IntroductionEven to the casual visitor to Sierra County, it is obvious that the population of the area was much larger in the past than now, as one sees a number of deserted communities and other communities which still exist but which have shrunk in extent and population. Actually, in the twelve decades since the first census of the area (1852), Sierra County’s population has declined in six decades and has risen in the other six. The decreases, however, have tended to be larger than the increases, as is shown in Table 1.Table 1. Sierra County Population Changes, 1852 - 1970Year Population Change Since Previous CensusYearPopulationChange Since Previous Census18523,741*----186011,387+7,64618705,619-5,76818806,623+1,00418905,051-1,57219004,017-1,03419104,098+8119201,783-2,31519302,422+63919403,025+60319502,410-61519602,247-16319702,365+118*1852 State Census as given in Federal Report; population was given as 4,855 in the State Report.Table 1 gives population changes for Sierra C

The Methodists were a well administered church. Possibly because of their democratic structure and methods, their congregations also were active socially. They incorporated a number of social organizations into their church life. The Sunday schools were particularly active. These social organizations gave concerts, public dinners, and festivals. These activities had a two-fold purpose. They offered an evening of entertainment, food and relaxation; and they brought in money to pay the minister and build and repair churches. The lady’s Methodist Social Union was one of the many social organizations that flourished within Sierra County. The women arranged entertainment and dinners as fund raising projects and then used the money to buy paint, carpet or a bell for their church building. At their meetings they painted church walls or laid new carpets in the aisles.Two other Methodist sponsored organizations were less materialistic and more socially oriented than the Sunday schools and

The Pilgrim congregation was supposed to purchase not more than twenty acres of land on which to build churches and parsonages. Almost immediately, the new group came into conflict with the Methodists, and the Congregationalists had difficulty obtaining subscriptions to build a new church in Sierraville. The Methodists accused the new society of “pilfering” the Methodist Sabbath School in 1887. Apparently the problem was resolved as construction on the Sierraville church began in June, 1888, and was completed by November of that year. The more wealthy members of the new society came to the Church’s aid and money flowed into the coffers. By 1890, Rev. Philbrook had acquired enough money to not only pay off the building debt but to also buy a new organ.The Congregational church of the late nineteenth century was notably more conservative and less evangelical than was the American Methodist. There is a strong possibility that Methodist enthusiasm offended some of the

The spiritual needs of the inhabitants of Sierra County during the 1880’s were met by three organized religious groups – Methodist, Congregational and Roman Catholic. Church membership was low; only five percent of the population were official communicants of any church as late as 1890. The problem of apathy and disbelief was severe, but not nearly as bad as the Reno Evening Gazette, which headlined an article, “Sierra Valley Apparently a Hot-Bed of Heresy,” would lead one to believe.The Roman Catholic Church, because of the doctrine that it was a sin to miss Mass on the Sabbath, was not confronted with the problem of apathy to the extent the Protestant faiths were. When the religious could not get to church, the priest took the church to them. During the eighties a resident pastor was continually in attendance at Downieville. He rode a circuit that included Sierra City, Forest City, Alleghany, Howland Flat, Port Wine, Poker Flat, St. Louis and Whiskey Diggings.

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of April, 1971 Vol 3, No.1Editor's Note: This week we conclude Elizabeth Dearwater Brown's account of growing up in Sierraville.I have never been reconciled to the present mode of walking in the highway. Sierraville and its appearance has certainly changed, and I am sorry to say, not for the better. We had a fine Primary teacher named Walter Kynoch, and one year at the end of school he gave an entertainment by the children and enough money was raised to buy a beautiful bell which summoned the school children each school day. It was the most beautiful toned bell I ever heard. Say to say, one vacation day, I think in the early 30’s, the school house and the dear bell were burned to the ground. The school house that burned was the one in which Mama and her sisters and brothers went to school and taught by Mr. E.L. Case, and where Eatheland, Everett and I went, and where I taught for 6 years

