Butte County CA Archives History - Books .....Official History 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 December 14, 2005, 4:43 pm Book Title: History Of Butte County OFFICIAL HISTORY. Reference is made to the articles on the courts and the county-seat question for the incidents connected with the complete organization of the county government, while the financial article will disclose the struggles made to maintain the government and provide the revenue for its support. The duties now discharged by the board of supervisors then appertained to the court of sessions, composed of the county judge and two associates. [See article on the courts.] No steps were taken by the court to subdivide the county into judicial townships until August 6, 1851, though election precincts were designated in the fall of 1850 for the election that then occurred. The order of August 6, 1851, created six townships with the following boundaries:— "1st. HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, bounded as follows, to wit: Commencing on Feather river at the month of Honcut creek, running thence along the southern boundary of Butte county to the Sacramento river; thence up said river, following the western line of said county to the northern line of said county; thence along said line to the base of the Sierra Nevada buttes or table lands; thence south along said table lands to Feather river; thence down said river to the place of beginning. " 2d. OREGON TOWNSHIP, bounded as follows, to wit: Commencing at a point on Feather river, at which the eastern boundary of Hamilton strikes said river, running thence up said river to the mouth of the North Fork; thence up the North Fork to its source: thence along the northern boundary of the county west to the base of the Sierra Nevada; thence south along said base to the place of beginning. " 3d. OPHIR TOWNSHIP, bounded as follows, to wit: Commencing on Feather river at the mouth of Honcut creek, running thence up Feather river to the mouth of the north fork of Feather river; thence in a direct line to the Kentucky ranch, excluding the same; thence up the ridge that divides the waters of the Honcut creek from those of the South Fork, to the source of the Honcut; thence down said creek to the place of beginning. " 4th. ORO TOWNSHIP, bounded as follows, to wit: Commencing at the mouth of the north fork of Feather river; thence up the said fork to the mouth of the east branch of said north fork; thence in a line running southeasterly, passing the Pleasant Valley ranch, leaving said ranch north of said line; thence on to the middle fork of Feather river, crossing it three miles below Onion creek; thence to the Missouri ranch, including the same, it being on the east line of said county; thence along the east line of said county to the source of Honcut creek: thence following the northern boundary of Ophir township to the place of beginning." QUARTZ and MINERAL townships were created and defined at that time, but as they were cut off from Butte county in 1854 and formed part of Plumas, their description would be superfluous in this work. Election precincts were established at the same time in HAMILTON township at Hamilton, Chico, Lassen's, and Dorsay's store; in OREGON township at Adamstown, Miller's store, and Mendenhall's store; in OPHIR township at Veazie City, Ophir, Natchez, Wyandotte City, Long's Bar, and Morris' store; in ORO township at Bidwell's Bar, Stringtown, Forbes' store, Missouri ranch, and Evans' Bar. It was soon discovered that this division was far from satisfactory, as the townships were far too large, and the shifting of the population soon required the formation of new townships. On the second of December, 1851, the township of Hamilton was divided, the separating line being Mud creek, four miles above Chico creek, the northern part receiving the name of BENTON. Again, on the nineteenth of June, 1852, the township of BIDWELL was created from a portion of Oro, with the following boundaries: "Beginning at the junction of the north and middle forks of Feather liver; thence up the north fork to the mouth of the east branch of said north fork: thence in a line running south-easterly, passing the Pleasant Valley ranch, leaving said ranch north of said line; thence on to the middle fork of Feather river, crossing it three miles below Onion creek; thence to the Missouri ranch, excluding the same, it being on the south-east line of said county; thence in a direct line to the junction of the middle fork with the south branch; thence in a direct line to the Kentucky ranch; thence in a direct line to the place of beginning." The statutes of 1852, page 53, define the boundaries of the county substantially the same as before, but with an important difference which the language of the description taken alone fails to suggest. This difference is in the line between Butte and Sutter counties. The line, as then defined, was from the mouth of Honcut creek, "westerly, along the northern boundary of Sutter county, to the Sacramento river." Apparently this is the same line as before, but actually a far different one, as a reference to the description of the "northern boundary