Downieville - CA Hwy 49
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 39° 33.469 W 120° 49.981
10S E 686169 N 4380923
History sign along CA Hwy 49.
Waymark Code: WMWFAV
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 08/27/2017
Views: 0
A history sign about the Downieville. An older sign with much the same information as the nearby All Roads Lead To Downieville sign.
Text of Sign:
Downieville
Downieville, County Seat of Sierra County, was founded in 1849 upon discovery of gold near the confluence of the North Yuba and Downie Rivers. First called The Forks, it was renamed Downieville after Major Downie, who is said to have offered to throw a pan of gold dust in the street if the town were named after him.
In 1855, the town had a population of about 3,000. The placer mines in the area were fabulously rich, one site reportedly yielding $303 to the pan for a brief time. The Tin Cup Diggins which was located on the right bank above the second bridge was said to have been so rich that the owners worked each day until they had a tin drinking cup full of gold.
Downieville has had its share of tragedies. The town suffered disastrous fires in 1852, 1858, and 1864, and a raging flood in 1938. Many of the original buildings, however, still remain.
The above picture is a detailed drawing made by a Forest Service illustrator from a photograph taken in about 1880. In the drawing, note the absence of trees on the hillsides around the town. The forest was cut by early day settlers and miners to meet their needs for fuel and construction materials. In the meantime, with a little help and fire protection from man, Nature has since reforested these early day clearcuts.
Group that erected the marker: Tahoe National Forest
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
On Hwy 49 about a third of a mile west of Downieville, CA
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.