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of April, 1971 Vol 3, No.1Editor’s Note: The following article is taken from the correspondence of Elizabeth Dearwater Brown to Mrs. Adella Lombardi of Loyalton. Mrs. Brown was born in Sierraville (she now lives in San Francisco) and recalls many interesting stories about her own family and incidents and people in Sierraville and Randolph. The article appears verbatim as written by Mrs. Brown.DEARWATER FAMILY HISTORY AND YOUTHFUL INCIDENTSFather’s Parents: John Durwachter- Elzabeth Harin Durwachter Married July 7, 1855 Children all born in Goodyear’s Bar Sierra County. Our father was Joseph Dearwater (Changed from Durwachter), born March 4, 1862, died in Sierraville on March 14, 1934 of bronchial pneumonia which began with the flu.Mother’s Parents: Charles Perry-Margaret Murphy Perry Married May 30, 1854 at Old Fort Hall (Now Pocatello, Idaho). They came to Sierra Valley August 1

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of April 1971, Vol 3., No.1Last week we learned how Chips struck it rich with a hillside digging and the Smiths were determined to follow his lead.The writer himself, who was personally acquainted with the Smiths, went seven miles expressly to try and induce them to abandon the project. Fred Smith, in reply said, that he was sure someone would, and offered me an interest in his claim, if I would only lend my countenance to the project, so as to induce others to do the same. I deemed him crazy, and left him with feelings of compassionate sorrow for his crazy hobby. This was in 1853.Meanwhile, Chips had struck it extremely rich, at Chips’ Flat, and was almost constantly drunk; his partners wished to buy him out, but he refused steadily to sell. They now went about on the other tack; and as they could not buy him out, determined to let him kill himself with Strychnine whiskey. Accordingly, they proc

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of April 1971, Vol 3., No.1History of the Discovery of Great Blue LeadAfter the first pass at the rich surface stream placers, the more enterprising of the gold-rush prospectors turned their attentions to the perplexing but highly productive “hill diggings.” The shrewder miners, like Chips in the narrative below, figured out that these were the remnants of ancient fossil rivers. The author of “Early Annals of Downieville and Vicinity,” chapters of which have appeared in these pages in recent months, participated in the hill diggings boom of the 1850’s, up on the ridge south of town.In Chapter 6 of “Early Annals,” reprinted from the Tuolumne Courier (1860), he expands on his favorite theme and records some of the events that took place in this boom. The discerning reader will recognize this chapter as the source of the oft-quoted tale of the short but illustrious

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of April 1971, Vol 3., No.1This week we bring you more about the history of the Kanaka Creek diggings as found in Wm. Pickiepoche’s transcription of reminiscences from a gold rush miner, first published in the Tuolumne Curier in 1860.Uncredited artwork closing this article in The Sierran of April 1971Whilst Cunningham was on the [Kanaka] Creek, he had a single-handed fight with a grizzly bear; coming off the victor, after a hard fight, and having completely used a Mississippi yager [Does anyone have an idea for what weapon Cunningham used?] on this ursine majesty’s cranium. Cunningham was completely stripped of his clothing, and so far exhausted that he lid down to die on the side-hill, but was happily rescued by some miners who had been attracted that way by rapid shots he had fired. They carefully packed him into camp, together with the bear, where great rejoicings were made for the victo

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of April 1971, Vol 3., No.1We continue with another chapter of the reminiscences of a gold rush miner, which appeared in the Tuolumne Courier on June 16, 1860. The unknown author of the “Early Annals” prospected in and about Downieville in ‘50 and ‘51, then on the Feather River ‘till ‘53, when he participated in the subsequent “hill diggin’s” boom around ‘54. We have reason to believe that a few of his facts may be just a little distorted, but the spirit of the times and the earliest events on Kanaka Creek are well chronicled for us by the Annalist. He does not refer to Alleghany as such, because the town did not receive its name until 1857, after the events described below, and after the Annalist had moved on to Tuolumne County. However, any of our readers who are familiar with this area will have no difficulty in following his narrative.Wm. Pi

