Alleghany
GPS *** N39' 28.177 W120' 50.600 *** elev. 4355'
 
  ALLEGHANY
ALLEGHANY, "THE TREASURE TOWN", WAS MADE OF SEVERAL MINING CAMPS; SMITH'S FLAT,
KANAKA FLAT, WET RAVINE, CUMBERLAND AND KANAKA CITY, ALL WERE ESTABLISHED WITHIN
A FEW MONTHS PERIOD IN 1851, WITH SMITH'S FLAT BEING THE FIRST.
AMONG THE FIRST MINERS WERE J.MCCORMIC AND PERRY BONHANM FROM ALLEGHANY,
PENNSYLVANIA. THEY STARTED A DRIFT MINE CALLED THE ALLEGHANY COMPANY TUNNEL IN
APRIL 1853 AND TAPPED PAYSTREAK IN 1855. IN EARLY SPRING OF 1856 A TOWN, ORIGINALLY
CALLED JERICHO OR ALLEGHANYTOWN WAS LAID OUT.
ON NOV.19,1857, ALLEGHANY RECEIVED RECOGNITION WHEN THE CHIPS FLAT POST OFFICE WAS
TRANSFERRED THERE. SEVERAL RICH LOAD MINES WERE NEAR ALLEGHANY, THE LARGEST BEING
THE SIXTEEN TO ONE, WHICH ULTIMATELY YIELDED BETWEEN 25 AND 50 MILLION DOLLARS IN
GOLD. IN 1854 THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE BUSINESS ACTIVITY; A BANKING HOUSE, EXPRESS
COMPANIES, MERCHANDISE STORES, SALOONS - ONE COMPLETE WITH A BOWLING ALLEY,
A HARDWARE STORE, BUTCHER SHOP, CLOTHING ESTABLISHMENTS, BOOKSTORE, DRUGSTORE,
SEVERAL HOTELS AND BROTHELS. ON JULY 27, 1877 AN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY OF AN E CLAMPUS
VITUS TREASURE BOX ON THE MOUNTAIN HOUSE RD. TOOK PLACE. MASKED MEN DEMANDED THE
BOX, BUT UPON THE CLAMPER SIGN BEING GIVEN, THEY RETURNED IT. FORTUNATELY THE
BANDITS WERE CLAMPERS AND ALLOWED BROTHER LANE TO PASS WITHOUT MOLESTATION.
ALLEGHANY MINES WERE KNOWN FOR HUGE NUGGETS. ONE NUGGET WEIGHED 45 POUNDS AND
IMMENSE BOULDERS OF QUARTZ LADEN WITH GOLD, ONE PIECE ALONE WAS 6 FEET IN LENGTH.
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED MAY 19, 1990 MAJOR WILLIAM DOWNIE CHAPTER NO. 1849
E CLAMPUS VITUS |
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