Yuba County
History
Chapter XXV - Linda Township
By the sub-division of the county into townships, made by the Court of Sessions, August 24, 1850, all that portion of the present county of Yuba, lying between Bear and Yuba rivers, was divided into two townships; the upper part embracing the northern portions of the present Linda and Rose Bar townships, was put in town number eleven, while the lower portion, including the balance of Linda and Rose Bar, and all of East and West Bear river, was made town number twelve. After the segregation of Nevada county, the court made another division, August 7, 1851, and this region was then divided into east and west parts by a line running from the mouth of Dry creek, on the Yuba, directly south to Bear river; the western part was the Town of Eliza, and the eastern, Parks Bar. The court again divided the county, October 7, 1852, making no alteration in this region, except that the name of the eastern portion was changed from Parks Bar to Rose Bar. Thus they remained until October 10, 1856, when the Board of Supervisors remodeled the townships, forming the township of Linda. The east line of the township as then formed, ran about one-half mile further east than at present; the south-east corner of the present township was then in Bear River township, and Linda included a part of the north east corner of Bear River township. The present boundaries were approved by the Board of Supervisors, September 17, 1861, and are: - Commencing at the south-east corner of Section 34, Township 15 N., R 5 E; thence north to the Yuba river; thence down the middle of said stream to its junction with Feather river; thence down the middle of Feather river to its intersection with the Government line, thirty chains west of the south-east corner of Township 15 N., R 4 E.; thence east along said line to the place of beginning. The township of Linda is essentially an agricultural one, and consequently did not become settled for that purpose until after 1852. A few settlements were made along Yuba and Feather rivers before that year, and along the line of travel to and from the mines, for the purpose of keeping hotels; also on the Yuba river some grant locations were made prior to the discovery of gold, all of which have been given at length in the preceding pages.
LINDA
John Rose, William J. Reynolds, and George Kinloch bought the grant land along the south bank of the Yuba river from Michael C. Nye in the spring of 1849. They kept large numbers of cattle which they grazed on the plains and with which they supplied the mines with meat. Rose and Kinloch had charge of the ranch while Reynolds kept the store at Rose Bar. They lived at the old house where the town of Linda was afterwards built. In December, 1849, the Linda Company arrived at the ranch in the steamer "Linda" and disembarked. They were well pleased with the location and beauty of the spot, and thinking as they had succeeded in reaching this point in their vessel, navigation to the mines would be extended as far as this place, and they advised Rose to lay out a town. They promised to take or sell enough lots to repay him for any outlay he might make in that direction. The partnership of Rose, Reynolds and Kinloch, was dissolved in the spring of 1850, Rose keeping the ranch as his portion. In the spring, Rose laid out a town containing about one square mile and named it Linda in honor of the company and the little pioneer steamer. The "Linda" brought up a load of Marysville people, and the new town was inaugurated and christened over many a bottle of wine. Lots were advertised for sale in Sacramento, April 26, 1850, by J.B. Starr & Co., auctioneers. Rose established a ferry across the river, Charles Lupton built a house, a store was opened, and two or three small dwellings were erected. This was the condition of the place for two years, when all expectation of building a town was given up, and the people who had settled there removed to other parts. In 1856, a bridge was built across the river, at this point, and was carried away by the great flood in December, 1861.
The site of the old town is now covered with sand and overgrown with willows. The waters of the Yuba sweep over it in winter, leaving no indication of the once fertile spot on which stood the little town of Linda.
ELIZA
In the fall of 1849, a large company from Maine, called the Kennebec Company, purchased of John A. Sutter, a large tract of land occupied by Jack Smith, and called Memal ranch. It was west of Linda, and extended one mile on the river and three miles back. In January, 1850, the town of Eliza was laid out on Feather river, three miles below Marysville, and in the southwest corner of the Memal ranch. The advantage claimed for this point, was that boats could land without any inconvenience from the obstructions in the river, which rendered the stream above dangerous for navigation. Several boats had grounded between Eliza and Marysville, which had created quite an alarm. The Kennebec Company, Captain Sutter, and Dr. McCullough were the proprietors of the town. When the owners of Marysville ascertained that the Kennebec Company were to locate on land, they offered them one-fourth interest in the city of Marysville, but their agent, Dr. McCullough, becoming alarmed at the prospects of Marysville, invested in the town of Eliza. Hon. Phil. W. Keyser came to Eliza in February and was elected Alcalde. In April, lots were advertised for sale at auction in Sacramento. A correspondent writing to the Placer Times, of Sacramento, under date of April 24, 1850, says: - - "Found the barque 'Cunningham' and two other vessels discharging their cargoes at Eliza; also notices of the public meeting there on the 24th, to organize a town government. This place is rapidly increasing." The town at this time contained eight or ten houses, including three stores, two or three saloons, a post-office, and some dwelling houses, also some temporary tents. A large number of lots were sold, the transfers of which are recorded in the book kept by Alcalde Keyser, and now on file at the Court House in Marysville. In June it became apparent that no town could be built up there, as Marysville had assumed such proportions as to overshadow her near rivals, and the people abandoned the ill-fated Eliza. There is nothing left to mark the spot, and the sand has taken complete possession. Two members of the Kennebec Company, John Seaward and A.W. Cutts, now reside in Marysville.
SAND FLAT
This is an old mining flat on Yuba river, ten miles above Marysville. Some portions of the flat paid rich returns for the labor spent on it. Three ditches, the River, Eureka, and Tri-Union, were run to this place for the purpose of working the mines. A little work is still being done there.
OUSLEY'S BAR
Just above Sand Flat is an old mining bar, now entirely covered with mining debris. Work was commenced here late in 1849, and quite a little mining town grew up which was named after Dr. Ousley, of Missouri, who mined and practiced medicine. In two or three years it was partially deserted, although in 1858, a little work was still being done here. When the Tri-Union ditch was constructed, it was extended to this place. There were no other settlements of any consequence in the township, except one made in 1850 near the river, where the Smartsville road leaves that stream. This place was called Yuba Dam, and is still the original of the old "Yuba Dam Story" so familiar to all.
John Rose, in 1850, laid out a field of seventy acres, on which John Day and another man raised a crop of barley that year, which they cut for hay before it ripened. John Brophy bought the upper mile of Rose's ranch in 1850, and opened a hotel. The seventy-acre field was sold by Rose to a man named Chick in the fall of 1850. In 1853, Brophy returned east to bring his family here, and the Simpson family occupied his place. When he returned the next year, the Simpsons moved to Yuba Dam. In 1855, a school house was built and called the Brophy school. It was attended by all the children in that vicinity. Riley Lane laid out the Lane road in 1857, and opened the hotel which he still keeps. He built a school house in 1858, which has since been torn down. Other hotels were opened along the lines of travel, and settlements were gradually made, until all the land became occupied. The Oregon division, C.P.R.R., has a station on the south side of the river, where they receive freight. It is called Yuba Station, and consists of a warehouse and side track.