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of August 1970, Vol 2., No.2Last week this column ended with a Frenchman and a Spaniard confirming they had discovered a rich gold deposit while hunting above the Slate Creek House north of Downieville.A company of twelve was soon organized, and the Frenchman getting drunk, a Mr. Ship, of Pine Grove, induced him to sell his share to him for $1600. As soon as he got sober he repented his bargain, and tried to induce Ship to let him pay him his money back. Ship refused, and held on to his bargain, although many thought he ought not have traded whilst the Frenchman was drunk. Ship gave a Capt. Davis--a hard charactor--a share, to see after his own portion of the profits in the lead. Quite a large camp of Spaniards was soon collected on the flat at the head of Slate Creek, and, as usual when Spaniards congregate, much cutting and shooting began to take place. DaVis, for some time, was very regular in his s

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of August 1970, Vol 2., No.2At the conclusion of last week's article, Wm. Pickie-Pocke, after "word go out about that 'old Cap. Sears' had struck diggings" and his neighbors followed him, Sears and his party turned around and "forbade them further progress."The others not being willing to be thus thwarted, answered that the hills were as free for them to prospect in, as they were for him; and there was every appearance of a dispute of some consequence; when Sears’ party, finding that it was useless to strive against such numbers, came to the compromise, that the others were not to divulge what they saw, and they, on the other hand, would show them the diggings; only bargaining that the Sears’ party should be paid $100 per head, and be entitled to a double claim, in virtue of the discovery. The other party was headed by a man of the name Gibson. A spirit of ri

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of August 1970, Vol 2., No.2Last week's column ended with the miner's of Poorman's Creek creating laws against highway robbery and those who dealt any gambling game.About this time an attempt was gotten up to create an excitement about the mines in Dixon Creek; but it did not amount to much.Great falls of snow continued to fall in Onion Valley until the town could only be discovered at a distance from the numerous smoke holes in the snow; presenting a very curious appearance.On New Year’s morning 1851, our company struck a stratum of gold, and in an hour and a half took rising $6,000; one piece being $1800 in gold weight, besides two others, weighing the one, two pounds 12 dollars, and the other, two pounds; and numerous smaller slugs, besides the small gold. This was the largest strike made up to that time on the creek; but a few days afterwards, the Butte company turned over a large q

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of August 1970, Vol 2., No.2Last week's edition left readers with the news of a prospector bringing news of a new source of rich diggings in an area north of Downieville and of a small group packing up immediately to pursue the promise of finding goldd nuggets.As secret as we thought ourselves, we were scarcely up the hill, and in the act of packing the animals with our blankets, etc., when we discovered three negro men and two whites coming up the hill. It was too late to try and hide; so our plan was made up instantly to compel them to swear not to divulge where we went to. This they readily agreed to. The white men were Wm. McKenzie and Jas. E. Dow, the negroes were named Leroy--a yellow man,--Wm. Taylor, and the last I never knew his name.On the evening of the 14th October, we arrived at our Camp, and the next morning began prospecting our claim. The writer panned out the first pan of dirt, whic

Reprinted with permission by the Sierra County Historical Society from The Sierran of August 1970, Vol. 2, No. 2By one of the Earliest SettlersAs our readers will recall, "Early Annals" originally appeared in the Tuolumne Courier in 1860, and are the first-hand reminiscences of one of the gold rush miners in this area. Although most of the chapters are concerned with Downieville, Forest City, and the Alleghany area, this, the third installment, describes the early development of some of the gold camps in the high country beyond the Feather River divide, north of Downieville.The Onion Valley boom provided a lot of excitement in early days. It led to the extensive prospecting of the entire region and the large-scale mining of the Tertiary gravel channels exposed there. La Porte, Howland Flat, Scales and the other camps nearby became well-known as a result. In recent decades, however, this large area, partly in Sierra and partly over the divide in Plumas County, has once again b