South Sierra Then and Now #3

Current events & historical accounts from southwest Sierra County.

Backtracking: A correction to last week’s article: the winter of 1951-52 (not 1957) holds the record as the snowiest during the 77 years that the Sierra Snow Lab has been keeping track (as of this writing). The snow lab’s records confirmed my memory of the big storm of 1982; it started on March 30th and snowed for four days.

Sunday, March 26, 2023 ~ The frogs have declared spring with a loud chorus that stops only when they sense danger or the temp. falls below ≈ 30 degrees (springtime thermometer). We’ve had a few days without rain or snow. Yesterday we did some outside work before heading to the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Brass Rail Saloon. A crowd of us stood on Hwy 49 for the ceremony then moved inside for drinks and music. The new management is showcasing live music as the hub of the endeavor. The place was packed by the time Outlaws & Angels started playing. Lead singer, Ali Green is a South Sierra Native and another gold miner’s daughter. Several of us old timers enjoyed a foot stompin’ reunion! It felt a little surreal ordering a beer from our son Wyatt behind the bar. He is one of the four new partners, along with his childhood friend Evan and brothers Patrick and Gavin. For event info. phone 530-292-3443, website coming soon. If you stop by, tell them that Wyatt’s mom sent you.

Ali Green’s mother, Sandy Knapp was one of the “foot stompin’ old timers” there last night. She was a teacher’s aide at Alleghany School and served as secretary of the Alleghany Water District (ACWD) Board during the 1970s. This was a very tumultuous time for ACWD. The town’s water system dating back to 1910, was in rough shape. The district applied for a 50/50 loan/grant to upgrade the system’s infrastructure. A restructuring of the district itself was necessary to qualify for the loan/grant. As a kid, I wasn’t too aware of what was going on, other than a peripheral awareness of a hornet’s nest of anger. I remember the on-the-ground construction, with the streets torn up for the water mains. The work brought a lot of new faces to town. One of them, Chris Pache (she) became a family friend.

ACWD found itself in a similar situation recently when grant funding was needed again. All aspects of the operation had to be examined as part of the grant application process. My tasks included digging out the historical loan documents from 1977 (a 40-year loan that defaulted once, but was paid off on-schedule in 2017). The old minute books reveal the extreme difficulties that the ACWD board encountered, including eminent domain proceedings to acquire the land for the water tank, convincing a community that never had water meters that they needed them, and negotiating a water right’s lease with the Sixteen to One Mine. Recent challenges seem mild in comparison. It is thanks to a tenacious group of community members that Alleghany’s water mains were replaced, fire hydrants installed, and a water storage tank constructed in 1977-78. In addition to Sandy Knapp, those individuals included: Carl Buell, Chet Davis, Glen Edmiston, Mary Hope, Jan Meuller, Gil Moore, Fred Wilson and many others. Copies of ACWDs historical minutes are online: www.alleghanywater.org/2010-and-older-minutes.

South Sierra Upcoming events

Captain Kitten’s Chicken Fried Cats at the Brass Rail Saloon N. San Juan, Friday April 14th 8 pm CFC Night! 

Rural Medical First Responder Skills Day, Saturday, April 22nd, at the Pike City Firehouse. Full day of hands-on training for Basic Life Support providers. Email LeTina (lvanetti@ sierracounty.ca.gov) to reserve a spot. Only 2 spots left!

If you have news, additional info., or corrections to share, please send an email to: raebell44@gmail.com