of Sutter county" will clearly indicate. On page 237 of the same statutes, that line is declared to run from a point in the Sacramemto river "due west of the north point of the three buttes; thence, in a southeasterly direction, to a point at the base of the buttes, due west of the south point of the same; thence, in a northeasterly direction, to the middle of Feather river, opposite the mouth of Honcut creek." It will thus be seen that this, for the first time, placed the Butte mountains within the limits of Butte county, where they were originally supposed to be situated. For two years they remained a portion of Butte county, and then, by the Act of March 31, 1854, were reunited to the county of Sutter, and still form a portion thereof. We now come to an important event in the history of Butte county, being no less than the loss of fully two-thirds of her territory by the formation of Plumas county. At the time this vast section was assigned to Butte county, the mountains were an unknown wilderness. The population was confined to the mines along Feather river, west of the high ridge now forming the eastern boundary of the county, and all beyond that, to the east, was uninhabitated and unknown. This state of affairs, however, was of but brief duration. The Gold Lake excitement in the spring of 1850, and the general tendency of the miners to push deeper into the mountains, soon led to the discovery of many rich deposits of gold high up on the forks of Feather river and their tributaries, followed by a great influx of miners into the hitherto unknown region. Mines of great richness and lovely valleys with soil of great fertility soon led to the building of permanent homes and the formation of happy and prosperous communities. These communities and mines were separated from the balance of Butte county and the seat of justice by miles of rugged mountains, over which communication was maintained by means of pack-mules in summer, and in the winter was not maintained at all. An embargo of snow was placed upon travel for months at a time. The dispensing of justice by the legally-constituted authorities was almost impossible, and a demand was made by those isolated people for a county government of their own. This resulted in the Act of March 18, 1854, creating the county of Plumas out of that vast territory in Butte county lying to the east of the barrier of snow. The line of division was defined as follows: "Commencing at the Buckeye House, on the line between Yuba and Butte, and running in a right line, crossing the southern portion of Walker's plains and Feather river, to the summit of the dividing ridge dividing the waters of the west branch and the main Feather river; thence following the said divide to the summit of the main divide separating the waters of the Sacramento and the main north Feather; thence following said divide to the line of Shasta county, dividing Shasta and Butte." It is generally supposed that the territory thus cut off embraced Plumas and Lassen counties and a portion of Modoc, but this is an error. It included only the southern portion of Lassen, while the northern portion and all of Modoc, as well as the county of Siskiyou, were originally a portion of Shasta county, and never belonged to Butte. A few days later, by the Act of March 31, 1854, the Butte mountains were also taken away and given to Sutter county for a permanent possession, and thus adding to that county several thousands of the most fertile acres within her limits. This Act defined the boundary line between Sutter and Butte as starting from "a point in the Sacramento river due west of the north point of the three Buttes; thence due east to the said north point of the three Buttes; thence, in a straight line, to a point in the middle of Feather river, opposite the mouth of Huncut creek." The loss of so much territory on the east and south necessitated an entire re-division of the county into townships, and the court of sessions accordingly made an order, on the seventh of August, 1854, forming nine townships, as follows:— "And now it is ordered by the court, that all orders heretofore made by this court and entered of record herein pertaining to the division of Butte county into townships, be and they are hereby annulled and stricken from the record; and it is further ordered by the court that the county of Butte be, and the same is hereby divided into townships, as follows, to wit:— "BIDWELL TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at a point on the main Feather river one-fourth mile below the High Rock claim; thence up the main channel of Feather river and the north fork of Feather river to the boundary line between Butte and Plumas counties; thence along said line to the place where it crosses the middle fork of Feather river; thence down the channel of said stream to the junction of said river with the south fork of Feather river; thence in a direct line to and including what is known as Woodman's ranch or cabin; thence in a direct line to and including what is known as Kirby's or tie Missouri ranch; thence in a direct line to the place of beginning. "OPHIR TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at