Year: 1871

ANOTHER VERsIoN.-Our readers will undoubt-
edly remember that few months since an arti-
Gle appeared in these columns which rehearsed
an account of How Weaver Basin was Formed, +"
the main points of which were recited to us by
Mr.. Isaac Woodbury., as he had them from an
aged aborgine some twenty years before. The
sum and substance of the article mentioned was
that in the olden time, long, long ago,


"While yet no eye


OF pale.hced race had looked upon the place


Where Weaver stands today


the course of Trinity river was through what is
now known as Weaver Basin, but by the agency
of an earthquake, the high mountains, which at
that time skirted the stream, toppled over and
so filled the bed of the river as to entirely change
its course, leaving quite valley almost sur
rounded by hills At the time this account was
published, we indorsed it as being the most
probable theory that had yet been advanced re-
gardiug the formation of the Basin. However,
since its publication, we have been furnished
with another narration relative to the same sub
ject, which we also deem highly probable This
statement like the first, is given 10y an old pioa-
eer of this county, to whom it was related by
venerable Indian, during the early days of Cali
fornia, and who, in his turn, claimed that the
account was handed down to him from untold
generations. 1t runs something in this manner ;
Where the beautiful village of Weaverville
now stands, with its manifold brick buildings,
| its busy streets its handsome suburban residen-
ces, its orchards and its vineyards, was Il great
many years ago the bottom of an expansive lake,
| the waters of which extended from the very head
of Weaver Basin, as it now is, to the neigh bor-
hood of Mabie's Mill. Union Hill was at that
time mountain of no small preensions which
| lowered far toward the Heavens, and formed one
of continuous chain. In those days, accord


ing to the Indians story, the bed of Trinity
| river was also much higher than at present and
the waters of this stream ran peacefully along
the base of this mountain range which, by the
way, divided the lake from the river, to which


its waters were tributary. On the borders of
this beautiful lake dwelt n numerous tribe of
Indians, peaceful and happy, and contented to
| live in idleness, subsistng upon fish taken from
the lake, In which there was an abundance,
game captured in the mountains and berries
gathered from the bushes which skrted the wa
ters and which were also plenty in the many ra-
vines and gulches that divided the rolling hills
which lay far off toward the rising sun. And so
these happy Indians had lived, knowing naught
| of war, pestilence or famine, from time immemo-
rial, until one Inflated day there came Il storm
Il storm such as had never been known before
the thunder roared and the lightning flashed, the
Wlhus oieW ana the ram peat Tor many days, the
new moon came and the old moon went and still
it rained the frightened and bewildered natives
hied to the mountain Businesses and betook
| themselves unto the high places. Many were
cut off in their retreat by the rushing waters
while others, failing to get high enough, were
drowned by the water raising and closing in
around them. Only those escaped who sought
the very highest peaks, and these were indeed
few in number. The waters of the lake raised
beyond all bounds, and the natural outlet PROV
ing too small, wide and deep channel was cut
through the dividing ridge. At last the storm
subsidized and the waters began to recede, but, ia
the surprise and dismay Of the survivors, it was
found that the swollen waters had cut passage
so deep that the lake was entirely drained and
left nothing but valley, which is now known
as Weaver Basin, and the channel through which
this vast body of water passed is to-day pointed
out us Weaver Creek.