The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1920-06-25

bonsyille. The North fork itself has
It's origin In the very apex OF Lemhi
county. The trail OF the discover
ers has been nosed out over the head
OF Boyle and Fourth OF July creeks
into the Northfork at the point where
LICK creek enters and thence up TO
the great divide. directly to the north
OF the old mining camp. Long-leaf
pine abounds all along all these
streams. the Northfork and its tribu-
taries. wherever the sawmill men
have not got In their perfect work of
destruction. but the sylvan attrac-
tiveness Ia by no means departed. for
young pines have started up again
and many Of the old forest sentinels
have been spared BY the AK man In
his assaults. The streams were all
too full for fishing. but that is anoth.
er story t0 come later.
ster, Of Deserted Village.
There must be other ways devised
than the old methods to revive the
mining town OF Gibbonsvilie. Gold
values are still there In its sands and
! ocks. You will be told in your ram.
bic about the picturesque village that
q dredging proposition would seem To
offer good returns as to the placerr,
while the pay rock you will also be
told, has by no means been worked
out. There remains less than a score
OF occupied dwellings. Numbers OF
these are kept up with pretty gardens
and yards. Years ago the residents
went in for fruit trees and to this
day many of these have been pre-.
served In bearing. In fact all along
the valley up 10 the village there are
orchards in fruitful bearing To orna-
ment the farms. Some day when the
mining camps came into being their
fruit supplies may with be gathered
from these beautiful sunny slopes
and well watered valleys. Mr..
and Mrs. Bauer conduct the village
store and postoffice which has been
set up In the former Bennett saloon
since the destruction OF the Ricketts,
store by fire last year, when numer.
lous other buildings were burned. The
cid A. d. and M. mill has completely
fallen to decay, as have the old ho.
tel and other buildings, If not torn
down and moved away and II not oc.
cupied as dwellings. Fairly well pre-
served Is the old village newspaper
office, the Episcopal church. the
meat market and various buildings
owned by Il. Il. Edwards. who liz ac
yertising them for sale.
! Interesting Gibbonsville History.
! or the pioneer history of Gibbons
vile, Mr.. Rees said: The first occu
patton of this section of the countr,
occurred when party OF prospectors
led by Barney Hughes, one OF tho
discoyerers OF Alder guich. discover
ed and located some placers or
Hughes creek In 1867. The gol,
bearing gravel. however, did no
prove profitable to work at that tim,
and the claims were abandoned. La
ter the Nicholson Brothers Of Dahlon
ega, Georgia, discovered placer golt
on fork OF the Northfork in 1872
which stream they named for thei
native town. The word Dahlonega Ii
Of Cherokee Indian origin, meanin;
"the place of gold" and was FIRST mp
piled 10 that center Of early gol,
placer mining in Georgia. The nam,
with its meaning was very appropri
ately applied to this Idaho stream
whose early name. though very ex
eeptional. most fortunately survives
Notwithstanding this early da,
work, the camp did not materially ad
vance until the discovery OF gol,
quartz by George Anderson In 1877
and araairas built to extract the met
el contents of the ore. The popula
tion at once grew into town whfcl
was located at the forks of Dahlon
ega and Anderson creeks and name,
lGibbonsyille in honor OF Col Johl
Gibbon. who commanded the troop
at the battle of Big Hole, fought ol
August 8. 1877. with the Nez Perc
Indians.
In 1882 an English company bc
came interested in the mines in th
vicinity of Gibbonsyilie and some des
ultory operations ensued. the proper
ty changing hands several times ur
I'll 1895 when the A. d. and NJ. con-
pany purchased most of this minin
property. erected 30.stamp mill an
built a cyanide and chIorinafio
plant. The town developed to sue
an extent that in 1896. during 1t
palmiest days. II was the larges
town In Lemhi county.
In 1907 the reduction works wer
destroyed by FIRE which put a sto
10 further activities end deyelopmes