Dutch Flat, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dutch Flat, California
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Dutch Flat Hotel, built in 1852 when Dutch Flat was one of the largest hydraulic gold mining towns in California
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Location of Dutch Flat in Placer County, California.
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 Dutch Flat, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  Placer |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.59 sq mi (1.53 km2) |
| • Land | 0.59 sq mi (1.53 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 3,265 ft (995 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 183 |
| • Density | 308.60/sq mi (119.23/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
95714
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| Area code(s) | 530 |
| FIPS code | 06-20298 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2628726 |
Dutch Flat is a small town in Placer County, California, United States. It's located about 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Auburn along Interstate 80.
German immigrants founded Dutch Flat in 1851. It quickly became one of the richest gold mining areas in California. Today, Dutch Flat is recognized as a California Historical Landmark. The town's ZIP code is 95714, and its area code 530 is 530.
Contents
History of Dutch Flat
Dutch Flat was started by two German brothers, Joseph and Charles Dornbach. They settled there in 1851 during the exciting time of the California Gold Rush.
Early Mining Camps
South of their new settlement was Green Valley, a busy mining camp. About 2,000 men worked there when the Dornbachs arrived. Across the Bear River in Nevada County was another camp called Little York. Just west, there was a trading post at Cold Springs, later known as Gold Run.
Mule drivers supplied all these camps from Illinoistown, near today's Colfax. These drivers started calling the Dornbachs' camp 'Dutch Charlie's Flat'. This is how the town got its name. Back then, many Germans were simply called 'Dutch' because of "Deutschland," which means Germany. Later, in the 1870s, people tried to change the name to 'German Level'. The Dutch Flat post office officially opened in 1856.
Dutch Flat as a Stagecoach Stop
Dutch Flat first became important as a stop for stagecoaches. From about 1864 to 1866, it was one of the biggest towns in Placer County. However, this changed in the fall of 1866. The railroad reached Cisco, which was 20 miles (32 km) further up the ridge. After that, Dutch Flat lost most of its importance as a stagecoach stop.
In 1859, Dr. Daniel Strong from Dutch Flat invited railroad surveyor Theodore Judah to visit. Judah later became the chief engineer of the Central Pacific Railroad. They wanted to find a good path for a railroad across the Sierra Nevada mountains. One of the first large mining ditches in Dutch Flat showed that it was easy to build tracks up to Emigrant Gap. From there, the old Donner Trail also offered a good path for a railroad.
Judah strongly pushed for the Central Pacific Railroad to use this route. He wanted to connect with the Union Pacific service in Utah or Nevada. However, some people, like Collis P. Huntington, had a different idea. They wanted to build a toll road from Dutch Flat to Donner Lake. This road would help transport goods between Sacramento and the Comstock mining area.
Many people, including investors and miners, thought the Central Pacific Railroad only wanted to build tracks to Dutch Flat. They believed the whole railroad project was a trick. San Francisco newspapers even accused the Central Pacific of planning to stop building at Dutch Flat. They called it the "Great Dutch Flat Swindle!"
Despite these strong opinions, there was no truth to the rumors. The railroad's leaders planned to connect with the Union Pacific. They ordered Judah's replacement, Samuel S. Montague, to continue surveying the route far beyond California.
Gold Mining in Dutch Flat
Gold mining in Dutch Flat was busiest in the 1870s. Thousands of miners worked in the area. Before the 1870s, gold mining was often done by individuals on a small scale. But in 1872, the Cedar Creek Company of London bought many mining claims. They started using a new method called hydraulic mining. This involved using powerful jets of water to blast gold out of the ground. This allowed them to reach gold that was previously too hard to get.
However, in January 1884, a court made an important decision. They banned miners from flushing mining waste into streams. It was hard to make miners follow this rule at first. But eventually, hydraulic mining operations had to stop.
Lumber Industry
The lumber industry was also very important in Dutch Flat's history. From 1861 to 1907, the Towle Brothers Lumber Company was one of the biggest in California. They owned over 20,000 acres (81 km²) of land. They even had their own private narrow-gauge railroad that was 38 miles (61 km) long. The company employed about 200 men, including fifty Chinese workers.
Chinatown in Dutch Flat
Dutch Flat's Chinatown started in the 1850s. By the late 1860s, it was one of the largest Chinese settlements outside of San Francisco. This was during the time the transcontinental railroad was being built. In 1853, Dutch Flat had 6,000 people, and 3,500 of them were Chinese. In 1877, the old Chinatown burned down. The settlement then moved south of town, near the Dutch Flat Depot. There is also a Chinese burial ground next to the pioneer American cemetery.
