Birchville, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Birchville
Former settlement
Birchville Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Nevada County
Elevation	1,765 ft (538 m)

Birchville is a historic town in Nevada County, California. It was once a busy place for mining and farming. Before 1853, it was known as Johnson's Diggings.

Birchville is about 10 miles northwest of Nevada City. It's also about 2 miles northeast of French Corral. The town sits high up, at about 1,765 feet above sea level.

Discovering Birchville's Past

Birchville began in 1851. A prospector named David Johnson founded it. Back then, it was called Johnson's Diggings. In the same year, a sawmill was built. This encouraged many miners to move to the area. Soon, a town started to grow.

In 1852, the first business opened. It was a store and a place for miners to stay. By 1853, the town was growing fast. It was renamed Birchville. This new name honored Lumon Birch Adsit, a local merchant.

Gold Mining in Birchville

In the early days, miners used water from nearby creeks. This water helped them find gold. In 1857, the Middle Yuba Canal reached Birchville. This canal brought more water for mining. However, miners went on strike. They wanted lower prices for the water. Once prices dropped, mining boomed.

Birchville became a key spot for hydraulic mining. This method uses powerful water jets to wash away hillsides. In 1865, people said Birchville was making more money than other mining towns. That winter, the mines reportedly found $581,000 in gold. After 1870, more water came from the Milton Mining and Water Company. In 1872, a very long tunnel was dug. It was 2,900 feet long and cost $36,000. This tunnel helped miners reach more gold.

Birchville's Busy Years: The 1860s

The 1860s were Birchville's busiest time. Hundreds of people lived there. In 1860, 87 people voted in elections. The town had hotels, saloons, and several stores. There was also a blacksmith and a shoemaker. Stagecoaches connected Birchville to Marysville and North San Juan.

Education was important too. The first private school opened in 1856. Another private school started in 1862. A public school opened in 1863 in an old miner's cabin. In 1866, the Birchville School District was created. A new one-room schoolhouse was built in 1874. It even had a library with 150 books. At one point, 75 students attended the school. Birchville was also part of the world's first long-distance telephone line. This line connected mining towns in 1878.

St. Columcille's Church

In 1865, a group called the San Juan and Bridgeport Union Guard built an armory in Birchville. This building was used for military training. After the Civil War, it was no longer needed. In 1869, Father Dalton bought the armory. It became St. Columcille's Catholic Church. People worshipped there until 1955.

In 1969, a man named Bart "Babe" Pinaglia bought the church. He was known as Mr. San Juan. He gave the building to the State of California. In 1971, the church was carefully taken apart. Then, it was moved to Malakoff State Historic Park. This park is about 15 miles away. Today, the church stands there as a reminder of the area's rich history.

Birchville Today

By the late 1870s, many local mines were running out of gold. Miners began to move to other places. An old history book from 1880 noted that Birchville only had about 50 people left. By 1895, the town was "very quiet."

Slowly, farming became the main way of life in Birchville. Today, not much is left of the old mining town. You might see some scarred land from the mining days. But mostly, the area is now peaceful, with farms and homes.