Yuba County
History
Chapter XXXII - North East Township
When the Court of Sessions, August 24, 1850, divided the county into fifteen townships, this territory was included in the town of Foster. The next subdivision into eleven townships, made by the court, August 7, 1851, placed this region in Oak Valley Township. Again, October 7, 1852, the court divided the county into ten townships, and the portion of this township, lying east of Slate creek, was put in Slate Range Township, and that lying west in North East Township, which was the first application of that name. October 10, 1856, the Board of Supervisors changed the boundaries of the ten townships, giving North East nearly its present dimensions. May 13, 1867, the present line running from the Woodville House to Missouri Bar was established, leaving the township with the following boundaries: - Commencing at the northeast corner of Yuba county; thence on Sierra county line to Canyon creek; thence down said creek to the North Yuba river; thence down said stream to Missouri Bar; thence in a straight line north westerly to a point on the line between Foster Bar and New York Townships, due south of a point on Butte county line, one-half mile west of the Woodville House; thence north to Butte county line; thence on county line to the place of beginning.
This township is so named on account of its situation in the extreme northeast corner of the county. It lies pretty well up on the slope of the mountains, Strawberry Valley being three thousand five hundred feet above sea level. The North Fork of the Yuba river forms the southern boundary, and numerous creeks wind their devious courses among the hills. Cold clear springs well up on every hand, and send their little rivulets trickling to the creeks. The hills are covered with a dense growth of lofty pines, firs, and brush, among which many saw-mills have been diligently working for years. We give a brief history of the more prominent localities in the township, commencing with the earliest settled.
WOODVILLE HOUSE
Charles Barker settled on the Butte county line in June, 1850. A month later, I.E. Brown bought him out. The place had become known as the Barker stand, and when I.E. Brown built a hotel here he called it the Barker House. In June, 1851, he sold it to Hill & Jumper. It afterwards became the property of James Wood, who in 1858, erected a large brick hotel, and changed the name to Woodville House. The brick for this building was made on the place. Mr. Wood kept a store and bar in connection with the hotel.
SLATE RANGE BAR
This bar is on North Yuba river, between Slate and Canyon creeks. A party of four or five Mormons worked just above the bar in June, 1849. A company from New Orleans came next. Dr. Murphy built a store in 1850, and W.K. Finley opened a dry goods store in 1851, in a brush tent. In its palmy days there were one hundred men at work here, and also several stores, saloons, hotels, butcher shops, etc. There are at present about fifteen men. One store remains, owned by James Godfrey. The bar is on the route from Camptonville to Strawberry Valley, and a bridge spans the stream at this point, built before 1858.
MISSOURI BAR NO. 2
The first work was done on this bar in March, 1850, by Captain William Mock, Wesley Mock, Moses Allen, Sampson Allen, David Garvin, John Perkins, Garnet, and Johnson, most of them from Missouri. For three or four years it was a lively place. In the height of its prosperity there were about one hundred men collected here. In 1853, there were a hotel and store. The diggings were good, and paid the miners well. It is still being worked by the Chinese. The bar lies just where the line between this and Foster Bar Township intersects with the river.
BUCKEYE HOUSE
The first settler at this point, four miles above Strawberry Valley, was a Mr. Ruby, in 1851. The old house was built by him the same year. The Buckeye House was built by Bracy & Taylor. Bracy kept a store here for some time.
STRAWBERRY VALLEY
Situated in a beautiful valley on the Butte county line, forty-three miles from Marysville, Strawberry Valley is the most thriving locality in North East Township. It was named early in 1851 by Captain William Mock, the name being suggested by the large number of wild strawberry vines found around the head of the valley. During the summer of 1850, some one kept a whisky saloon under a brush shed, southeast of where Columbus House was afterwards built. Mr. T.G.H. Jones, of Nicolaus, says that he and a party went there in January, 1851. They found the remains of a man in a thicket of pines in the rear of the shed. The body had a rope around its neck, and it was evident the man had been murdered. The party Mr. Jones was with consisted of himself, Captain William Mock, Wesley Mock, David Garvin, Boon Christopher, William Christopher, Joseph Vaughn, and John R. Perkins. The party came from Missouri Bar, on North Yuba river. Mr. Jones superintended the erection of a log cabin, and later a house. The cabin stood north of the valley and was used for a residence while they were building the old Mountain Cottage, one hundred feet down the road from the Columbus House. In the winter of 1850-1 this company used the cabin for an ice-house, selling the ice in Marysville in the spring. Shortly after the building of the cottage, Dr. C.F. Colton, Mr. Wolcott, Mr. Marble, and Mr. Maxwell, from Columbus, Ohio came to the valley and erected the Columbus House. During the summer, a few miners came and commenced prospecting in the ravines, and some rich diggings were found on Deadwood creek. The places were called Kentucky Gulch, Rich Gulch, Whisky Gulch, etc. The cottage was sold, and soon came into the possession of the Columbus Company. There were three stores in the town in 1854. The population for a number of years was quite large in the vicinity, and business in the town was good. In 1854, a hall was built by Callaghan & Company, over their store, and it was used by the various societies that have been formed there.
