Sierra County CA Archives History - Books .....Forest City And Alleghany 1882
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Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

FOREST CITY AND ALLEGHANY.

   The thriving town of Forest City is very pleasantly situated at the junction
of the forks of Oregon creek, seven miles from Downieville, and four from the
Mountain House. Diggings were first struck at this place in the summer of 1852,
by a company of sailors, among whom were Bob Ritchie, Little Ned, and ------
Brown. The site of the town was then covered with a growth of oaks so dense that
the rays of the noonday sun scarcely could find a spot of earth on which to
shine. The pedestrian, upon descending the side of the hill, suddenly entered a
region of almost perpetual twilight, a cool and shady retreat most welcome
during the hot summer months. The settlement rapidly grew to respectable
proportions. Among the arrivals of that year was that of Peter Vermoish, who is
still a resident of the vicinity. The camp took the name of Brownsville, from
one of its locators, by which it was known until the following spring, when,
there being at least a thousand residents of the place, it began to be called
Elizaville, from the wife of W. S. Davis, now of San Francisco, who had
accompanied her husband thither. Mrs. Moody, who came in 1853, originated the
name of Forest City. The public was divided as to the proper title: some
favoring Elizaville, while others clung to the rather more appropriate title
which the exuberance of foliage prompted Mrs. Moody to adopt. Finally, in 1854,
a meeting was held, a vote taken, and the place formally christened with the
pretty appellation it has since borne. Charles Heintzen removed from Downieville
to this place September 1, 1853. At the time there were several stores and two
hotels. The Read house was kept by T. A. Read, now in Bodie; the Merchants'
hotel had a man by the name of Pratt for its landlord. The diggings on the flat
paid at the time about an ounce a day clear to the man. There were a good many
companies engaged in drift mining, several of which took out great quantities of
gold; the best paying among the claims being that of the Live Yankee company.
Near it were the Dutch company, the Empire, and the Hawkeye. On the north fork
of the creek were the Little Rock company, the Rough and Ready, Can't Get Away,
Don Jose, Manhattan, American, and Washington. Among the numbers on the flat
were the Great Western, Free and Easy, and Girard companies. Like all the early
mining camps, Forest City was at first built principally of cloth tents,
notwithstanding the profusion of timber.

   The first locations on Smith's flat were made in 1851, in a ravine at the
outlet of the Blue lead. The company consisted of Big Smith, Frank Powers,
Thomas Dunham, Elihu Mosgrove, and David Lewis; but in the fall of 1852 the
ravine was entirely worked out. The Keystone company started a tunnel in March,
1853, on ground now owned and worked by the Buckeye company, and the Packard
company another in April, 1853. With the former company, Perry Bonham, James
Thompson, B. F. Cooper, A. McFarland, W. Jenkins, and W. Vincamp were connected;
while the Packard company numbered among its members ------ Packard, I.
Foxworthy, B. Vangundy, and Captain Allers. The Jenny Lind tunnel was next run
by Bradish, Marvin, and others; and the Blue tunnel by Smith, McCloskey, and
others. Another tunnel location made at this time, 1852, was the Hooking Bull
company, with which Isaac, William, and Jacob Onstott, Fred Galehouse, R.
Chamberlain, and P. Baker were connected. Some time in April, 1853, the
Alleghany tunnel was begun, which gave its name to the settlement that sprang up
around it. The company consisted of Perry Bonham, John Kochenour, Josiah Stair,
John Stair, Horace Gilman, and S. S. Meanor. On the south of the Alleghany were
two locations known as the Bedrock and the Magnolia, and on the north two known
as the Pacific and the Knickerbocker. Subsequent to this time, the Bay State,
the New York, and the New York Branch companies sprang into existence. The
Alleghany tunnel first tapped the pay streak in October, 1855; the balance
followed in rapid succession, and a flourishing town was laid out and built in
the early spring of 1856. Perry Bonbam, alone of the original Alleghany
locators, lives in the town to which it gave its name.

