In what is turning into quite the Fall attraction, the Downieville Halloween History Tour returned to town for the third consecutive year. Over 60 people from neighboring communities such as Reno, Chico, Grass Valley, and Truckee joined locals for the 3-hour walking tour of the town. The event was organized by the Sierra County Visitors Bureau, Discover Downieville, and Hwy 49 Adventures, with over twenty volunteers helping to ensure the event was successful. The event raised over $400 for the Downieville Museum, furthering its mission to preserve our rich local history. Locals versed in the long history of Downieville captivated the crowd with historical tidbits and outstanding storytelling. The speakers not only highlighted the rich history of Downieville and its many historic buildings but also shared the stories of the ghosts that continue to take residence here. Starting across the bridge at Tin Cup Diggins with a tour of Masonic Hall by Steve Folsom and history of the North Yuba River Hall by Tessa Jordan, the tour then meandered back to the Yuba Theater, where Theresa Haddow told the story of the Phantom of the Yuba Theatre. Michelle Lozano then shared a Local’s Love for History, and historian Corri Jimenez gave us the history of the Downieville Bell Tower as well, telling ghost stories of the Downieville Grocery Store, which used to be home to the town morgue. Heading back over to the Gallows at the Courthouse, Supervisor, Historian, and Former Sheriff Lee Adams relayed the hanging of James O’Neill in 1885. It was the last and only hanging on those gallows, as hanging was outlawed in 1941. Mike Taylor, owner of the Downieville River Inn, then told the crowd about the eerie history and ghosts roaming the Inn’s historic property. No tour about ghosts would be complete, of course, without the famous story of Josefa, who was the first woman ever hanged in California, for the murder of Frederick Alexander Augustus Cannon in 1851. Jennine Beacher recounted how she was hung off the Jersey Bridge, ever defiant until and even after her execution. One of the main highlights of the tour was the gunfight on Main Street. The Nevada Gunfighters returned to town to entertain the crowd with an old-fashioned gunfight with a Halloween twist in front of La Cocina De Oro. They even safely demonstrated a shotgun blast and a 45-caliber shot (blanks, of course) on a white t-shirt to give the audience a true sense of how dangerous and deadly guns could be. Following a brief history lesson by Dave and Carol Marshall in front of the Downieville Museum, folks headed up Main Street to the cemetery for the final stop on the tour. Thanks to the generosity of Big Boulder Adventures, shuttle rides were provided for guests who couldn’t make the long walk up the street. Jan Hamilton and Lee Adams concluded the event in the most obvious place where our ghostly former residents gather in the greatest numbers. The tour may have been over, but the evening was just getting started. Following the tour, tour leaders Nikki Sperry and Sonya Meline hosted revelers at the Boomtown Lounge, providing drinks and food while they enjoyed live music from Josh Sweigert. St. Charles Place capped off the night with a raucous Halloween Costume party and live band jamming the bar out. It was quite apropos that PG&E scheduled a power outage right as the St. Charles party was getting going. Oil lamps kept the lights on for about 30 minutes, just enough time for the band to warm up to a packed crowd. The competition for best costume and the $100 gift certificate was fierce. Congrats to Arroyo, the Invisible Man, for his incredibly creepy winning costume! The day was a tremendous success for Downieville and a great time. Tell folks who haven’t enjoyed the annual Halloween festivities to mark their calendar for next year, as I am sure it will only get better!
The tour group gathers at the North Yuba River HallIt has long been rumored that ghosts inhabit buildings all throughout Downieville. On Saturday, October 28th, locals and visitors alike had the opportunity to learn and maybe even catch a glimpse of one of our spooky old-time residents.