Badger Hill, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Badger Hill
Former settlement
Badger Hill Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Nevada County
Elevation	2,552 ft (778 m)

Badger Hill is the name of two important historical mining areas in Nevada County, California. These places were once busy centers where people searched for gold during the exciting California Gold Rush!

Badger Hill: A Tale of Two Mining Places

During the California Gold Rush, many new towns and settlements popped up. Sometimes, different places even shared the same name! This is what happened with Badger Hill. There were actually two different mining areas called Badger Hill in Nevada County, California. Both were important for gold mining, but they were in different spots and had different stories.

The First Badger Hill: A Quick Start

The very first place called Badger Hill was started in August 1849. This was right at the beginning of the Gold Rush! It was located just east of a town called Grass Valley, California.

Becoming Part of Grass Valley

This first Badger Hill didn't stay a separate place for very long. It seems it quickly became part of Grass Valley. Later on, a train station for a narrow gauge railroad was built right where this first Badger Hill used to be.

The Second Badger Hill: A Lasting Mining Hub

The second Badger Hill was established a few years later, around 1853. This one was much further away from Grass Valley. It was about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of Grass Valley. You could find it about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) north of a place called Cherokee, California, and just south of the Middle Yuba River.

Setting Up Rules for Gold

To make sure mining was fair, the people at this second Badger Hill created their own mining laws. They adopted these rules in March 1854. These laws helped miners decide who could dig where and how much gold they could claim.

Hydraulic Mining Takes Over

When water from ditches became available, a special type of mining became very popular here. This was called hydraulic mining. In hydraulic mining, powerful jets of water were used to wash away hillsides. This would expose the gold hidden in the ground. It was a very effective way to find gold, but it also changed the landscape a lot.

Successful Gold Mines

The second Badger Hill had many successful gold mines. Some of these mines kept operating for a very long time, even into the 20th century! Two of the most important mines were the English Company and the Badger Hill Gold Mining Company. These companies helped bring a lot of gold out of the ground.

Life in the Mining Community

The mines at Badger Hill were very close to the mines of Cherokee, California. Because of this, Cherokee became a central place for the Badger Hill miners. It was where they went for supplies, to sell their gold, and to socialize after a long day of work.