Maybert, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maybert
Former settlement
Maybert Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Nevada County
Elevation	3,245 ft (989 m)

Maybert was once a busy mining town in Nevada County, California. It was located on the south side of the South Yuba River, about 6 miles east of the town of Washington. The town sat at an elevation of 3,245 feet. A small stream called Fall Creek flows into the South Yuba River just northwest of where Maybert used to be.

How Maybert Began

Maybert was built near rich veins of gold. These veins were found in quartz rock. The exact story of how the town started and got its name isn't fully known. The first time Maybert was mentioned in newspapers was in 1886. One paper called it "a recent addition to the county geography." It seems the town grew quickly around that time. It was created to house and serve the miners and their families.

The Yuba Mine, a very important gold mine, was first claimed in 1855. In 1875, local leaders approved building a road and bridges from Washington to the Yuba Mine. This road and a "splendid" bridge were finished in 1876. Before Maybert became a town, the area was often called "the Yuba Mine situated above Washington." Some historians say the town was named after a mine. However, old maps from 1880 only show the Yuba Mine at that spot. It's more likely that the town was named after an important person who lived there, especially when a post office opened in 1886.

Maybert's Busy Years

Maybert was most active from the mid-1880s to the early 1900s. During this time, a new 7-mile road connected the town to the Central Pacific train station at Emigrant Gap. This made travel and trade much easier.

A school opened near the Yuba Mine in 1886, and a school district was created that same year. By 1888, the school had 10 students. Maybert even had its own election area. In the 1892 presidential election, 32 votes were cast there. By 1886, stagecoach services connected Maybert to Washington and Nevada City. Soon, stagecoaches also went to Downieville and many other places in Nevada County. The town even had its own telephone company!

While some mines had their own places for workers to stay, Maybert also had a hotel called The Maybert. It included a saloon and was run by the Baugh Bros. The hotel was a popular place for dances and other social events. One Fourth of July, there was a fun tug-of-war between teams from the Yuba and Eagle Bird mines. Afterward, a big dance was held to raise money for the school. For a while, there was also a hotel at the Eagle Bird mine, run by the McKees.

The Post Office

A post office was set up in Maybert in 1886. It was located inside the Yuba Mine's store. George Hare, the mine's superintendent, was the first postmaster. Mail was delivered six times a week from Nevada City.

The post office closed in 1905. This was probably because the town's population had dropped a lot as the mines became less active. However, when the Yuba, Eagle Bird, and other mines reopened, the post office was brought back in 1907. It stayed open until 1910. When the post office was closed, people in Maybert had to get their mail from the town of Washington.

Gold Mining in Maybert

From its beginning to its end, Maybert's success depended entirely on its mines. The sawmills in the area mainly existed to provide wood for the mines. There are no reports of farming or gardening in the area. The most important mines were the Yuba, Eagle Bird, Blue Bell, and Blue Jay.

The story of Maybert began with the discovery of the Yuba Mine in 1855. Over the years, this mine produced gold worth $2 million! In the 1880s and early 1890s, the Yuba Mine had many workers. In 1891, it employed 75 men and used 25 stamps to crush the quartz rock and get the gold out. It closed down soon after.

In the early 1900s, the mine started working successfully again. It joined with the Mayflower Mine, which was in the hills above Maybert. A special tramway was built to carry ore from the Mayflower down to the Yuba for processing. About 60 men then worked at both mines and the processing mill. In 1909, the mine's new boarding house burned down. After being closed for a few years, new owners took over the Yuba Mine in 1915.

The Eagle Bird Mine, located about three-quarters of a mile west of Maybert, had a similar history. In 1887, the mine was working with a "full force" of men. In 1888, the mine got new owners. People hoped it would again make good profits. In 1890, the State Mineralogist reported that the mine employed about 75 people. It had its own sawmill. Miners were paid $3 a day, and mill workers earned $3 to $3.50. By 1891, the workforce grew to 100 people, and it used 30 stamps.

However, the Eagle Bird Mine soon faced money problems. In 1893, it was sold to new owners who planned to develop it further. The next year, a rich discovery was reported, and the mine looked "splendid." But in 1896, the State Mineralogist reported that the Eagle Bird was not being worked again. The mine was sold several times in the following years, with mining continuing off and on into the 1900s. In 1909, a fire destroyed all the mine's buildings. By 1913, the Eagle Bird had produced about $1.5 million in gold. In 1915, it was sold again to investors from the eastern United States. At that time, it was described as having "been idle for many years" because it lacked enough money to reach the gold-rich rock.

It's interesting to note that many mines in Nevada County would not hire Chinese workers. However, the Maybert mines, especially the Yuba and Eagle Bird, did. In 1888, the Yuba Mine even stopped work for two days so its Chinese workers could celebrate the Lunar New Year. Chinese miners were usually paid 30 to 50 percent less than white miners.

In 1934, most of the mines in the Maybert area joined together to form a new company called Maybert Gold Mines. Most gold mining stopped during World War II because it wasn't considered necessary for the war effort. There are no records of Maybert's mines reopening for business after the war.

Maybert in the 20th Century

Whenever the mines closed for a long time, the town itself suffered. As mentioned, the post office closed at the end of 1905, though it briefly reopened when the mines started up again in 1907. Similarly, the election district was removed in 1906 because the town was "almost uninhabited."

Until the 1960s, some cabins remained in Maybert. These cabins were sometimes used by people living there without permission. The forest service, with the property owner's approval, burned the remaining buildings to the ground. This was done to prevent people from living there and to avoid the risk of wildfires. Today, there are very few signs of the old town. It's hard to get to because there is no longer a bridge across the Yuba River at the town site. The area is now popular with hikers, campers, and people who like to fish. The land is privately owned, but it is surrounded by the Tahoe National Forest.