You may click on any plaque to view a larger picture.
Use your BACK button to return to this page. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  Alleghany - Casey's Place GPS *** N39' 28.218 W120' 50.612 *** elev. 4412
   BOVEE BUILDING
CONSTRUCTED IN THE LATE 1870'S BY THE EARLY
ARGONAUT, J.F. BOVEE, TO HOUSE A CLOTHING STORE
AND TAVERN. IN 1928 DAVID H. CASEY, THE 1918
MARINE CORPS LIGHT WEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION,
ACQUIRED THE BUILDING. HE RAN A MEAT MARKET
WITH A "SPEAK EASY" IN THE BASEMENT. WITH THE
END OF PROHIBITION CAME THE NAME "CASEY'S
PLACE" AND THE SLOGAN "BEER, BOOZE, AND BULL."
AFTER CASEY'S DEATH IN 1974, HIS FAMILY RAN
THE BUSINESS UNTIL JANUARY 1978. THE PRESENT
OWNERS, MEL AND BECKY WILKERSON ACQUIRED
CASEY'S PLACE IN 1982.
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED MAY 21, 1988 BY DOWNIE CHAPTER NO. 1849
E CLAMPUS VITUS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest City
GPS *** N39' 29.375 W120' 51.181 *** elev. 4465
  FOREST CITY BREWERY
ESTABLISHED IN THE EARLY 1850's BY HENRY KERN AND SOLD
IN 1858 TO JOHN AMERHEIM AND FRANK DEIDEL, TOGETHER
WITH MULES, HOGS, MALT, BARLEY AND KEGS. THE BREWERY
BURNED FOUR TIMES OVER ITS 80 YEAR HISTORY BUT WAS
REBUILT IN THE SAME LOCATION DUE TO ITS STONE BREWING
CELLAR (NOW FILLED IN) AND AMPLE "BREWERY SPRING"
ACROSS THE CREEK. RENOWNED FOREST CITY BEER WAS SOLD
BY THE KEG, GALLON AND GLASS. DURING PROHIBITION YEARS,
THE BAR SOLD LOCALLY-MADE MOONSHINE. LIKE MANY TOWN
STRUCTURES, THE BUILDING WAS TORN DOWN FOR SALVAGE IN
THE 1930's
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED MAY 29, 1999 BY
THE MAJOR WILLIAM DOWNIE CHAPTER #1849 E CLAMPUS VITUS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest City
GPS *** N39' 29.388 W120' 51.186 *** elev. 4472
  FOREST CITY
SETTLED IN 1850 BY MR. SAVAGE THE FIRST LOCATIONS ON SMITH'S FLAT
WERE MADE IN 1851. THE COMPANY CONSISTED OF BIG SMITH, FRANK POWERS,
THOMAS DUNHAM, ELIHU MOSGROVE, AND DAVIE LEWIS. THE DIGGINGS
WERE NAMED BROWNSVILLE IN 1852 BY A COMPANY OF SAILORS, BOB
RITCHIE, LITTLE RED AND MR. BROWN. THE AREA WAS ALSO KNOWN AS
YOMANA AND FORKS OF OREGON CREEK. WITH A GROWTH TO 1400
PERSONS IN NINE MONTHS TIME. THE CAMP WAS RENAMED ELIZAVILLE
AFTER MRS. W.S. DAVIS AND IN 1853, FOREST CITY BY MRS. MOODY.
IN MAY 1854 THE TOWN BOASTED 7 PROVISION STORES, 4 CLOTHING
STORES, A TIN SHOP, 2 LIVERY STABLES, 2 MEAT MARKETS, 4
BLACKSMITHS AND 5 HOTELS. THE TWO LARGEST BEING THE READ HOUSE
(T.A. READ. PROP.) AND THE MERCHANTS HOTEL (MR. PRATT PROP.)
IN 1854 THE DIGGINGS ON THE FLAT PAID AN OUNCE A DAY CLEAR TO THE
MAN. THE BEST PAYING MINES WERE LIVE YANKEE, DUTCH EMPIRE,
HAWKEYS, LITTLE ROCK, ROUGH AND READY, GET AWAY, DON JOSE,
MANHATTAN, AMERICAN, FREE AND EASY AND GIRARD. FOREST CITY
IS ONE OF THE RICHEST GOLD AREAS IN THE NORTHERN MINES REGION.
