Oregon Township and Concow Township, Butte County, Ca Timeline - Property of The Yankee Hill Historical Society Please Note: This timeline is for reference only. Brief description of the articles from newspapers, documents and books are listed here to aid researchers and historians. Researchers should read the actual newspaper articles or documents referenced in this timeline. Researchers and historians are encouraged to read the books listed for a better understanding of the history. It should be noted in some instances the dates referenced in books do not match the dates in the newspaper articles. When there is a discrepancy, in most cases the newspaper articles should take priority because they are the source Comments: (Compiled by Larry material for most researchers. Copies of these newspaper articles, and in some cases other documents, Mauch) are available for review on line at Yankeehillhistory.com Items available on line are noted with a "Y" under Copy in Archives. Note: if you are interested in a detailed account of Indian/white conflicts in Butte and Tehama Counties see the more detailed index in our archives devoted solely to this topic. Date Place Last Updated By TM 8-1-16 Source Copy In Record ID Archives Timeline Butte County History Focusing on Oregon and Y/N Concow Townships California Native Americans came to California about 10,000 BC, probably from Asia, migrating down from the North. A Time of Little Choice-Randy Native Americans established villages near major sources of water which also provided food. Migration was very Milliken slow; the average Native American didn't travel more than 5 to 10 miles from their homeland. Most villages were from 50 to 200 people. As the tribe grew, a group would break away and form a new village nearby. Yankee Hill/Concow 500 AD: Migration into the Concow Valley was probably after 800 AD. Villages consisted of several grass huts Konkou Valley Band of Maidu web with the floor dug out in a circle. If they were to support multiple families, they could measure 18 to 20 feet in page & History of Butte County diameter. In the mountainous areas, there were more sprawling communities than in the lower areas. The tribe 1918 & History of Butte County by would migrate back down to the lower elevations in the winter, sometimes as far as 25 miles if needed, following McGie Vol#1 the water supply. 1812.00.00 Fort Ross Establishment of Fort Ross, a Russian fur trading post. Later Canadian and European traders would travel south YHHS Research to California. 1833.00.00 Butte County As a result of contact with Euro-Americans, a malaria epidemic swept through the Concow villages killing an Research by Larry Mauch and estimated 800 people. Note: This area included more than the Concow Valley. It is estimated 99% of the Konkow Indian web page Concow Indians died between 1828 and 1880. Peter Ogden passed thru in 1830 on his way to the San Joaquin Valley. John Work, a fur trader, was in the area in 1832. Work reported the Indians in the area were sick. Michael LaFramboise, part of John Work's party, returned in 1837, 38 & 39 with approximately 27 trappers each time. He stated at the time the Feather River area was the only area with any beaver left in California. Bidwell reported that before he arrived in 1841, the Indians in the area were sick with Cholera. Concow Winter of 1845:Yo he ma (Katie Clark), Chief of the Concow, was born in Concow Valley. Katie Clark died April Research by Larry Mauch see Clark 19, 1909 in Yankee Hill. She is buried in the Clark family cemetery in Yankee Hill. Note: Katie's mother was a family information member of the Yankee Hill tribe (Che-es-sees) a division of the Concow Indians located near Shields Gulch (rounded up in 1863) 1849.00.00 Oregon City The largest early settlement in the area. The first quartz mine, called the Smith Ledge, was established near History of Butte County, McGie & here. In 1851, the J.M. Smith and E.M. Sparks Mine (later in 1879 called the Banner Quartz Mine) was History of Butte County 1882, established near Oregon City with 20 investors---this was a large mine with twelve stamping mills. In 1854, Diggins Vol 35 #1 1991. Oregon City had three large hotels. In 1856, Oregon City was laid out in town lots by Colonel Richard Rudolphus, but by 1857 Oregon City was in decline with only one large store in operation. Several fires and the cost of quartz mining forced many of the mines to shut down. 1849.10.01 Oroville First settlement established at Ophir, now Oroville 1918 History of Butte County 8/16/2016 Page 1 of 159 Oregon Township and Concow Township, Butte County, Ca Timeline - Property of The Yankee Hill Historical Society 1850.02.18 Butte County Butte County created; did not organize until June 1882 History Butte County 1850.06.00 Butte County Vote cast in county ballot for officers; Stringtown 132, Long's Point 146, Ophir City 62, Veazie City 38, Brown's Bar 55, American Bar 46, Adams 58, Stony Point 58, Middle Fork 35, Bartee's Ranch 72, Hamilton 83, High Rock 30, Pleasant Valley 74, St. Louis 34, Bidwell's Bar 311, Total 1234 votes. 