a point in main Feather river opposite the mouth of the Honcut slough; thence up the channel of said river to a point one-fourth mile below the High Rock claim, being the beginning point of Bidwell township; thence along the line of Bidwell township to Kirby's or the Missouri ranch; thence along the line of Bidwell township to Woodman's ranch or cabin; thence in a direct line to Whitehall ranch; thence in a direct line to the nearest point on the county-line between Butte and Yuba counties; thence along said county-line, or down the Honcut slough, to the place of beginning, "MOUNTAIN SPRING TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at a point on the south fork of Feather river, where the dividing line between Butte and Plumas counties crosses said stream; thence along said line to the place where said line crosses the middle fork of Feather river; thence down said stream to the junction of the middle and south forks of Feather river; thence in a direct line to and excluding Woodman's ranch or cabin; thence up said south fork of Feather river in a line about one mile from the southern bank of said stream to a point opposite to Stony. Point, on said stream (including Stony Point; in Mountain Spring township): thence up said stream to the place of beginning. "ORO TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at Woodman's ranch on the north side; thence in a direct line to Whitehall ranch; thence following the line dividing Ophir and Oro townships to the county-line between Butte and Yuba counties; thence up the dividing line between Butte and Yuba counties to the Buckeye ranch, including the same; thence along the line between Butte and Plumas counties to the beginning point of Mountain Spring township; thence down the south fork of Feather river and along the southern line of Mountain Spring township to the place of beginning. "HAMILTON TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at a point in the main channel of Feather river, opposite to the Holulipa Indian rancheria; thence in a direct line to a point one mile due north of Hasty's ranch, on Dry creek; thence in a direct line to Big Butte creek- where said creek enters the Sacramento valley; thence down the channel of said creek to the junction of said creek with the Sacramento river, if said junction be in Butte county; thence along said river and the line between Butte and Sutter counties to a point in the main channel of Feather river, opposite to the mouth of Honcut creek; thence up the channel of Feather river to the place of beginning. "CHICO TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at a point in the Sacramento river, the confluence of the Sacramento river and Mud creek; thence up Mud creek to the foot-hills; thence along the foot-hills to the place where Big Butte creek enters the Sacramento valley; thence down the Big Butte creek to the Sacramento river on the line between the counties of Butte and Sutter; thence up said river, or line and river, to the place of beginning. " BENTON TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the confluence of Mud creek with the Sacramento river; thence up said river to the boundary line between Shasta and Butte counties; thence along said line to the foothills; thence along the foot-hills to the place where Mud creek enters the Sacramento valley; thence down said Mud creek to the place of beginning. "OREGON TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the beginning point of Hamilton township, thence along said line of said township to a point one mile due north of Hasty's ranch on Dry creek; thence east in a straight line to the west branch of Feather river to a point one mile above Nelson's bar; thence due east in a direct line to the north fork of Feather river; thence down said stream following its main channel to the junction of the north and middle forks of Feather river; thence down the channel of Feather river to the place of beginning. "KIMSHEW TOWNSHIP—Shall be all that portion of Butte county lying north and west of Feather river and the north fork of Feather river, not included in Hamilton, Oregon, Chico and Benton townships." The last division made by the court of sessions was executed on the sixth of February, 1855, creating the township of EUREKA from Oregon township. The tenth township of Butte had its boundaries as follows: "Commencing at a point on Feather river at the mouth of the French ravine; running up said ravine in a northwesterly course to its source; thence westerly along the brow of the table-land to a point opposite the Garden ranch; thence on a line directly west until it strikes the line dividing Hamilton and Oregon townships; thence along said line to the middle of Feather river; thence up the main channel of said river to the place of beginning." An Act for the creation of boards of supervisors in the various counties in the state was passed in March, 1855, requiring the county clerk, assessor and surveyor of each county to meet as a special board, divide the county into three supervisor districts, appoint precincts and officers of election, canvass the returns, and declare the result. The districts as appointed at that