Eastern Plumas County might be much different today if 2 men hadn’t taken a hike back in May 1851. These 2 men, Merethew and Peck, were part of a group of miners searching for Lost Gold Lake. Instead, they found a rich ore vein near the top of Gold Mountain, now known as Eureka Peak.
That discovery nearly 165 years ago meant 1 thing: gold. It set off a rush of miners to the area. Soon after, the gold discovery immigrants poured into the area from England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Chile, Mexico, and even China.
Long before the arrival of these immigrants, the original inhabitants of Eastern Plumas County were the Mountain Maidu people, known as the Yamani Maidu. The history of these Native Americans dates back to the beginning of time, or “time immemorial.” They were hunter-gatherers who sustained themselves throughout the year from the natural riches within their homelands. Maidu women were highly skilled basket makers, creating artistic and sometimes watertight baskets for a variety of uses.
Today, the Yamani Maidu identify with several tribal organizations in the region, including the Greenville Rancheria of Maidu Indians in Plumas County.
As more settlers poured in, the landscape—and the way of life that existed for centuries—began to change dramatically.
In the span of just weeks, several mines opened on Gold Mountain, including the Seventy-Six, the Rough and Ready, and the Mammoth. A tent city popped up along Jamison Creek to house the miners. Then, more mines appeared, along with other establishments.
All day long, by the light of candles and lanterns, the miners wielded 4- and 8-pound steel single and double jack hammers. Blow by blow, these hammers drove steel drill bits into the quartz face walls to create holes that were packed with black powder. The quartz was blasted loose and mucked into ore carts. Tramways, ore carts, or mules transported the quartz to an arrastra or drag-stone mill, where it was ground into gravel and sand.
The gold was then extracted from this substance through a time- and labor-intensive process. Soon, the stamp mills evolved, which increased the amount of quartz ore that could be processed. The stamp mill crushed the ore into a fine sand, and water was added to make a slurry that flowed over a copper pan coated with mercury. The gold was attracted to the mercury and could be recovered grain by grain.
It was a hard, dangerous life being a miner. Numerous headstones line the Mohawk and Johnsville cemeteries.
In 1872, the English company Sierra Buttes Mining Co. bought most of the mines on Gold Mountain and consolidated them into 1 operation.
The town of Johnsville, founded soon after, bears mine superintendent William Johns’ name. At that time, nearly 400 men worked the mines and the stamp mill. Most families called Johnsville home, while the single men lived in the company boarding house—now the Plumas-Eureka State Park office, museum, and store.
By the late 1880s and early 1890s, mine yields were falling, and most were bought by smaller mine operators. Mine operations decreased significantly by World War 1 and stopped almost entirely by 1943. With the exception of a few small operations in the hills, the pounding of stamp mills that once reverberated throughout the area fell silent.
Even so, the discovery of gold was profitable. Rough estimates say tens of millions of gold were mined from 35 to 60 miles of tunnels.
Today, a different kind of wealth lives in the hills. Visitors now find riches in Plumas-Eureka State Park, established in 1959. Popular recreational activities include camping, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and snow skiing in the winter months. Last year, nearly 20,000 people enjoyed what the park has to offer.
The park headquarters, museum, and store occupy the old bunkhouse. Plumas-Eureka State Park Association, a volunteer organization, helps state park employees operate the store, providing information, hiking tours, and docent tours of the assay office, blacksmith shop, wood shop, and Moriarity House.
Interpretive programs, ranging from nature hikes, junior ranger programs, night astronomy, and campfire programs, take place throughout the summer. Native American descendants of the Maidu people lead hikes and give talks about what life was like before white settlers arrived.
A tour of Moriarity House is popular. The house has been restored to reflect the life and times of a second-generation Irish immigrant family of 10 at the turn of the century. It is thought the house was originally built by the mining company in the mid-1800s to house the families of the mine’s management staff.
Park visitors can join docent-led tours of the small but functional 4-room miner’s family home during the summer.
After years of stabilization work, Mohawk Stamp Mill opened for a short time for guided tours. Unfortunately, recent winter storms damaged the structure and created a hazard for the public. Visitors can only view it from behind a fence.
The stamp mill is 1 of several exhibits the public can explore. Visitors can also stop by the blacksmith shop to watch blacksmiths ply their trade and shop for a variety of locally crafted items such as candlesticks. Carpenters are on hand in the wood shop, displaying the tools used to make the many wooden products needed in the mine. At the assayer’s office, visitors can learn about how gold extracted from the mine was weighed and valued.
From a chance discovery in 1851 to a beloved state park today, the legacy of Gold Mountain lives on—not in gold, but in the rich history, natural beauty, and enduring spirit of its people.
Plumas-Eureka State Park is approximately 45 miles north of Truckee, California, and 60 miles northwest of Reno, Nevada. For more information on park activities, contact Plumas- Eureka State Park at the museum or visit the PESPA website.