Culture and Arts
In the 1800s, people in Dutch Flat called it "the Athens of the Foothills." This meant it was a place where arts and learning were important. The town had a lively amateur acting group and a debating club. Famous writer Mark Twain even gave talks at its Opera House. Dutch Flat was also mentioned often in stories by Bret Harte, like "Muck-A-Muck: A Modern Indian Novel After Cooper."
Dutch Flat Today
As of October 2009, Dutch Flat had 333 residents. The town is sometimes called "semi-ghost" because it's not as busy as it once was. Tourism is a big part of the local economy now. Many people who live there today are retirees, families, and professionals who travel to nearby jobs.
Geography
Dutch Flat covers an area of 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²). All of this area is land.
Climate
Dutch Flat has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
| Climate data for Dutch Flat, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) |
80 (27) |
85 (29) |
91 (33) |
102 (39) |
111 (44) |
113 (45) |
112 (44) |
106 (41) |
101 (38) |
87 (31) |
75 (24) |
113 (45) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
60 (16) |
64 (18) |
70 (21) |
80 (27) |
89 (32) |
94 (34) |
92 (33) |
87 (31) |
77 (25) |
62 (17) |
53 (12) |
73 (23) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46 (8) |
51 (11) |
54 (12) |
59 (15) |
67 (19) |
74 (23) |
79 (26) |
77 (25) |
73 (23) |
64 (18) |
53 (12) |
46 (8) |
62 (17) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38 (3) |
42 (6) |
44 (7) |
47 (8) |
53 (12) |
60 (16) |
63 (17) |
62 (17) |
58 (14) |
51 (11) |
44 (7) |
39 (4) |
50 (10) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 22 (−6) |
21 (−6) |
26 (−3) |
34 (1) |
37 (3) |
46 (8) |
50 (10) |
49 (9) |
42 (6) |
35 (2) |
27 (−3) |
20 (−7) |
20 (−7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.10 (104) |
3.35 (85) |
3.21 (82) |
1.70 (43) |
0.50 (13) |
0.21 (5.3) |
0.07 (1.8) |
0.10 (2.5) |
0.46 (12) |
1.37 (35) |
3.93 (100) |
3.03 (77) |
1.83 (46) |
| Source: http://www.myforecast.com/bin/climate.m?city=515299&metric=false | |||||||||||||
Population Data
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 183 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The 2010 United States Census counted 160 people living in Dutch Flat. Most residents (96.9%) were White. A small number (1.9%) were Native American, and 0.6% were Asian. About 2.5% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
All 160 people lived in homes, not in group living situations. There were 85 households in total. About 15% of these households had children under 18. Many households (42.4%) were married couples. The average household had 1.88 people.
The population's age groups were varied. About 11.9% were under 18. The largest group, 41.3%, was between 45 and 64 years old. About 26.9% of residents were 65 or older. The average age in Dutch Flat was 55.0 years.
Most homes (76.5%) were owned by the people living in them. The remaining 23.5% were rented.
Tourism in Dutch Flat
People in Dutch Flat are working to attract more tourists. They have asked for a sign on I-80 to show that Dutch Flat is a national historic landmark. The Golden Drift Museum on Main Street is open during the summer.
There are many historic buildings to see. These include the Dutch Flat Hotel (built in 1853) and the Methodist Church (built in 1861). You can also visit the old Dutch Flat Elementary School (1898). The Odd Fellows Building and the Masonic Hall were both built before 1856. The Dutch Flat Cemetery is also a historic site.
Dutch Flat is close to many mountain recreation areas. You can enjoy snow and water skiing, fishing, biking, and kayaking. Gold panning and hiking on the mountain trails are also popular activities. The town celebrates with a parade on the 4th of July.
Dutch Flat in Books
Dutch Flat has been mentioned or used as a setting by famous authors:
- Mark Twain wrote about Dutch Flat poetry in an 1864 piece. He also mentioned Dutch Flat as the place where "George" died in his essay "General Washington's Negro Body Servant: A Biographical Sketch."
- Bret Harte used Dutch Flat as a location in his stories. These include "Muck-A-Muck: A Modern Indian Novel After Cooper" and "Wan Lee the Pagan."
See also
In Spanish: Dutch Flat para niños