time were: District No. 1—Bidwell, Mountain Spring and Oro townships; District No. 2—Ophir, Eureka, Oregon and Kimshew townships; District No. 3—Hamilton, Chico and Benton townships. The vote cast at the election, which was held April 9, 1855, was as follows:— District No. 1. R. R. Randall 197 A. B. Newcomb 158 W. P. Galloway 118 _____ 473 District No. 2. M. Pence 489 O. M. Evans 294 C. Dunkum 221 ____ 1,004 District No. 3. Robert B. Moore 71 John Bidwell 47 ____ 118 Total vote 1,595 The gentlemen elected—R. R. Randall, M. Pence and Robert B. Moore—met at Bidwell's bar on the seventh of May, and had the following proceedings:— State of California, ) Monday, May 7, 1855 County of Butte. ) Board met at the court-house in Bidwell. Present: R. B. Moore, M. Pence and R. R. Randall. On motion of M. Pence, seconded by R. R. Randall, R. B. Moore was chosen chairman of said board. R. Hobart presented an affidavit appraising the board that the office of county clerk of Butte county is vacant by the decease of French Paige, Esq., the clerk elect and acting of said county. Whereupon the board takes the matter under advisement, and board adjourns to to-morrow at nine o'clock A. M. On the following day A. E. Griffiths was appointed county clerk, and a few days later the appointment of John W. Scott as county surveyor, made by the court of sessions, was ratified by the board. The vacancy was caused by the drowning of the former surveyor, Hugh Black. The board also altered the composition of supervisor districts, so that Bidwell, Ophir, Mountain Spring and Oro were in district No. 1; Hamilton, Eureka and Chico in No. 2; and Oregon, Kimshew and Benton in No. 3. In September a new board was elected for the new districts, composed of R. R. Randall, Robert B. Moore and George W. Wilmot. A few changes of little note were also made in the boundaries of some of the townships. By the Act of April , 1856, the county of Tehama was created out of the territory of Butte, Colusa and Shasta counties. By this action Butte county lost Benton township, the dividing line between the two counties being from a point in the middle of the Sacramento at the "mouth of Mud creek; thence up the middle of Mud creek to the line which divides the counties of Butte and Plumas." Having lost Benton township, and Wyandotte having been created, the Board reassigned the townships to supervisor districts, on the thirteenth of August, 1856, as follows: District No. 1—Oro, Wvandotte, Bidwell and Mountain Spring. District No. 2—Hamilton, Eureka and Ophir. District jjo. 3—Oregon, Kimshew and Chico. WYANDOTTE TOWNSHIP was created May 10, 1856, from portions of Ophir and Oro townships. The boundaries were fixed as follows: "Commencing at the initial point, fifteen rods south and opposite to the Miner's ranch; thence running southwesterly, parallel with the road leading from. Miner's ranch to Prairie House, via Garden ranch, to a point two miles below Seeley ranch; thence southeasterly to a point on the north Honcut creek fifteen rods east of Sandy Hornbrook's ranch; thence down said Honcut creek to the county-line; thence following the county-line up the south Honcut creek to the mouth of first ravine below Miller's ranch; thence northeasterly to the mouth of Dutch ravine on Rocky Honcut, and thence in an air line to Woodman's ranch; thence following the line of Bidwell township to the place of beginning." In November, 1856, Chico township received a considerable accession of territory on the southeast. CASCADE TOWNSHIP was formed from the eastern portion of Oro and Mountain Spring townships in August, 1857. The boundaries were: "Commencing at a point on the Yuba county-line at the head of Oro Lewa creek; thence following down the center of said creek to its mouth; thence northerly to the middle of the middle fork of Feather river at a point opposite Bald rock; thence up said middle fork to the Plumas county-line; thence southerly along the line to its intersection with the Yuba line; thence down the Yuba line to the place of beginning." In 1858, all that part of Kimshew township between the north fork and west branch of Feather river, to the Plumas county-line, was added to Oregon township. On the sixteenth of November, 1861, the board of supervisors abolished all of the boundary-lines of the old townships and organized them anew. Most of the old names were preserved, and, with a few exceptions, the boundaries then fixed were the same as those now established. Ten townships were created by this order, as follows: Chico, Kirnshew, Oregon, Hamilton, Concow, Bidwell, Mountain Spring, Oro, Wyandotte and Ophir. "CHICO TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the southwest corner of the county, opposite Placer City, on Sacramento river; running thence on the county-line to Watson's bridge on Butte creek; thence up said creek to a point one mile above Watson's mill on section-line between sections 34 and 35, township 22, north of range 2, east; thence due north to Chico creek; thence up said creek and the first west branch of same to its head; thence due west to Tehama county-line; thence following said line to Sacramento river; thence down said river to the