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North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co. Records: Finding Aid

Processed by The Huntington Library staff; supplementary encoding and revision supplied by Xiuzhi Zhou and Diann Benti. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens Manuscripts Department 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, 91108 Phone: (626) 405-2129 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.huntington.org © 2000 The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.

North Bloomfield Gravel Mining mssHM 51035-51130 1 Co. Records: Finding Aid Overview of the Collection Title: North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co. Records Dates (inclusive): 1890-1891 Collection Number: mssHM 51035-51130 Creator: North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company. Extent: 96 pieces in 1 box Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts Department 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, California 91108 Phone: (626) 405-2129 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.huntington.org Abstract: This collection consists primarily of letters from the secretary to the president of the North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company of Nevada County, California, in 1890-1891 related to the company and . Language: English. Access Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services. Publication Rights The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher. Preferred Citation [Identification of item]. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co. Records, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California. Provenance Purchased from Talisman Press, October 26, 1978. Historical Note The North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company was a company that pioneered in the development of hydraulic mining for gold in Nevada County, California, during the 1870s. Subsequent restrictions on hydraulic mining operations forced the company to adopt new procedures to protect downstream agriculturalists from the effects of water-borne mining debris. The North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company was incorporated for a capital stock value of $800,000 in 1869 by a group of capitalists including Lester L. Robinson and S. F. Butterworth on the San Juan Ridge in Nevada County, California, to engage in hydraulic gold mining. At the height of hydraulic mining in Nevada County during the 1870s, the company, along the Eureka Lake and Yuba Canal Company of North San Juan and the Milton Mining and Water Company of French Corral, led in the development of hydraulic engineering. Hamilton Smith, a leading innovator in the field, served as superintendent of company operations from 1871 until 1881. The decision rendered by Judge Lorenzo Sawyer in Woodruff v. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co. (January 7, 1884) radically restricted the scope of hydraulic mining in an effort to preserve agriculture in the from the destructive effects of river-borne debris. Bibliography Johnson, J. W. Early Engineering Center in California California Historical Society Quarterly, XXIX, 3, Sep. 1950 Scope and Content This collection consists primarily of letters from Henry Pichoir, North Bloomfield's secretary, and Lester L. Robinson, its president, to William H. Radford and J. G. Mather, superintendents of company operations in the field, between January 3, 1890, and January 7, 1891. The letters deal mainly with the state of accounts kept by the superintendents, the physical condition of the company's ditches and flumes after storms, and the company's efforts to control the run-off from its operations. There are also occasional discussions of the company's relationship with other mining firms, including water leases and operating facilities. Persons represented by 5 letters or more: Joseph H. Mooser (14 letters); Henry Pichoir (68 letters); and Lester Ludyah Robinson (5 letters). Notable items include two letters from Lester Robinson to Superintendent Mather, April 9, 1890 (HM 51127) and June 23, 1890 (HM 51128), which discuss plans for water sampling and the construction of tunnels for water diversion to guard

North Bloomfield Gravel Mining mssHM 51035-51130 2 Co. Records: Finding Aid against run-off. Indexing Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog. Subjects North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company -- Archives. Hydraulic mining -- California, Northern -- History -- 19th century -- Sources Mines and mineral resources -- California -- Nevada County Nevada County (Calif.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources Forms/Genres Letters (correspondence) California, Northern 19th century.

Box 1 mssHM 51035-51130

North Bloomfield Gravel Mining mssHM 51035-51130 3 Co. Records: Finding Aid