Tag Archives: Rich Bar

Justice at Rich Bar

Posted on November 3, 2011 by John Putnam

Sonora and the Southern mines were not the only places in the gold country where summary justice was practiced. On the North Fork of the Feather River, at the boomtown of Rich Bar, a Swede named Little John, a waiter … Continue reading →

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Wild gold rush drinking sprees

Posted on August 18, 2011 by John Putnam

In 1849, while there was a lot of drinking among the miners, it was noted that there were very few regular drunks as yet. Confirmed sots from the east were not able to make the hard journey west and the … Continue reading →

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The women of Rich Bar

Posted on July 8, 2011 by John Putnam

With the addition of Dame Shirley there appear to be only four women in the whole of the Rich Bar mining camp at the end of 1851. One, the 25-year-old hostess of the Empire House, was apparently permanently tanned dark … Continue reading →

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A woman’s account of Rich Bar

Posted on July 7, 2011 by John Putnam

Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe, the wife of a doctor who wrote under the pen name of Dame Shirley, arrived in Rich Bar from Bidwell’s Bar after a rough trip on mule back in the middle of September 1851. She … Continue reading →

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Rowdy Feather River mining camps

Posted on July 6, 2011 by John Putnam

The South Fork of the Feather River rises north of Downieville near Pilot Peak and is the shortest of the three main forks of the river. The middle and north forks each have many branches and come down from high … Continue reading →

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