Butte County CA Archives History - Books .....Forbestown 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 27, 2006, 2:08 am Book Title: History Of Butte County FORBESTOWN. Forbestown is situated in the southeastern part of Butte county, and in the southwestern part of Oro township. It lies on the dividing ridge between, the south fork of the Feather river and the Yuba river, and is within a few hundred yards of the Yuba county-line. The present site of Forbestown was first settled upon by B. F. Forbes, upon the first day of September, 1850, who was immediately joined by D. W. C. Gaskill and ____ Cowperthwaite. Forbes took one side of the creek for his base of operations and Gaskill and Cowperthwaite the other. Some time previous to this occurrence, about half a mile down the creek, a man named Tolle had began to mine and trade, his locality being known as "Tolle's old diggings," to distinguish them from other diggings owned by the same man on the Yuba road, towards Marysville. Forbes had a stock of provisions with him, or brought them soon afterward, and opened a small store. The two other parties, under the firm title of Gaskill & Co., also opened a depot of supplies. These establishments drew most of the trade from Tolle, who had hitherto enjoyed a monopoly of it. Before the tenth of September, a violent storm drove the miners out of the mountains, and when Mr. N. D. Plum arrived there a few days subsequently he found five hundred miners stationed in and around the camp, which took upon itself the appellation of Forbestown. The two ravines were exceedingly rich in gold and began to be worked with great profit. The two great pockets of nature were literally lined with auriferous deposits. At Forbes ravine, in the year following, sixteen claims were consolidated, as they could work to better advantage in this way. The first quartz-mill of importance erected in what is now Butte county was at Forbestown, in the year 1851, by the Slitter Quartz Company. It was a sixteen-stamp mill with open batteries, large boiler and engine, and cost considerably over $200,000. The venture was not a paying one, considering the lavish expenditure made in its construction. In the early part of 1853 it was turned into a saw-mill, and ran for two years or more as such, when it was abandoned entirely. In the course of time, the building became demolished by the action of wind and water, the latter not only rotting the timber, but undermining the structure. Forbestown rapidly developed and prospered. In December, 1853, it was spoken of as second only to Bidwell in size, population and trade. The mines at the place were considered among the richest in the State. They were generally dry diggings. Forbestown could boast of several fine stores, four large hotels, a saw-mill and a quartz-mill. The population of the town proper was not less than a thousand. The Eagle Hotel and its boarders recognized James Watson as the landlord thereof, while William Clark catered to the public through the medium of the La Fayette Mountaineer. The United States Hotel, owned by James Forbes (brother of B. F. Forbes) and N. D. Plum, was at the time doing the heaviest business. This house was erected in 1851. The Wisconsin House, afterwards the National, was the property then of B. F. Hoyt. This building still stands at Forbestown, having long since been refitted for a residence. General merchandise traffic was represented by Forbes, Plum & Co., Cowperthwaite, Gaskill & Co. (the company being E. C. Bogardus), and Dr. Williams' store, kept by Sam Hageman. The Forbestown Saloon supplied liquid conviviality for the camp, though not having a monopoly of the trade, as all the stores contained more or less of it. The building was erected by Alexander Simpson and Miles Chapin, in the early part of 1854. During 1854, Brown's Hotel, the largest in the place, was put up by H. W. Brown. This was leased by James Abney and A. G. Simpson, in January, 1855. It was on "January 36," 1854, that E. C. Bogardus, known as Old Ned and Ned the Butcher, raffled off his meat-market, together with "horses, cowes, premium hogs and the almighty golden slugs." Tickets to the "Mountain Raffle" were sold at one dollar each, and the lottery was advertised to be conducted in the most honorable manner. History saith not who were the lucky drawers of prizes, nor whether Old Ned "quit the diggins" with a pocketful of dust. In very early days the California Stage Company ran a line of daily stages from Marysville. These diurnal visitations occurred for about two years. In time these were discontinued, but in the spring of 1857 Charles Baird established tri-weekly stages from Oroville to Forbestown. One year after the California Stage Company got possession of this route, and it and its successors have continued it ever since. The line now connects with the La Porte stage at Woodville, in Yuba county. Among the reminiscences of the pioneer period comes the following: The mining company which worked in Tolle's diggings in 1851 sustained the loss of the company purse, which was left in charge of an old Dutchman designated as Peter, who superintended the domestic affairs of the camp. The company, though having previously had the utmost confidence in the uprightness and integrity of Peter, was of the opinion that he had fallen a victim to the tempter, and, like many another banker, had secreted the funds. No amount of mutilated anglo-Saxon protestation on his part could remove the strong suspicion of his guilt that clung to the company's mind. Being much attached to Old Peter, they had no desire that he should pay the penalty of his crime with death, even though his guilt should be established beyond a doubt, and there was very little of it. The most feasible plan seemed to be the forcing of a confession from him by threats and rough treatment, and compelling him to disgorge. He was taken to a neighboring tree and a rope adjusted according to the most approved manual of the neck-stretching art. Peter was fearfully agitated, but his lips were confession-proof. He was run up, allowed to wriggle convulsively for a moment, and then lowered. No disclosure followed. Again he dangled between earth and air, and again found terra firma, but his lips were irrevocably sealed against imparting the desired information. Giving him up as a bad job, they allowed Old Peter to retain the boon of life. But the severe gymnastic exercises he had performed broke him down both in mind and body, and he died some months after, in New York, a raving lunatic. In the fullness of time the right man was found, but a reactionary humanity had taken hold of the company, for they only gave him as a punishment twenty-five lashes, without removing his clothes. The blows were not laid on with much heaviness either. A gentleman observed that "it was like whipping a bundle of buffalo-robes with willow twigs." The Forbestown Union Hall Building Company organized in October, 1855, for the purpose of erecting a huge structure, which was to contain several stores and concert-saloon on the first floor, and a big public hall, Masonic hall, and other rooms on the second floor. The plans were quite elaborate and extensive, but were never fully carried out. The result was a good two-story brick building of not near the size intended. The brick was manufactured by Mr. N. D. Plum. The first floor was then occupied by Mr. Gaskill. The building now stands. Forbestown could, a few years later, boast of having one of the finest brass bands in the country. It was called out upon all important occasions, and discoursed brassy strains at places far and near. It was generally conceded that the boys understood their business, whether at waltz, march, or serenade. The leader of the band was William Whipple, who practiced the tonsorial art for a livelihood. Forbestown has been twice baptized by the fire-priest. The ceremony was first performed on the twenty-eighth of January, 1860, when a large part of the business portion was destroyed, leaving only the National hotel, and the three stores of D. W. Gaskill, J. L. Gibson, and L. Rafael. The total loss was in the neighborhood of $30,000. Among the losers by the fire were: Samuel Hageman, $6,000; James Watson, N. D. Plum, and James Forbes, $3,000 each; Brown's hotel, $5,000; Mountaineer hotel, $2,000; Forbestown saloon, $2,000, and Dr. W. P. Flint, $1,000. Several others lost smaller amounts. The town was built up better than ever after the disaster. R. C. Gaskill put up a fine hotel, and another was built up by J. Allenbach, which prided itself upon the august title of the Europe hotel, flint