   Forest City rapidly developed and prospered until 1856, when it decayed with
the same rapidity, owing to the failure of mining around it, and the formidable
rivalry of Alleghany, which drew the population away to the other side of the
hill. The first postmaster at Forest City was William Henry. His successor, T.
D. Beckett, who had the office from 1856 to 1860, proved a defaulter to the tune
of $1,450, and as his bond was worthless, Uncle Sam had to stand the loss. Dr.
R. S. Weston was appointed to the office upon the retirement of Beckett to
private life, and has performed such official duties ever since. Dr. Weston's
arrival in Forest City dates from 1854, as stated elsewhere. A line of telegraph
was built to the place in 1855, and Tom Bowers, now superior judge of Marin
county, became the first manipulator of the wires. Dr. Weston took charge of the
telegraph office in 1864, since which time all messages requiring electric speed
have passed through his hands.

   The Sierra Democrat was started at Forest City in 1856, by John Piatt and W.
J. Forbes, but a year after was removed to Downieville, where it continued to
furnish the public with news for a number of years. At midnight on the tenth of
April, 1858, a terrible blow was given the town in the shape of a sweeping
conflagration, that broke out in the residence of Mr. Lanen, near the bridge
over the north fork of the creek, at the lower end of town. The fire progressed
slowly up the street against a strong breeze, and was fully an hour and a half
in reaching Loring's livery stable, where it was stopped by pulling down a law
office and a blacksmith-shop. The aggregate loss reached $150,000, being
distributed among no less than sixty-five persons. In this fire the Read house,
kept by Read & Harris, was destroyed. Another large fire occurred in the year
1865, which caught in Miller's store, and traveled through the town faster than
a man could walk. It is said that on this occasion it took only forty minutes
for the flames to make a complete ruin of everything they could reach. After the
fire of 1865 the people became discouraged, and rebuilt but little.

   The first school in Forest City was taught by Mrs. Taff, in 1854, occupying a
room under the old Odd Fellows hall. She was succeeded in this work by John
Gale, now of Oroville, in the year 1855, and he continued to direct the youthful
mind until after 1860. Mr. Gale made vigorous efforts in 1860 to get a
school-building erected, the means being raised by dramatic entertainments given
in Fashion hall. The size of the first structure was 18x24 feet. The new
school-building was built in 1874, and cost $2,000, being a very pretty house
and conveniently arranged. The teachers are Mr. J. E. Berry and Miss Kate Downey.

   The Methodists formed a society at Forest City in 1854. J. R. Tansey, the
first minister, led in the organization of the society and the building of the
church, which was first erected on the hill, and afterwards moved down to Main
street. Tansey's  successors were J. B. Hill, R. R. Dunlap, S. B. Sheldon, J. H.
Maddox, John Dickinson, A. Shaw, C. Anderson, ------ White, and S. H. Todd, the
last stationed here, after which the church became a part of the Downieville
charge. An attempt was made in 1854 to organize a Congregational church, but did
not prove successful.

   Prior to 1860 all the transportation of goods and commodities into this
region was done with pack-mules. Colonel Platt of the Sierra Turnpike company
succeeded in getting a road built from the Mountain House in 1860, aided by
contributions from the citizens. This road is invariably passable at all seasons
of the year. A line of tri-weekly stages is run by James M. Scott to the
Mountain House. The Henness pass road also runs through Forest City to San Juan.
In 1872 the town began to revive, in consequence of the heavy mining enterprise
in progress under Bald Mountain, and has steadily grown to be the most important
mining center in the county. The place is supplied with water from springs to
the south-east, owned by Thomas Ellis, who brings it into town with pipes laid
along the principal streets. The business of Forest City is conducted by the
following persons: A. H. Miller and P. Grant, dry goods, clothing, boots and
shoes; C. Heintzen and Derrickson & Nelson, groceries and hardware; Dr. R.
Weston, drugs; W. A. Wayland, notions, jewelry, and tobacco; Scullin & West,
Forest house; A. Read, Bald Mountain hotel; George Lawrence, Union hotel; George
Miller and J. T. Bradbury, butchers; J. M. Scott, livery stable; John Phillips,
blacksmith; J. H. Downing, tailor; Mrs. Lowe, Forest City restaurant; Dr. Josiah
Lefever, practicing physician; D. Jewett, resident dentist.