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED MAY 22, 1993
BY THE MAJOR WILLIAM DOWNIE CHAPTER #1849 E CLAMPUS VITUS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forest City
GPS *** N39' 29.375 W120' 51.197 *** elev. 4468
    FOREST CITY DANCE HALL
BUILT BY WEST AND KNOWLES FOLLOWING THE FIRE OF
1883. THIS THEN THREE-STORY STRUCTURE HOUSED THE
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS, A LARGE RUBBER-SPRUNG DANCE FLOOR,
BARBER SHOP, SALOON AND BILLIARD HALL. IN THE LATE
1930S, THE TOP FLOORS WERE CRUSHED BY SNOW AND THE
DANCE FLOOR RELOCATED TO THE BOTTOM STORY. THE HAND-
GRAINED WAINSCOTING, BAR AND FIXTURES REFLECT THE
ORIGINAL 1880S DECOR. THE BARBER SHOP WITH ITS ORIGI-
NAL FURNISHINGS WAS IN THE ROOM NOW OCCUPIED BY
THE MUSEUM. IN 1992 THE FOREST CITY HISTORICAL ASSO-
CIATION ASSUMED STEWARDSHIP AND HAS DEDICATED IT TO
PUBLIC USE
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED JULY 13, 1996
BY THE MAJOR WILLIAM DOWNIE CHAPTER #1849 E CLAMPUS VITUS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sierra City
GPS *** tbd ***elev. too many bloody marys
  MINER'S HOTEL
JOHN G. ROSE, SR. BUILT THIS HOTEL IN 1886 AND OWNED
IT UNTIL 1919. HIS SON JOHN THEN BECAME PROPRIETOR
UNTIL THE MIDDLE 1920S. THE HOTEL WAS ALSO KNOWN AS
THE CAPITAL HOTEL AND THE ROSE HOTEL. ERNEST INNES
BOUGHT IT AND CHANGED THE NAME TO THE SIERRA BUTTS
INN. ONE REPORTED GUN FIGHT MARRED THE REPUTATION
OF THIS FINE HOTEL. IT OCCURRED AT THE HOTEL BAR
BETWEEN A PATRON AND THE BARTENDER OVER A $2.00
LOAN. BOTH MEN WERE WOUNDED BUT SURVIVED.
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED AUGUST 29, 1992
BY THE MAJOR WILLIAM DOWNIE CHAPTER #1849
E CLAMPUS VITUS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Downieville
GPS *** tbd *** elev. tbd
  THE SHOOTING OF THADDEUS PURDY
IN THE FALL OF 1853 A MINER KNOWN AS "MUNTZ" KNIFED
AND FATALLY WOUNDED "BALTIMORE JACK" OVER A GAME OF
CARDS IN FOREST CITY. MUNTZ WAS TAKEN TO DOWNIEVILLE
AND HELD UPSTAIRS IN THE GRAYCROFT BUILDING FOR WANT
OF A JAIL. THE NEXT DAY A FOREST CITY MOB ARMED WITH
"GREAT CLUBS, KNIFES AND REVOLVERS" AND "YELLING LIKE
DEMONS" ATTEMPTED TO TAKE AND HANG MUNTZ. A SHOT RANG
OUT AND THADDEUS PURDY, SIERRA COUNTY'S FIRST DISTRICT
ATTORNEY FELL WITH A BULLET TO HIS BRAIN. HE DIED ON
A TABLE IN THE SALOON, THE VICTIM OF A FRIEND "HANDLING
THE HAMMER OF HIS REVOLVER WHEN IT SLIPPED THROUGH HIS
FINGERS". THE ASTONISHED CROWD "SLUNK AWAY". MUNTZ
WAS ACQUITTED ON THE GROUNDS OF SELF DEFENSE.
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED AUGUST 24, 2002
MAJOR WILLIAM DOWNIE CHAPTER 1849
E CLAMPUS VITUS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Downieville
GPS *** tbd *** elev. tbd    MACKERMAN & COMPANY BUILDING
CONSTRUCTED CIRCA 1852. JOSEPH MACKERMAN
USED THE BUILDING AS HOME AND BREWERY.
SINCE THAT TIME THE BUILDING HOUSED A DRUG
STORE, MEAT MARKET AND CALIFORNIA'S OLD-
EST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER - - - THE MOUNTAIN
MESSENGER. THIS FIREPROOF BUILDING, WITH
ITS IRON DOOR, THREE FOOT THICK WALLS
AND FOUR FOOT THICK MUD AND BRICK
CEILING IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF GOLD RUSH
ARCHITECTURE.
DEDICATED AUGUST 28, 1982
DOWNIE CHAPTER NO. 1849
E CLAMPUS VITUS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Downieville
GPS *** tbd *** elev. descending   IN MEMORY OF JUANITA
THE SPANISH WOMAN ALSO KNOWN AS JOSEFA. WAS HUNG
OFF THE JERSEY BRIDGE JULY 5, 1851 A SHORT DISTANCE
DOWNSTREAM FROM THIS SPOT, FOR THE MURDER OF FREDERICK
ALEXANDER AUGUSTUS CANNON.
CANNON AND HIS FRIENDS WERE CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE
DAY AND AFTER CLOSING MOST OF THE SALOON THEY PASSED
JOSE AND JOSEFA'S CABIN. HE BROKE THE DOOR DOWN, HOWEVER
HISTORY DID NOT TELL WHAT HAPPENED. THE NEXT MORNING HE
CAME BACK, SUPPOSEDLY TO APOLOGIZE. AN ARGUMENT ENSUED
AND JOSEFA STABBED CANNON FATALLY IN THE HEART.
A MOB TRIAL WAS HELD AND SHE WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH.
JOSEFA CLIMBED THE SCAFFOLD WITHOUT THE LEAST TREPIDA-
TION AND PLACED THE ROPE AROUND HER OWN NECK, HER LAST
WORDS WERE; "I WOULD DO THE SAME AGAIN IF I WAS SO
PROVOKED."
CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM
DEDICATED ON AUGUST 24, 1996
BY THE MAJOR WILLIAM DOWNIE CHAPTER #1849 E CLAMPUS VITUS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More pertinent plaques and information to follow as soon as we dig-up more gold to pay for gas- ur... mules!!!!
  |
|
|
 |