A division of the Sons of Temperance was organized here in 1853. After an existence of one year it surrendered its charter. In 1864, the Dashaway Club was organized. The object of the society was the promotion of temperance. Its existence was but for one year. Its funds were given to the Sunday School library. Alpine Lodge, No. 226, I.O.G.T., was organized June 10, 1866. The charter members were: - J.F.W. Twogood, W.C.T.; Mrs. U.D. Riddle, W.V.T.; J.C. West, W.S.; D.L. Goble, W.F.S.; James Cole, W.T.; Thomas Ives, W.M.; G.W. Monroe, W.I.G.; O.L. Bridges, W.O.G.; E.A. Emerson, C.M Riddle, H. Harvey, W.L. Robertson, James Goldston, Mrs. J.A. Emerson, G.W. Howard, R.W. Emerson, and R.P. Riddle. The membership at one time was fifty-five, and is now twenty-eight. The lodge owns property to the value of two hundred and seventy-five dollars, has a building fund of two hundred and fifty dollars, and has bestowed over five hundred dollars in charitable objects, more than two hundred dollars of which was to the Vallejo Orphan Asylum. The lodge has under its charge a free library of one hundred and thirteen volumes. Regular meetings are held every Saturday evening at Good Templars' Hall. The present officers are: - E.A. Emerson, W.C.T.; Ada Loveland, W.V.T.; L.A. Prindle, W.S.; Charles T. Prindle, W.F.S.; J.A. Emerson, W.T.; F.G. Loveland, W.M.; James Goldston, W.I.G.; J.C.H. Bucker, W.O.G.
January 2, 1867, was organized the Excelsior Literary and Library Association. It objects were to maintain a library, and to oppose gambling and swearing. In June, 1867, they invested all their funds in a library. The association disbanded June 28, 1868. The library was turned over to the Alpine Lodge of Good Templars, with the understanding that it should be a free library.
The Strawberry Literary Society, or "Sanhedrim," was organized in March, 1865. The society held weekly meetings, and issued a semi-monthly written paper, the first page of which was illustrated. The editorial committee were M.B. Potter, J.C. West, and D.L. Goble. The illustrations were drawn by John Learmont. The paper was called The Clarion. The officers of the society were: - Granville Levett, President, and J.C. West, Secretary. All local topics were chronicled in the paper. The paper reached its fourth volume, and was discontinued in 1875, the society failing to reorganize for the winter season.
For years occasional services have been held by ministers of the M.E. denomination, but with no regularity. The first Sunday School was held in 1860. Mr. Walbridge was Superintendent, and Miss Martha Jackman, teacher. In the fall of 1858, the first public school was kept, Miss Wyman being the teacher. The present town of Strawberry Valley consists of one hotel, one large store, postoffice, Wells, Fargo & Co.'s express office, blacksmith shop, butcher shop, carpenter shop, Good Templars' Hall, school house, and about fifteen dwelling houses. The population is about seventy. The old Indian name for Strawberry Valley was "Pomingo," their name for a certain plant that grew there.
EAGLEVILLE
One mile above Strawberry Valley lies the old town of Eagleville. The first settler at that point was Andrew Rowe, about 1851. A man named Cole came a little later, and built a house on piles, so as to be above the reach of grizzly bears, who were his constant terror. When the miners began to work the gulches here, the place became a sort of headquarters, and was named Eagleville, after the Eagle Mill. The town then rejoiced in a hotel, store, and quite a number of inhabitants. With the decline of mining here, has also disappeared the town.
WILLOW BAR
Gold was struck at this point on the river, one mile above Missouri Bar in 1852. The bar was small but flourishing, and was worked with good success until 1870. Since that time the Chinamen have been working the place. In 1855, there were two stores, two hotels, and a large number of miners.
NEW YORK BAR
This was a small bar, one quarter of a mile above Willow Bar. Gold was found in 1852, but the bar was so small and so near Willow Bar that it never became much of a place. The same is true of Yankee Bar, just above.
ALABAMA BAR
This bar is situated on the river, a little way below the mouth of Hampshire creek. Work was commenced in 1852. It became soon worked out, as did all the small bars.
HAMPSHIRE MILL AND STORE
In the fall of 1861 a company was formed a the Barker House, for the purpose of mining, merchandising and lumbering. It was called the Hampshire Company, and consisted of twenty men, one of whom was J.W. Pratt, now at Clipper Mills. They built a saw mill one mile from the mouth of Hampshire creek, which stream they named. This was completed in the spring of 1852, and lumber brought one hundred dollars per thousand feet at the mill. They also mined along the stream at Sucker Bar, Collins' Riffle and Alabama Bar. They located their store at Willow Bar. The next winter was a disastrous one, and the company failed. The mill was abandone in 1856, and was destroyed by fire in 1859.
BUCKEYE MILL
The Buckeye Company built a saw mill in 1851, one-fourth mile above Slate Range Bar. It was destroyed in 1853.
EAGLE OR CHALLENGE MILL
This mill was built at Strawberry Valley in 1855, by J.E. Emerson and J.O. Goodwin and Brother. In 1862, the mill was moved to New York Township, two miles above the New York House, and called Challenge Mill. It is now owned by A.M. Leach.
DEADWOOD MILL
This mill was built by Mr. Low in 1854, on Deadwood creek, near Eagleville. In 1876, it became the property of F.G. Loveland, who converted it into a shingle mill. It is run by both water and steam power, and employs three men.
INDEPENDENCE MILL
This mill was built by Mr. Low in 1858, was moved by the Union Lumber Company in 1868, to Diamond Springs, Plumas county.
The water ditch on Lost creek was constructed by E. Goble and some others. The water right was taken up in December, 1853. A tunnel was made at considerable expense, but found to be of little value. Mr. Goble is now sole proprietor of the ditch.
The Onion creek ditch was originally constructed by Bracy, Patterson & Sheppard, in 1857. The present owners are J.D.H. Buckner, J.W. Glazebrook and O.P. Merrell.
Snow falls on the mountains very heavily some seasons. In 1867, it was twenty-one feet deep. The usual depth is from two to ten feet. In some places snow remains the whole season round. The clear, invigorating atmosphere and the health giving exercise required in locomotion among the hills render sickness a rare thing indeed.