San Andreas independent., 1860-12-22

on a prospecting tour. Determined to give
the new mines thorough test, they located
on what is now known as Motifs Gulch, some
three-quarters of a mile from the present To-
cation of the town, and prepared to spend the
winter at their new place of operation. The
story goes, that their "grubn giving out and
having no chance to obtain any from the neigh
boring camps, lowing to the deep snow,) they
were compelled to put themselves upon the
small allowanceof one " slap-jack" per day to
the man. But as the spring came brighter
| day dawned; they extended their circle of
prospecting to toe contiguous gulches and ra-
vines, and soon discovered richer mines than
those they had worked during the winter.
The news of Their discoveries soon extended to
! the adjoining cimps, and in a short time sew
eral companies were at work in the different
gulches. In June following Messrs Ingles &
Vanmeter, surveyed and commenced digging
ditch to convey the waters of Bear Creek
into the new mines. The ditch had to be dug
distance of five miles, and was not finished
until late in the fall when Ingles & Vanmeter
sold out to Gen Cadwallader and the Torrens
Brothers. In October of the same year, Tom
my Winthrop and one or two others, built the
hrst cabin within the present limits of the
town. Miners low came in considerable num-
bers and settledon the flats and gulches in the
vicinity of the new ditch.
| In February, '54, Fernando & Ferrero came
from Mosquito Gulch and established pro-
rlsion store; blacksmith shop was started at
the same time. The name Of the place, which
had before been known as Indian Gulch Pre-
cinct, was now changed to West Point. The
store and shop being central point they nat
urally became place of resort for the miners
who gradually increased in numbers until the
water dried up in the summer, when they dis
| pefsed to the rivers and other more favored
| localities. Nothing more was done toward
building town until the spring of '55. Dur
| ing the dry season that intervened, rich pros
poets were found on hill near the store, since
known as Red Hill; but there could be no
work done until the rains of the following
winter again furnished another supply of wa
ter-when they were opened, and proved to
be rich beyond the most sanguine expectations
of their lucky owners. The story of their
lucky strike" was soon circulated through
out the surrounding country; miners flocked
in from every direction; the population, which
had never before been more than 40 or 80, was
suddenly increased to hundreds
| 1t was at this time that West Point "re-
ceived its first impulse toward towndom." !"
Jerry Kendall, in order to accommodate the
/ 5tN"' Auoh VI pSoplC, cTtCteQ u temporary
clearinghouse and moved his family from
Volcano; which was the first family that set
tied in the place. Johnson Payne & Co., of
| Volcano, formed themselves into an associa-
ton, under the name and style of "the West
Point Ditching Company" and commenced
digging ditch to convey the waters of the
Middle Fork of the Mokelumne river into the
new mines, which was completed in the fol-
lowing fall. The town now sprung up like a
mushroom. Whisky shops, billiard saloons
and bowling alleys were erected in quick sue
cession; and the new comers having plenty of
" loose change" they were freely patronzed,
and for awhile done thriving business.
Many of the old inhabitants now refer to that
period as the "hush times of '55."
The next enterprise that proved beneficial
to the place, was the digging of the Skull Flat
ditch, which was commenced during the sum-
mer of SO by company of miners owning
claims on Skull Flat, one mile from town, and
which have since proved to be very rich. The
enterprise proving more formidable than its
projectors anticipated, the most of them soon
sold out to Collier Il Co., who completed it in
the fore part of the following winter. In july
OF the same year, Charles Thrall, of Mok. Hill
started line OF stages between the Hill and
West Point, making regular trips every other
day, carrying Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express
and the United States mail. West Point has.
since that date, (lS56) enjoyed gradual but
uninterrupted progress. AS the chances in
placer mining become reduced, miners turned
their attention to quartz; and numerous rich
and extensive leads have from time to time
been discovered, which have proved very re-
munerative to those working them
The town is pleasantly located upon a side
hill that gently slopes to the north, in the midst
of what was at one time dense forest, near
the dividing ridge between the North and Mid
die Forks of the Mokelumne river 1t has ad-
vantages in water privileges superior to many
other towns in the mines Not only are the
placer mines well supplied with an abundance
OF water the greater part of the year by the
various bitches conveying water TO them, (all
now owned by Mentzel & Fischer but the
beds of the North and Middle Forks of the Mo-
kelumne, and of Bear Creek, below where the
bitches are taken out, furnish sufficient GUAM
tity to run all kinds of machinery: such as
quartz mills, saw mills and foundry bellows.
There are now upon the above mentioned
streams, in the vicinity of the town, some ten
or twelve quartz mills in active operation.
crushing in the aggregate from 40 to so tons
of rock every twenty-fonr hours, which paws
from $40 to 500 dollars per ton; besides a
large amount that is ground by the Mexcans
upon their primitive arastras. The placer
mines though less extensive than in many other
places, pay very good wages owing to the very
liberal terms upon which water is supplied.
The timber around and above the town is un-
i'valled in quantity and quality by any place
in Calaveras county.
There is one saw-mill now in operation.
owned by Mentzel & Fischer, run by water.
which turns out some six or seven thousand
feet of choice lumber every twenty-four hours.
and which owing to its superior quality meets
with ready sale in the Mok. Hill market. The
numbering business is growing more important
every day large quantities of shakes, posts
and rails, are sent below and exchanged for
the products of the farmer Agriculture is
also claiming considerable attention. Hay.
potatoes and other late garden vegetables are
easily raised, of superior quality, and in suf-
hclent quantities to supply the home demand.
The town is easy of access from the surround
ing camps, and is soon destined to become
great thoroughfare, as it is the frontier town
On the main Mokelumne Hill and Carson VAL
ley road; the road leading from Volcano and
the northern portion of Amador county. direct
to the Big Tree Grove, also passes through it.
1t Is connected by good wagon roads with the
following named places Volcano on the north,
Z miles distant; Genoa on the east, "a miles;
independence and Railroad Flat on the south,
miles; Sandy Gulch on the west 2 miles.