   At Alleghany a post-office was established in December, 1857, with Joseph
Evans postmaster; and the town flourished greatly during the succeeding years.
The Union quartz-mine was opened in 1862, and the first pay struck in the summer
of 1863, when four men in six days took out $11,600. A mill was built in
December, after which the first twelve days yielded $37,400, and the week
following 89,000. This mine has changed hands several times; in April, 1881, it
was sold to a New York company called the Golden Gate Milling and Mining
company. The Kenton quartz-mine, now the Harlem, was also located in 1862. At
Chip's, the American mine was located in 1857. A mill was put up, but legal
complications broke the company, and the mine was sold to W. A. Hawley & Co., in
1865, but was worked unsuccessfully. In April, 1879, Mr. Hawley organized a
company who brought machinery to the place, and ran it a year and a half without
profit. Then J. O. Groves, one of the company, asked leave to invest five
hundred dollars more, which was spent in prospecting, and the result was the
discovery of the bonanza which has since yielded $250,000 in ore, under the
management of Mr. Groves. The claim is patented. The business of Alleghany is
carried on by the following persons: S. S. Crafts & Son, general merchandise; J.
T. Bradbury, dry goods, boots and shoes, livery stable and butcher-shop; D. E.
Thompson, Golden Anchor hotel; W. N. Hooper, hotel; West & Clute, saloon. A
Masonic lodge was chartered at Forest City May 2, 1855, with John B. Bope worthy
master. It was removed to Alleghany in 1868, where it has since existed in a
flourishing condition. The lodge owns a very fine hall. An Odd Fellows lodge,
called the Mistletoe, was also moved here from Forest City, in 1870, and
possesses a commodious building, in which the meetings are held.

   FOREST CITY LODGE NO. 32, I. O. O. F., was chartered November 1, 1854, with
thirteen members. The first officers were: Warren Heaton, N. G.; J. H. Hickox,
V. G.; C. J. Houghtaling, R. S.; Theodore Winters, P. S.; Adolph Levy, treas.
The new hall was dedicated October 7, 1876. The lodge officers at present are:
S. Blackmore, N. G.; C. D. Akers, V. G.; G. H. Shepherd, R. S.; Walter Lowery,
treasurer. The membership is sixty-four, and the value of lodge property $2,500.

   BALD MOUNTAIN LODGE NO. 44, K. OF P., was instituted July 28, 1877, with
sixteen charter members. The present officers are: S. A. Scullin, P. C.; J. O.
Jones, C. C.; B. F. Derrickson, V. C; R. W. Patrick, K. of R. & S.; W. Bradbury,
M. of E.; J. McNaughton, M. of F.; R. S. Weston, P.; R. P. Mott, M. A.; W.
McHenry, I. G.; J. Uren, O. G.

   FOREST LODGE NO. 124, A. O. U. W., was organized August 25, 1879, with a
membership of nineteen. The membership now is fifty, and the officers are: S. R.
Stephenson, P. M. W.; P. Rader, M. W.; James O'Connor, F.; D. Finane, O.; G. H.
Shepherd, R.; F. H. Campbell, financier.

   A lodge of Good Templars was begun at Forest City May 23, 1867, with twelve
members, George Fields being the first W. C. T. This lodge has had a steady
growth, until now the membership reaches one hundred and fifty. Dr. McCrimmon is
W. C. T.; Miss Katie Finane, W. V. T.; J. W. Haskins, W. S.; Josie Gregg, W. F.
S.; T. Rolands, W. T.; John Jenkins, W. M.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sierra/history/1882/illustra/forestci157nms.txt

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