Sierra County CA Archives Biographies.....Haven, Philo A. 1818 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 22, 2006, 2:51 am

Author: Fariss & Smith (1882)

PHILO A. HAVEN is a native of Chatauqua county, New York, where he was born in
the year 1818. In 1834 Mr. Haven moved to Joliet, Illinois, then in Cook county.
Here he remained until he followed the eager tide of gold-seekers westward, in
1849. He journeyed overland in a train of seventy-four men, but left them at
Salt Lake, and with six others came on in advance. They came through the Henness
pass, and camped on Bear river on the tenth of August. On the sixteenth he was
mining at Slate range, on the Yuba river, but a few days later came three miles
farther up the stream, and bought a claim of Cut-Eye Foster, which he also
worked a few days. With his cousin Carlos Haven, Warren Goodall, and Thomas
Angus, he came up to Little Rich bar, a half-mile below Downieville, which he
and an Indian had located on the twenty-fourth of August. They worked there that
fall, and went out with one hundred and twenty pounds of gold, going down the
Sacramento river to San Francisco. Mr. Haven carried his portion, thirty pounds,
in a shot-bag that was tied up in a gunny sack. While there he bought at Geary's
auction sale five lots in the hills, for $2,900. He loaned three thousand
dollars to the Bowers brothers, who were mining at Deer creek, now the site of
Nevada City. He soon went up to see them, and they offered him a claim that
would pay fifty dollars a day, but he refused it, as he could make much more at
the forks of the North Yuba, where he had been in the fall. Seven men started
with him December 31, 1849, for his old diggings, but they all left him during a
big snow-storm on the Middle Yuba. Three others, the Lewis brothers and
Chamberlain, however, joined him, and they proceeded onwards to Forest City,
camping that night in a heavy snow-storm. They arrived at Goodyear's bar January
10, 1850, where they obtained forty pounds of flour, paying four dollars a pound
for it. The article was not very savory, as there were grubs in it an inch and a
half long. They found the ground at Little Rich bar all claimed by other
parties. Mr. Haven's party then located two and one-half miles up the north
fork, and camped where Thomas Steele's residence now stands. Our subject's
brother, James M. Haven, came there in the spring, and the old company divided,
Mr. Haven having the choice of claims, and the Lewis brothers taking the
specimen purse of $5,000. He then prospected at Howland flat, and was exploring
the head of Nelson creek when the Stoddard party came along in search of the
fabulous Gold Lake, and he went with them until they disbanded at Humbug valley.
He then found rich diggings on the north fork of Feather river, and spent part
of the winter of 1851 at Big Rich bar. During a terrible snow-storm, in which he
and his companions nearly lost their lives, he went to Bidwell's bar, being en
route to the states. In the summer of 1852 he returned to Downieville, and
worked on Sailor flat one hundred days, taking out $4,000. In the fall Harrison
Wheeler, Joseph Limperich, Frank Fellows, and Mr. Haven built the saw-mill above
Downieville. Mr. Haven cut the first tree himself, which furnished 10,000 feet
of lumber, and brought $500. It was built for the purpose of defraying the
expenses of prospecting. He found the Excelsior diggings four miles north-west
of Downieville, which he worked until 1858, and then commenced prospecting
quartz at Gold Lake, and built the dam at the foot of the lake in 1859. At that
time there was a hotel at the head of the lake, built by Mr. Church. Mr. Haven
organized the Gold Lake mining district, and with his brother built a mill to
prospect quartz, together with a saw-mill and residence. In 1862 he discovered
the placer claims, and has since been actively engaged in working them by
hydraulic means.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sierra/bios/haven474nbs.txt

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