Nevada County CA Archives History - Books .....Industrial Establishments 1867
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Book Title: Bean’s History And Directory Of Nevada County, California

INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS.

NEVADA FOUNDRY.

  The Nevada Foundry, Heugh & Thorn proprietors, is situated on the corner of
Spring and Bridge streets, and is the most extensive industrial establishment in
the township. The foundry was started on a small scale in 1855, by E. Coker, who
rented for the purpose a building on Spring street, in the rear of the present
National Exchange. The establishment was destroyed by the fire of 1856, after
which the present site was selected. Coker sold out the same year to Thorn &
Williams, and since 1859 Heugh & Thorn have been the proprietors. The business
of the foundry consists mostly in the manufacture of steam engines, for hoisting
works and mills, castings for quartz mills, pans for amalgamating, and other
machinery connected with mining. The largest casting made at this foundry was
the mortar of a quartz mill, weighing 5,600 pounds, and is believed to be the
heaviest mortar in the State. They have facilities to make castings of 8,000
pounds, or four tons. Twenty-two hands, on the average, were employed at the
foundry last year, and the value of the castings and other work turned out
yearly is about §50,000. The business has been gradually increasing since the
foundry was started, and parties erecting quartz mills or hoisting works in the
vicinity, usually prefer having the castings made here, under their own
supervision, and where they can readily obtain duplicates if needed.

NEVADA CITY FLOURING MILLS.

  This establishment was erected by Bennett & Tilley, in the spring of 1856, and
is situated on the south side of Beer creek, in the corporation limits. It is a
large, three-story building, having four run of stones, two engines and boilers,
with the capacity of turning out 150 barrels of flour in twenty four-hours. The
engines used in the mill were manufacturned by Dickinson & Clark, at Grass
Valley, and were probably the first engines made in the mountains. The mill is
not worked up to its full capacity, as market for the flour is limited, but for
some years past it has turned out 15,000 barrels annually, besides grinding
large quantities of corn, barley, etc. The wheat ground at the .mill is brought
up from Bear river, Coon creek, Feather river, and some from as far as Cache
creek, and the flour has the reputation of being the best made in the State,
selling at a better price in this county and also in Nevada State. Formerly, a
considerable proportion of the flour was seat across the mountains, but the most
of it is now consumed in this county. There was formerly a Souring mill at Grass
Valley, also owned by Bennett & Tilley, but it was not run regularly, and was
destroyed by fire some four years ago. 0. C. Torson and Jonathan Clark are the
present owners of the Nevada Mills.

STILES'S CABINET FACTORY.

  This establishment is situated on the south side of Deer creek, near the
suspension bridge, and was erected, in connection with the quartz mill, in 1861.
The building- is three stories high, the quarts mill being in the basement and
the upper stories appropriated to the manufacture of furniture, sash, doors,
blinds, planing and dressing lumber, and all kinds of wood work. The factory is
supplied with planing machines, circular saws, turning lathes, a variety of
molding machines, etc., all of the latest improvements. The machinery is
propelled by a large water wheel, and the establishment, we believe, is the
largest of the kind in the county. From eight to twelve men are ordinarily
employed in the various kinds of work. It is now owned by W. C. Stiles.

HUGHES'S PLANING MILL.

  The establishment is situated on Washington street, in the rear of Court House
Block. It was started soon after the fire of 1856, and was purchased early in
1857 by Black & Hughes, the latter becoming the sole proprietor in 1863. In the
fall of the latter year the building, together with most of the machinery, was
destroyed by fire, but was immediately rebuilt, and supplied with new and
improved machinery. Since that time there has been annually about 250,000 feet
of lumber planed and dressed at the establishment, much of it finding a market
cast of the mountains. The machinery is driven by steam power, a new and larger
engine and planing machine having lately been added.

MACHINE SHOP.

  The machine shop of Frank H. Fisher occupies a room in Stiles's cabinet
factory, and was started about the beginning of the present year. He has two
engine lathes—one a self-feeder and the other a hand-feeder—for working in iron,
brass and other metals. The work mostly consists in cutting and fitting
machinery of quartz mills, hoisting works, pans, etc.

NEVADA TANNERY.

  In the year 1862 Kelsey & Butler erected an establishment for tanning leather,
on the outskirts of the town, near the county hospital. About $2,000 worth of
leather was turned out last year, mostly harness and sole leather, and of a very
good quality. They have a steam engine for grinding the bark, thirty-two vats,
and the facilities for tanning and working 1,200 hides annually. The bark of the
black oak has heretofore been mostly used for tanning; but from some experiments
made it is believed that the live oak bark is better for the purpose, and this
will probably be substituted in future. As large quantities of hides are sent
below from this county, for shipment, and the most of the leather used here is
imported, there is a wide field for increasing the tanning business.

PACIFIC SOAP WORKS.

  This establishment, for the manufacture of soap for family and other use, was
started last winter, under the superintendence of J. E. Henry. A considerable
quantity has been manufactured, but the works being started at a time when the
merchants had full supplies of goods on hand, the sales thus far have been
limited, amounting, up to the 1st of March, to 5,000 pounds. The house and works
are situated on Coyote street, above the gas works.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Bean’s History and Directory of Nevada County, California

CONTAINING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY, WITH
SKETCHES OF THE VARIOUS TOWNS AND MINING
CAMPS, THE NAMES AND OCCUPATION OF
RESIDENTS; ALSO, FULL STATISTICS
OF MINING AND ALL OTHER
INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES.

COMPILED BY EDWIN F. BEAN.

PRINTED AT THE DAILY GAZETTE BOOK AND JOB OFFICE,
1867.


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