Moores Flat, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Moores Flat
Former settlement
Moores Flat Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Nevada County
Elevation	4,144 ft (1,263 m)

Moores Flat was a historic mining town in California. It was located on the San Juan Ridge, about 19 miles northeast of Nevada City, California. The town was also about 5 miles northeast of North Bloomfield, California. It sat at an elevation of about 4,200 feet.

Moores Flat was close to two other mining towns, Orleans Flat and Woolsey's Flat. All three were settled around 1851 and were often called "The Flats." They were all part of Eureka Township. A pioneer once said that these towns were on different parts of the mountain. Deep canyons separated them, but good roads connected them all.

Early History of Moores Flat

The town got its name from H. M. Moore. He settled there in 1851 and built a house and a store. Some say he was the first person to settle there, or at least the first married settler.

For a short time, people tried to change the town's name to Clinton. But this new name never really stuck. By 1857, everyone went back to calling it Moores Flat.

By 1852, Moores Flat had grown quite a bit. It had about 500 residents, several stores, three hotels, and many saloons. At first, other towns were bigger. But as those towns got smaller in the late 1850s, people moved to Moores Flat. This made Moores Flat the most important town in the area.

The town was most active in the 1860s and 1870s. It was known as the main mining town in Eureka Township. Moores Flat had stagecoach services that connected it to other towns. These stages went to places like Marysville, Downieville, and Nevada City. There was even a stagecoach that ran between "The Flats" every 15 minutes. Toll roads also made it easier to travel to Nevada City. A clever stable owner even let people rent a horse in Moores Flat and drop it off in Nevada City for a few days.

Gold Mining in Moores Flat

Just like other towns nearby, mining in Moores Flat started with surface mining. This meant digging for gold near the ground's surface. When that gold ran out, miners started using a method called hydraulic mining. This used powerful streams of water to wash away gravel and find gold.

At first, hydraulic mining was hard in the summer because there wasn't enough water. But this changed in 1854 when water from the Poorman's Creek Ditch arrived. More water ditches followed soon after.

Gold mining in Moores Flat was very successful. In 1867, a writer named Bean said that "immense quantities of gold" had been found there. In 1872, a mining expert called Moores Flat a "thriving" town. One mine alone produced $65,000 in gold in just one year. In the early 1870s, a local bank bought over $500,000 in gold dust every year. By 1900, it was estimated that 26 million cubic yards of gravel had been washed away in the area.

Even with all the gold, there were problems in the mines. Miners often argued about the price of water and how much they were paid. The cost of water was very important for smaller mines. In 1874, mining stopped for a while because of a water price dispute. Miners wanted to pay 8 cents per inch of water, not 12.5 cents. Mining started again when a new water company brought more water, which lowered the price.

Miners' Unions and Challenges

Miners also had disagreements about their wages. Sometimes, mine owners tried to pay less. In early 1865, miners formed the Moores Flat Working-men's Protective Society. This happened when owners tried to cut wages by 50 cents a day. About 50 men joined the society. They even went on strike against a company that lowered wages.

In 1877, a new Miners Union was formed. They believed that workers deserved fair pay. They said that workers needed to stick together against big companies to get what they deserved.

Mining was often dangerous. Newspapers reported many accidents, some of which were deadly. This was partly because the gold was deep underground. Miners had to dig very steep banks, which often led to cave-ins. One problem with hydraulic mining was that the town itself started to slide away. An observer wrote that if you wanted to see a town sliding downhill, you should go to Moores Flat. Many houses had to be moved to a new spot.

The Sawyer Decision and Its Impact

Hydraulic mining created a lot of gravel and dirt. This debris flowed into the Yuba River. Eventually, this muddy water, called "slickens," caused problems for farms in the Sacramento Valley. Farmers sued the mining companies.

In 1881, the Miners Union said they would boycott towns that tried to stop hydraulic mining. They explained that stopping mining would ruin a large part of Nevada County. Finally, in 1884, a judge named Lorenzo Sawyer made an important decision. He ruled that the mines were causing a problem. He ordered them to stop dumping their debris into the Yuba River. This decision greatly reduced hydraulic mining in Nevada County. Just as the Miners Union had warned, many mining towns began to decline.

After the Sawyer decision, mining slowly returned to Moores Flat. Some miners continued to use hydraulic methods secretly. Others tried to collect their debris in special ponds. Yuba County even offered a reward for finding people who broke the rule. But most miners switched to "drifting," which caused less debris. In 1896, a newspaper reported that Moores Flat, which had been quiet for years, was having a "boom in mining" again.

Post Office and Fires

A post office was set up in Moores Flat in 1854. It was first named Clinton, but changed to Moores Flat in 1857. During snowy winters, mail sometimes had to be delivered by sled or snowshoes. The post office closed for a short time in 1903 because no one wanted to run it. It finally closed for good in 1914. After that, residents got their mail in North Bloomfield.

Mining towns often had fires, but Moores Flat seemed to have more than its share.

• In January 1863, a fire started in a restaurant and burned several buildings.
• On May 19, 1865, a fire destroyed about a third of the town. This included a hotel, a bank, shops, and the post office. People thought it might have been arson.
• In September 1868, the Moores Flat Brewery burned down.
• On July 31, 1869, another big fire destroyed much of the town. It started in a Chinese store and burned many buildings, including hotels and businesses. After this fire, people didn't rebuild much in the same spot. Instead, they moved about half a mile south and built a new town.
• In October 1870, a fire destroyed much of this newly rebuilt town.
• In February 1883, another fire destroyed many buildings, including a saloon, a bank, and the post office. The next year, two hotels, a brewery, and a butcher shop were lost to fire.

Daily Life in Moores Flat

Because its mines were so profitable, Moores Flat had more fun things to do than many other mining towns. It had special shops like a shoe store and a dressmaker. There were two banks, doctors, and lawyers. Traveling entertainers often performed there. People enjoyed sporting events like prizefights, horse races, and bowling. There was even a race course for foot races and other events. The town had its own brass band. One newspaper called it "perhaps...the liveliest mountain town in the State."

Moores Flat had its own schoolhouse. In 1868, the school had 112 students.

The town was also a center for voting. In the 1864 presidential election, 224 votes were cast. In 1868, there were 188 votes. By the 1880 election, only 142 votes were cast, showing the town was getting smaller. People in Moores Flat also elected a local judge and a constable.

There were several social groups in town. In 1863, the local Masonic Lodge moved its building from Orleans Flat to Moores Flat. This building was rebuilt several times after being damaged by wind and fires. An Oddfellows Lodge was also started in 1870. In 1873, another group called the Ancient Order of Hibernians was formed.

With many saloons, it's not surprising that a Sons of Temperance Union branch was also started. This group encouraged people to avoid alcohol. People could attend Saint Josephs Catholic Church, built in 1869. There were also non-religious services held at the temperance hall.

Chinese Community

Moores Flat had a large Chinese community. Some estimates say there were 500 Chinese miners around Moores Flat. Chinese people also owned mines. One mine, owned by Wau Yen, reportedly cost $70,000 and employed about 100 miners. The Chinese quarter of town was mainly on Washington Street. This area was largely destroyed by the big fire in 1869.

Moores Flat in the 20th Century

After the Sawyer decision, Moores Flat began to decline quickly. In 1924, it was described as a town that had shrunk from having three hotels, a bank, and three stores in 1890, to being "but a name." At that time, only one family lived in Moores Flat itself.

Today, you won't find much left of the town. There are mostly just piles of rocks, some old mining equipment, and a historic cemetery.