place of beginning. "KIMSHEW TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the intersection of the line between townships 21 and 22 north, and the west branch about one mile below Kunkle's; thence up said west branch to a point about one mile and a half below Round valley, being township-line between townships 25 and 26 north; thence due east to the Plumas county-line; thence northerly along said line to Tehama county line; thence southerly along said line to Chico township-line; thence south on said creek to Chico town-line, to intersection of Butte creek and first-named township-line; thence due east to the place of beginning. "OREGON TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at mouth of Morris' ravine, and running thence in a direct line to the extreme east point of South Table mountain; thence along the southerly edge of same, and the spur thereof, to the line between townships 19 and 20 north; thence on said line due west to Butte creek, near Watson's bridge; thence north along said creek to line of Kimshew township between townships 21 and 22 north; thence east along the south line of Kimshew township to west branch; thence down said west branch and main Feather river to the place of beginning. "HAMILTON TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the mouth of Morris' ravine, and running thence along south line of Oregon township to Butte creek, near Watson's bridge; thence south along Butte creek to Sutter county-line; thence easterly along said line to Feather river; thence up said river to the place of beginning. "CONCOW TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the mouth of the west branch, and running thence up said stream to near Round valley; thence east on the Kimshew township-line to Plumas county-line; thence southerly on said line to the north fork of Feather river; thence southerly along said stream to the place of beginning. "BIDWELL TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the mouth of the middle fork of Feather river and the junction of the north fork of said river; thence running up said north fork to Plumas county-line; thence southeasterly along said line to middle fork Feather river; thence along said stream to its mouth or junction with the south fork of said river; thence up said south fork to the first section-line east, about three-quarters of a mile; thence south to the line of Wyandotte township, about one mile north of Buffalo ranch; thence southwesterly along said line to the township-line between ranges 4 and 5 east, and sections 13 and 24 in range 4, and about three-quarters of a mile south of Miner's ranch; thence due north to the place of beginning. "MOUNTAIN SPRING TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at intersection of middle fork with Plumas county-line; thence along said middle fork and the Bidwell township-line to the Wyandotte township-line about one mile north of the Buffalo ranch; thence in an easterly direction about parallel with and one mile from south side of the south fork to a point opposite the mouth of Sucker run; thence northerly to the month of and up said run to a point one mile north of said south fork; thence easterly one mile distant from and parallel with said south fork, to the divide between Know Nothing creek and the south fork: thence up said divide to the main divide between said south fork and Fall river; thence up said main divide to the Plumas county-line; thence up said Plumas line to the place of beginning. "ORO TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the Buckeye House, at corner of Butte and Plumas on the Yuba county-line; thence southeasterly along said Yuba line to a point due east from the Robinson saw-mill: thence due west about one mile to the head of McCabe's creek; thence northerly to a point on the line of Mountain Spring township, or divide between McCabe's and Powell creek; thence following die southerly line of said Mountain Spring township to the Plumas line; thence southeasterly along said county-line to the place of beginning. "WYANDOTTE TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the southwest corner of Bidwell township, about three-quarters of a mile south of Miner's ranch: running thence southeasterly to a point or line between townships 18 and 19 north, and two miles east of township corner near Wyandotte; thence due south on section-line to north Honcut, near and above Hornbrook's ranch; thence down said stream to the line of the Cordua or Honcut rancho; thence south to the south Honcut and Yuba line; thence up said creek and county-line to line of Oro township; thence along said line to head of McCabe's creek; thence northerly to Mountain Spring township or divide between said McCabe's creek and Powell's; thence westerly in a direct line to the place of beginning. "OPHIR TOWNSHIP.