1850.07.10 Rich Bar - Gold Lake Gold discovered while searching for Gold Lake in what is now Plumas County. This brought many people north History of Rich Bar A Blue Ribbon to the West Branch of the Feather River and beyond. Gold Lake was a story circulated by Tom Stoddard, a miner Gold Camp by Jim Young 1983. who had become lost in the mountains who stumbled into Marysville and claimed to find a lake in 1849 whose "Shirley Letters" by Dame Shirley. shores were lined with gold. Many miners would try to find Gold Lake but to no avail. The "Gold Lake" story was responsible for an influx of miners coming to the Rich Gulch, Frenchtown, Spanishtown, Rich Bar and Quincy areas. Rich Bar and Indian Bar were written about in the famous "Shirley Letters" a gold rush classic. It is a true story about life in the gold mines that is worth reading. 1850.10.01 Big Bend Mining on Shields Gulch located on the big bend of the Feather River - James Shields, born in 1826 in England Mining claims were not formally from 1850 census Butte County. Note: there was a large Indian population on top of the hill above the big bend in recorded by the Recorders Office the Feather River. By the 1870s that area on top would be referred to as Big Bend. in Butte County until 1852. This information for this claim is based on the 1850 census and the 1862 County maps. 1850.10.01 Big Bend Mining on Lattimore's Bar located on the big bend of the Feather River - Robert (born 1820) & William (born Mining claims were not formally 1825) Lattimore, brothers from Pennsylvania from 1850 census Butte County. Wm Lattimore would later become recorded by the Recorders Office Treasurer of Butte County. Robert Lattimore would be secretary for a nominating committee in 1853 at Bidwell in Butte County until 1852. This Bar for the Whig Candidate. Note: there was a large Indian population on top of the hill above the big bend in the information for this claim is based Feather River. By the 1870s that area on top would be referred to as Big Bend. on the 1850 census and the 1862 County maps. 1850.10.01 Big Bend Mining at Hough's Bar located on the big bend on the Feather River - Giles Hough (born in 1824) and Barton Mining claims were not formally Hough (born in 1832) are listed as miners from Indiana in the 1850 Butte County census. The site is listed on the recorded by the Recorders Office 1862 map of Butte County. By 1877 the site on the map was called Whiskey Town. It appears the Hough in Butte County until 1852. This brothers left the area before the 1860 census. Note: there was a large Indian population on top of the hill above information for this claim is based the big bend in the Feather River. By the 1870s that area on top would be referred to as Big Bend. on the 1850 census and the 1862 County maps. 1850.10.01 Nelson Bar Benjamin Nelson was born in 1825 in New York. He mined at Longs Bar in Sept 1850 and at (Nelson Gulch) Mining claims were not formally Nelson Bar in Oct 1850. His partners in both places were Asa Wheeler and James White, both from Mass. It recorded by the Recorders Office appears Wheeler and Nelson left California before 1852. James White would be a partner in the Virgin Quartz in Butte County until 1852. This Mine at Yankee Hill until about 1858 when he moved to Iowa Hill, Ca. By 1870 he was in Connecticut and information for this claim is based married, working as a house mover, a profession he was still working at in 1900. on the 1850 census and the 1862 County maps. 8/16/2016 Page 2 of 159 Oregon Township and Concow Township, Butte County, Ca Timeline - Property of The Yankee Hill Historical Society 1850.10.01 French Creek, Berry In late 1850 there were several small mining operations along the big bend of the Feather River. French Creek, Mining claims were not formally Creek, Wild Yankee Bar Wild Yankee Bar and Berry Creek Bar were also early mining sites along the big bend of the Feather River.