TOWNSITE OF DOWNIEVILLE

SIERRA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

DOWNIEVILLE TOWNSITE HISTORY:

The history of Downieville is well documented in State and local archives; most notably in a Book titled “DOWNIEVILLE, GOLD TOWN ON THE YUBA” by James J. Sinnott (Volume I, 2nd Edition, MID-CAL Publishers, Fresno, CA)1 The mining camp known as “The Forks” (now Downieville, CA) officially began to exist with the arrival of the Major Downie party in 1849. By 1852 the area supported a population of around 5,000. The majority of Downieville lies on both banks of the North Yuba and Downie Rivers. Sierra County was established on April 16, 1852 with Downieville assuming the role of County Seat. By December 1854 the Courthouse and jail were constructed. In 1881 through a “Townsite Patent” the US Government granted fee title of the Downieville Townsite to the Sierra County Superior Court.

AREA WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS:

In the early 1880’s there were several systems supplying water to Downieville. The History of Plumas, Lassen and Sierra Counties by Fariss and Smith of 1882 lists six of the more formal water systems in Downieville:

1. Samuel D. Hill and son supplied the homes Durgan Flat by a pipe system that obtained water from the tunnel of the Oro Mine south-east of Piety Hill. After not being in use for many years, Mike Strausburg in the 1950’s, who had purchased some property southeast and above Piety Hill, re¬developed the system. Mr. George Cron and Mrs. Sylvia Newton, who each have sections of this property, improved the system and now have an adequate supply of water for yard, domestic and protection purposes.
2. Sid York and sons supplied part of Jersey Flat by a ditch that took water from the East at a point about two miles above town, and bought it to a point in the rear of the Foundry which place it was brought down the hill connect into the water main running along in Street. later years this system was successively ied by Ike Davis and Andrew Johnson and during their periods of ownership became known respectively as the ‘‘Ike Davis Ditch” and the Johnson Ditch’’. This ditch ceased to supply water to the town in the 1940’s. 
3. In the 1880’s W.H. Mead supplied part of the Flat by means of a pipe-system that iined its water from the South Fork. One can determine the place from which the water taken.
4. A fourth supply of water to the town was furnished by the old Haven Flume, owned the 1880’s by J.M. Hall and Co. with John lies as agent. This flume took its water from East Fork at Ben Pauley’s Sawmill just above The Falls, crossed the early named North of the North Yuba just above the Steel bridge, and continued to the town, passing in rear of the County Hospital. It supplied water to Ferdinand Bosch’s Brewery, China ?, and a number of residences along Upper Street, It later became known as the Hughes ? as it was owned by Jack Hughes. It continued to supply several homes on Zumwalt and Upper Main Street until it was abandoned about 1920.
5. The main supply of water to the town in the 1880’s was furnished by water from H.S. Spaulding’s Flume which headed at the Good Hope Mine which was adjacent to the southwest from the later Oxford Mine. This flume, in addition to supplying water to houses and businesses of the business section, supplied the water to the reservoir which was located on the hill northwest of town. 
6. A,J. McGuire and a Mr. Wilbern secured their water from a ditch of their own, about a mile and a half in length, which headed in Hungry Mouth Ravine. This ditch later became the property of John Peckwith and became known as the Peckwith Ditch. It supplied water to several homes on Durgan Flat, Upon his death the water system passed to his sons and was maintained for several years by William and Tony Peckwith, It ceased to be one of the sources of water supply in the 1940’s.

“In 1885 a ditch from the early-named North Fork of the North Fork of the North Yuba (Downie River), and which supplied water to the Gold Bluff Mine, was extended by the Costa Brothers to the M.A. Costa Ranch just above Zumwalt Flat to supply this ranch. A few years later in 1890 this ditch was extended along the mountain¬side to a place above town on the north, higher on the hill than the Spaulding Flume, and supplied water to the reservoir which was located on the hill north of the Schoolhouse. A pipe-line down the mountain from the end of the ditch delivered the water to the reservoir. This ditch, about six miles long, constituted the main water supply of Downieville until 1972 when the construction of the new closed-distribution system was completed.
Another early water system that collected water from several springs above the old Joseph Vollmar Orchard-Homestead across the then-named South Fork (North Fork of the North Fork of the Yuba River) from the present Mr. and Mrs. Ray Brett home on Commercial Street, was initially owned by Jack Wolfe. In later years it became the property of Mr. and Mrs. Homer J. Gould and was known as the Gould Water System. It supplied several homes on Commercial Street with their domestic water. The system was purchased in the 1950’s by the William T. Reed, L.L. Huelsdonk, and James J. Sinnott families and now supplies these three homes while yard water for these homes is supplied by the Town system. Another water system was that which supplied water to the early Garibaldi and the later John Ponta ranch, also known as the property of Mr. and Mrs. Angus James. The sources of supply of the other water systems were not at an elevation sufficient to supply water to this Ranch, so another source had to be developed which consisted of a ditch about a mile long that secured its water from Coyoteville Ravine a tributary to the North Yuba River. A spring in a ravine at the western end of the ranch provided domestic water for the Ponta home. This ditch has not been in use for over forty years. Today the water pressure of the new system is adequate to supply the several homes which have been built on lots carved from this earlier Garibaldi and Ponta ranches.