boasting a population of approximately 1,000.  There is a bank with resources of $80,000.

“Twelve miles northeast of Marysville is Browns Valley, a farming section comprising 45,000 acres of land.  Much of this land is irrigated by a gravity system.  The water is taken from the Yuba River in the higher altitudes.  In the same district there are a number of rich quartz mines that are now being worked.

“Smartsville is east of Browns Valley and eighteen miles from Marysville.  It is a historic mining camp, and was a lively place in early days.  Mining is still followed in the vicinity and the district is also noted for its production of both citrus and deciduous fruits.

“Challenge and Woodleaf are in the timber melt (sic); Camptonville and Strawberry Valley are mountain resorts during the Summer months.

Hammonton is the newest town in the county and is the scene of the principal dredge mining operations on the Yuba River.”