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The dream of riches for the taking caused the Gold Rush over 150 years ago, when thousands stampeded across the country in search of the shiny treasure glinting in rivers and streams. ‘There’s gold in them thar hills’ was the cry of the ‘49’ers’ who left their homes and families in the east and fled to the west in hopes of finding their fortunes.
And Nevada City, with its rushing rivers and streams, was in the center of the storm. The first prospector found gold in Deer Creek in 1849 and miners pulled as much as a pound of gold a day from the creek. The town was then called ‘Deer Creek Dry Diggins’ and changed to ‘Nevada’ in 1850. When the neighboring state took that name, it was changed to Nevada City to avoid confusion.
During the height of the Gold Rush, Nevada City was the third largest city in the state, next to San Francisco and Sacramento. Nevada County was also the third largest county in the state. The population was estimated to be 10,000, with the ratio of men to women about fifty men to each woman.
The Empire mine, now a state park, was the richest hard rock gold mine in California and operated continuously from 1850-1956. During that time, the Empire, along with the Northstar and the Idaho-Maryland mines produced over $440 million in gold. If you go back to the state mineralogist reports, Nevada County is legitimately known as the premier gold producing county in the state.
The next most productive county, Amador, produced 200 million. Nevada City has been called the Queen of the Gold Country, not only for the quantity of her gold, but for her beauty and elegance, which lives on today.
Back in 1856, people in the outlying areas could come to Nevada City for all their business needs. There were bakeries, liquor stores, restaurants, attorneys, banks, tinsmiths, clothing, dentists, even cigar stores, and of course hotels and saloons.
Today, the same rushing rivers and creeks that inspired the Gold Rush still wind through the towns and countryside. The gas lamps of Nevada City, the horse drawn carriages, the historic brick buildings, all give you the feeling of going back in time.
Nevada City Chamber of Commerce offers a map for a downtown walking tour that shows off some of the best old homes and buildings. Among them, the National Hotel, has been the longest continuously operating hotel in California. You can read the guest book in the lobby, where many famous visitors, like Mark Twain, have signed their names. Twain also spoke twice at the Nevada Theater on Broad Street.
You can learn more about the fascinating story of the gold rush at the Empire Mine and Malakoff Diggins State Parks and the Bridgeport Covered Bridge and history center, which also offers gold panning demonstrations in the summer. Or you can visit one of our historical libraries in Nevada City. (See box for information.)
The Idaho Maryland Mining Corporation, now a Canadian company, is going through the county, state and federal permitting process, and hoping to reopen in the future. A number of times in history, it was the biggest producer of gold.
Local author Jack Clark, who worked for the Idaho Maryland mine for years, wrote Gold in Quartz, which came out last June, Comstock Bonanza Press, run by Nevada County historian and author David Comstock, published the book. “Gold in Quartz explains the workings of a mine in detail and contains one of the largest glossaries of mining terms you’ll find,” Comstock said.
The Emigrant Trail, deeply rutted from the wagons of the thousands of pioneers who made their way west, is still visible along Highway 20, going east toward Lake Tahoe. It is now used as a mountain bike and cross-country ski trail.
In Nevada City, as we celebrate 150 years, our past is a living aspect of our present and future.
And Nevada City, with its rushing rivers and streams, was in the center of the storm. The first prospector found gold in Deer Creek in 1849 and miners pulled as much as a pound of gold a day from the creek. The town was then called ‘Deer Creek Dry Diggins’ and changed to ‘Nevada’ in 1850. When the neighboring state took that name, it was changed to Nevada City to avoid confusion.
During the height of the Gold Rush, Nevada City was the third largest city in the state, next to San Francisco and Sacramento. Nevada County was also the third largest county in the state. The population was estimated to be 10,000, with the ratio of men to women about fifty men to each woman.
The Empire mine, now a state park, was the richest hard rock gold mine in California and operated continuously from 1850-1956. During that time, the Empire, along with the Northstar and the Idaho-Maryland mines produced over $440 million in gold. If you go back to the state mineralogist reports, Nevada County is legitimately known as the premier gold producing county in the state.
The next most productive county, Amador, produced 200 million. Nevada City has been called the Queen of the Gold Country, not only for the quantity of her gold, but for her beauty and elegance, which lives on today.
Back in 1856, people in the outlying areas could come to Nevada City for all their business needs. There were bakeries, liquor stores, restaurants, attorneys, banks, tinsmiths, clothing, dentists, even cigar stores, and of course hotels and saloons.
Today, the same rushing rivers and creeks that inspired the Gold Rush still wind through the towns and countryside. The gas lamps of Nevada City, the horse drawn carriages, the historic brick buildings, all give you the feeling of going back in time.
Nevada City Chamber of Commerce offers a map for a downtown walking tour that shows off some of the best old homes and buildings. Among them, the National Hotel, has been the longest continuously operating hotel in California. You can read the guest book in the lobby, where many famous visitors, like Mark Twain, have signed their names. Twain also spoke twice at the Nevada Theater on Broad Street.
You can learn more about the fascinating story of the gold rush at the Empire Mine and Malakoff Diggins State Parks and the Bridgeport Covered Bridge and history center, which also offers gold panning demonstrations in the summer. Or you can visit one of our historical libraries in Nevada City. (See box for information.)
The Idaho Maryland Mining Corporation, now a Canadian company, is going through the county, state and federal permitting process, and hoping to reopen in the future. A number of times in history, it was the biggest producer of gold.
Local author Jack Clark, who worked for the Idaho Maryland mine for years, wrote Gold in Quartz, which came out last June, Comstock Bonanza Press, run by Nevada County historian and author David Comstock, published the book. “Gold in Quartz explains the workings of a mine in detail and contains one of the largest glossaries of mining terms you’ll find,” Comstock said.
The Emigrant Trail, deeply rutted from the wagons of the thousands of pioneers who made their way west, is still visible along Highway 20, going east toward Lake Tahoe. It is now used as a mountain bike and cross-country ski trail.
In Nevada City, as we celebrate 150 years, our past is a living aspect of our present and future.