—Beginning at the junction of the north fork with the south fork of Feather river; running thence along the line of Bidwell township to line of Wyandotte township, about three-quarters of a mile south of Miner's ranch; thence following the line of Wyandotte township via Hornbrook's to the south Honcut; thence down said stream to main Feather river; thence up said river to the place of beginning." In 1862, the legislature gave to Butte county one more supervisor, and district No. 4 was created, containing Hamilton and Chico townships, which had formerly been in the third district. In 1862, an effort was made in Chico to divide the county as it then stood, and form two counties of it. The proposed division commenced at the Sutter county-line on Feather river, ran up the river to a point below Thompson's flat; thence northerly, so as to leave out Table mountain and the flat, skirting the foothills and taking in the small farms in the canons leading into the main valley, including Diamondsville; thence north-easterly to the Plumas county-line. The purpose was to avoid all the rough country, and form out of the described tract an agricultural county to be designated by the appellation of Alturas county. The matter came before the legislature in March, and was indefinitely postponed. This name, Alturas, seems to carry defeat with it, for four times has it been sought to form a new county in different portions of the state to bear this fatal name, and each time the movement has been defeated in the legislature. In June, 1866, Butte county was divided into ten election districts, each township forming a district. At the same time the boundary-line between Oregon and Hamilton townships was changed to the following: "Commencing, for the same, on the west bank of Feather river, where the line between Oregon and Hamilton townships intersects said river, and running northerly up said river to section-line on the north fork of said river, between 24 and 25, 23 and 26, 22 and 27, 21 and 28, 20 and 29, 19 and 30, of township 20 north, range 4 east, and sections 24 and 25 of township 20 north, range 3 east, to section corners 23, 24, 25 and 26 of township 20 north, range 3 east; thence southerly, on a line between sections 25 and 26, 35 and 36 of township 20 north, range 3 east, to the present north boundary-line of Hamilton township, as described on the Butte county map." This comprised that portion of Oregon township known as Morris ravine, which territory was annexed to Hamilton. The boundaries of Chico township were changed May 10, 1867, and fixed as follows: "Beginning at the southeast corner of section 22, township 22 north, range 2 east, running thence up the divide between Big Butte and Little Chico creeks, to the head-waters of Little Chico creek; thence, in a northeasterly direction, to county-line between Butte and Plumas counties, one mile east of the road leading from Chico to Big Meadows." Upon the petition of sixty-one residents of the southern portion of what was then Chico township, about one-third of Chico was cut off and formed into the township of Dayton, with metes and bounds as follows: "Commencing at the Sacramento river, on the county-line between Butte and Colusa, thence following said line easterly until it intersects Big Butte creek; thence up said creek to where the Oroville and Shasta road crosses the same; thence along said road to where the Dayton road leaves the Shasta road; thence along the Dayton road to the Central Pacific railroad; thence along said road in a northerly direction to where the same crosses the dividing line between sections 13 and 24 in township 21 north, range 1 east; thence west on said line to the Sacramento river; and thence clown said river to the place of beginning." The legislature having given Butte county five supervisors, the board made a reassignment of "the townships in March, 1873, as follows: District No. 1—Ophir township. District No. 2—Chico township. District No. 3—Wyandotte, Bidwell, Oro and Mountain Spring townships. District No-4— Dayton and Hamilton townships. District No. 5—Oregon, Kimshew and Concow townships. This is the apportionment as it stands at the present time, with the exception that Gridley township has been formed out of Hamilton, remaining, however, in the same district as before. For a long time prior to 1874, considerable confusion prevailed as to the exact boundary-lines between Butte, Plumas and Colusa counties. Before issuing the second edition of the map of California, Prof. Whitney, the state geologist, desired to have the code amended with regard to various county boundaries, and a statement of the inaccuracies in the description of counties was presented to the legislature, that affecting Butte county being as follows: "In the description of Colusa county, the east boundary follows down the Sacramento river to the southwest corner of the Llano Seco grant; thence northwesterly along said grant line to its intersection with the north boundary of township 19 north; thence east to Butte creek. In the description of Butte county the same line is given as following down the Sacramento river to Placer City; thence on line of Colusa southeasterly to Watson's bridge on Butte creek. Thus, while the description calls for the line of Colusa, it really excludes a tract of land containing about sixteen square miles which is not included in any county." Other errors were apparent in defining the south corner of Plumas, and in the southeast boundary of Butte, the north Honcut being taken instead