THE NORTHERN MOTHER LODE
Back in the gold rush days, Downieville was so tough to get to a wool shirt cost $50. The trail was so impassible the taverns in the mining camp town never had mirrors.
After gold was discovered at a north fork of the Yuba river, Major William Downie led a party up the canyon to set up a camp.
By mid 1850 some 5000 miners had made it up to the camp. It was then named for its founder. Today Downieville is the seat of Sierra County.
The town straddles the Yuba and is at about 3000 feet in the Sierra in the area of the Tahoe National Forest.
The bridge is one lane.
The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was built in 1858.
The steeple, visible below, is from the Protestant Church built in 1855. It is the oldest Protestant Church in California still in use.
Like so much of the town, the school is also built on a slope.
Gold Rush era buildings, the rugged setting and raging river give Downieville a frontier feel.
About 50 miles north of Nevada City and Grass Valley, Downieville still requires a little effort to get to.
The mountain road twists and curves through pine forest and along the roaring Yuba River that once gave up gold.
Some still look for more.
See you down the trail.
Some 300 people call Downieville home. Many of the buildings date to the Gold Rush.
The bridge is one lane.
The mountain road twists and curves through pine forest and along the roaring Yuba River that once gave up gold.
Some still look for more.
Downieville looks like a cold, gray, rainy, depressing town . . like it belongs in a Stephen King novel!
ReplyDeleteOn this gray, rainy day it certainly did. You'd have enjoyed the 3 old boys sitting on the front porch of the general store, who looked us over as we drove by and then got out and walked around. They didn't seem to like the camera. To be fair, I'm sure it is beautiful when the sun shines, but it is out of the way, up in the mountains and on a river.
ReplyDelete