Plumas County CA Archives History - Books .....Spanish Ranch And Meadow Valley 1882
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 9, 2006, 6:09 am

Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

SPANISH RANCH AND MEADOW VALLEY.

   Taking rank as one of the oldest and most important settlements, in Plumas
county, we find on the stage road from Oroville to Quincy the place known as
Spanish Ranch. In July, 1850, the first camp was established in this part of
Meadow valley by two Mexicans. Here they turned out to graze the horses and
mules belonging to those miners who had packed their blankets, cooking utensils,
and provisions on to the east branch; and having no further use for the animals
at the time, the miners had intrusted them to the keeping of these Mexicans. The
herders were also engaged in butchering cattle at the place, packing the meat to
the miners on the river, who bought this necessity from them at the somewhat
fabulous price of a dollar a pound. From its Spanish inhabitants the place
derived the title of Spanish Ranch, the same element appearing in the name of
the neighboring peak and creek also.

   In the spring of 1851 the first cabin, of logs, was built for the purpose of
storing goods, the convenience of the location making it a trading point of
considerable importance. In the early spring of 1852 D. J. Gloyd and one
Snodgrass erected a house upon the present site of the Spanish Ranch hotel, and
kept an establishment for the entertaining of man and beast. They were also
engaged in ranching stock. But little security could be obtained in those days
for loose animals turned out on these mountain ranches, and many a miner who in
the spring had left a fine mule upon the ranch would return in the fall to find
it missing. The country was overrun with Mexicans, many of whom would frequently
engage in their favorite occupation of stealing stock, driving the plunder to
the stock market of Marysville or of Sacramento, where it was sold. Spanish
Ranch soon became a distributing point for surrounding camps, and at one time
could boast of three hotels, and an equal number of saloons. Later in the year
1852 the business dwindled to one hotel and a store, owned by Raney, Gloyd, &
Snodgrass. Raney, who had been here since the early part of 1851, sold out to
Mr. Wells in the winter of 1852, who, with his wife, kept the hotel. In the
spring of 1853 I. J. Harvey purchased the entire place, and made additions and
improvements to the property. In the spring of 1854 he sold to O. Fuller of
Marysville, but repurchased the ranch in the fall. In 1855 W. W. Storey became a
half-owner with Harvey, and a year after the latter disposed of his interest to
Judge Goodwin, and then began a banking business on his own account. In 1857 G.
W. Miner of Boston bought the store, and kept it about a year, when the entire
business reverted back to Harvey & Son, who, after their failure in business,
were succeeded by Richard Thompson and Henry W. Kellogg, the present popular and
enterprising proprietors of Spanish Ranch.

   A post-office was established here in the year 1858, with I. J. Harvey as
postmaster. He was succeeded in 1862 by R. Thompson. In 1868 Wells, Fargo, & Co.
made Spanish Ranch an express office, with Thompson & Kellogg as agents. Large
business transactions have been carried on by this office since its
establishment. The shipments of coin and bullion for the year 1881 amounted to
$114,076.65. The first school was taught at the toll-gate by A. Robinson, who
built the house and kept a private school. Miss Slaven was the first teacher of
the public school in the Spanish Peak school district. Here were the office and
headquarters of the Plumas and Spanish Ranch Ditch Company, composed of Joseph
Winston, Dick Jacks, William Jacks, Morris Smith, and several others. Thompson &
Kellogg do an individual business running from $65,000 to $100,000 per annum,
all under the supervision of their head clerk and accountant, Norman K. Wright.

   Two miles across the valley from Spanish Ranch is the Meadow Valley hotel,
kept by Thomas Hughes, who is also postmaster and keeps a store. There are also
a blacksmith shop, shoe-maker's shop, saw-mill, and a number of residences,
forming quite a village. This has been for years one of the regular
stopping-places for the stage and express lines, and a rival to Spanish Ranch.
This was the property of Clark, Shannon, & Co. when they failed, in 1861.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)


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