North Bloomfield, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
North Bloomfield
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 North Bloomfield
Location in California
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Nevada |
| Elevation | 3,287 ft (1,002 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Area code(s) | 530 |
North Bloomfield is a small, quiet place in Nevada County, California. It's not a big city, but rather an unincorporated community. This means it's a settlement without its own local government.
You can find North Bloomfield in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. It is about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Nevada City. Over time, this historic spot has been known by a few different names, including Bloomfield, Humbug, and Humbug City.
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History of North Bloomfield
North Bloomfield began as a busy mining town in 1852. It was a key location during the exciting California Gold Rush. At first, people called it Humbug, named after a nearby creek.
As more people arrived, the town grew and its name changed to Humbug City. Later, it was given the more formal name Bloomfield. The town really thrived because of the mining operations at Malakoff Diggins.
Why the Name Changed
On June 1, 1857, a post office opened in the town. To avoid confusion with another town called Bloomfield, California, residents chose the name North Bloomfield. This is the name it still uses today.
Mining Boom and Bust
By 1857, about 500 people lived in North Bloomfield. Just three years later, the North Bloomfield Mining and Gravel Company arrived. They started using a method called hydraulic mining. This powerful technique used strong jets of water to wash away hillsides and find gold.
By 1876, the town's population had grown to 2,000 people! But in 1884, hydraulic mining was stopped. This happened because of a big lawsuit called Woodruff v. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company. Farmers in the Sacramento area sued because the mining was washing too much dirt into their rivers.
After the mining stopped, North Bloomfield became a ghost town. A ghost town is a place that used to be busy but is now mostly empty. It's part of the San Juan Ridge area.
North Bloomfield Today
Today, the historic town of North Bloomfield is part of the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. You can still see some of the original buildings from the Gold Rush era. A few others have been rebuilt to show what the town looked like.
Some of these interesting buildings include:
- Skidmore House
- E Clampus Vitus Building
- McKillicam & Mobley General Store
- St. Columncille’s Catholic Church
The town's post office served the community for many years. It was open from 1857 until 1942, though it did move to a new spot in 1875.