of the south Honcut as the line. The northwest boundary of Butte was also defective. The strip of country belonging to no county, alluded to above, was of course set off by the legislature to Colusa. On the fourth of February, 1874, James McGann came before the board of supervisors and represented that it was the intention of Tehama county to cause a survey of the boundary-line between Tehama and Butte; that he was requested to bring the matter before the Butte county board, that they might join in having said line surveyed. The survey was ordered, providing Tehama would pay half the expenses; and on the third of November the board accepted the new boundary, which ran thus: "From the point where the northern road from Big Meadows to Butte Meadows by Dye's house crosses the summit line; thence southwesterly in a direct line to the head of Rock creek." Butte county lost by this survey a strip of land containing three saw-mills at the head of the Sierra Flume and Lumber Company's flume. The settlement of the rather vague location known as "the head of Rock creek," which varies considerably in high and low-water marks, gave rise to the jocular term, "McGann's crooked line," by which is meant the northwest boundary of Butte county. In 1878, Chico made another unsuccessful attempt to divide the county, with the boundaries fixed substantially as they were in the first movement to that end. The unfortunate name, Alturas, was dropped, and the new county this time was to be called Chico county. It was to have 414,720 acres, leaving Butte 714,040 acres. A bill for the division was introduced in the assembly in January. On the eighth of February it was reported adversely upon by the committee to which it was referred, and on the twentieth, when it came up to be voted upon, the bill was indefinitely postponed by a vote of 49 to 23. In May, 1878, a new survey was made between Butte and Plumas counties. The cause of this readjustment may be seen by the order made by the board of supervisors, on the eighth of May:— " WHEREAS, It at this time appearing to the board of supervisors that Charles F. Lott and John S. Morris, residents of the county of Butte, have been assessed by the assessor of Plumas county on mining claims in Butte county, and that said claims were sold in the year 1878 by the sheriff of Plumas county for taxes, said C. F. Lott and John S. Morris having previously paid their tax on said property to the county of Butte; it is therefore ordered, that the clerk of the board communicate with the clerk of the board of Plumas county, and request him to bring the matter before said board, so that a settlement of the boundary-line between said counties may be arrived at by survey or otherwise." During the summer, A. W. Keddie, county surveyor of Plumas, made a survey, cutting off from Butte that corner which used to jut into Plumas, taking ground for such change that "the ridge" spoken of in the statute was far to the west. In his survey he selected the divide between the west branch and the north fork of Feather river. Butte lost about forty square miles in this affair, for, though her board made strenuous efforts to have the line changed, Keddie's survey was accepted and established. The last township created by the Board of Supervisors, Gridley, came into existence on the first day of January, 1881. The order for its creation was passed August 3, 1880. This time Hamilton had to suffer depletion, the southern part making the new township. The dividing line begins "at a point on Feather river on the Burt-ferry road, between the land owned by Daniel Streeter and Boyles & Evans; thence west to the east line of the Emerson-Sliger ranch; thence north along said line to the line between sections 19 and 30, township 18 north, range 3 east; thence west on said section-line to the county-line between Butte and Colusa counties." Butte county now numbers twelve townships, and several more will doubtless be formed in the next few years. Notwithstanding the clipping process to which she has been subjected, she is still a county of splendid proportions, embracing, as near as can be estimated, 1,724 square miles, and extending fifty-seven miles from, north to south and forty-eight from east to west. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, IN TWO VOLUMES. I. HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA FROM 1513 TO 1850. BY FRANK T. GILBERT. The Great Fur Companies and their Trapping Expeditions to California. Settlement of the Sacramento Valley. The Discovery of Gold in California. BY HARRY L. WELLS. II. HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY, From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. BY HARRY L. WELLS AND W. L. CHAMBERS. BOTH VOLUMES ILLUSTRATED WITH VIEWS AND PORTRAITS. HARRY L. WELLS, 517 CLAY STREET, SAN FRANCISCO 1882. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by HARRY L. WELLS, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. FRANCIS, VALENTINE & Co., Engravers & Printers 517 Clay St., San Francisco File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/butte/history/1882/historyo/official44nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 36.4 Kb