Orleans Flat, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orleans Flat
Former settlement
Orleans Flat Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Nevada
Elevation	1,266 m (4,153 ft)

Orleans Flat was a historic mining town in California. It was located on the San Juan Ridge, about 20 miles northeast of Nevada City, California. The town was also about 5 miles northeast of North Bloomfield, California. It sat near the Middle Yuba River, high up at about 4200 feet.

Discovering Orleans Flat

Orleans Flat was part of a group of mining towns. To its west were Moore's Flat and Woolsey's Flat. These towns were all about one mile apart. They were all started around 1851. Their stories often connect, and people sometimes called them "The Flats." All three towns were in an area known as Eureka Township.

How the Flats Were Connected

An early settler described how these towns were located. They were all on different parts of the mountain. They were on the north side of the ridge between the South and Middle Yuba Rivers. All the towns were at about the same height. Deep canyons separated each town. But good mountain roads were built around these canyons. These roads connected all the towns.

The Town's Beginning and Name

Orleans Flat was founded in 1850 or 1851. Miners from New Hampshire first settled the area. They named it Concord. These first miners eventually left with lots of gold. Later, new settlers from the Southern United States arrived. They renamed the town New Orleans Flat. Most people simply called it Orleans Flat. The flat area itself was described as about 160 acres. It looked like an uneven half-circle.

Gold Mining at Orleans Flat

Orleans Flat was built on a special area called an "auriferous channel." This means it was a gold-bearing channel. These channels run along the San Juan Ridge. In these channels, gold is found under layers of gravel. The most gold is usually found close to the bedrock. At Orleans Flat, the gravel layers were not very deep. This helped the town become successful quickly.

Early Gold Discoveries

At first, miners found a lot of gold by surface mining. The Flats became famous for finding huge gold nuggets and gold-filled rocks. One nugget found at Orleans Flat in 1858 was worth at least $6,000. Another one found in 1869 had $8,700 worth of gold!

Using Water for Gold: Hydraulic Mining

Orleans Flat was one of the first towns to use hydraulic mining. This method uses powerful streams of water to wash away gravel and find gold. This type of mining grew when more water became available. Berryman's Poor Man's Creek Ditch brought water in 1854. The Miners' Ditch followed in 1856, and the Weaver Ditch in 1860. One expert said the gravel at Orleans was "very rich." They believed it gave better returns than other gold deposits nearby.

Life in a Bustling Mining Town

In the 1850s, Orleans Flat was the most important town among "The Flats." It was once called "the most prosperous mining camp" on the Ridge. By 1852, about 600 people lived there. The town had many businesses. These included several hotels, stores, and saloons. There was also a sawmill, a bank, a bakery, and a brewery. It even had a theater! Stagecoach lines connected the town to Nevada City, Marysville, and other places.

Community Gatherings and Buildings

The town enjoyed many parades, dances, and shows. Around 1855, a building was put up. It was meant to be a church, a temperance hall, and a schoolhouse. However, it seems it was never used as a church or school. A person named Rev. J. S. Diehl started a Sons of Temperance group and a Sunday school. But we don't know where these meetings were held.

Town Politics and Organizations

Orleans Flat was an active place for politics. In 1855, 223 votes were cast there. In the 1860 presidential election, 97 votes were recorded. It also hosted important political events and rallies. In 1856, a Masonic Lodge was started in Orleans Flat. It was called Quitman Lodge, No. 88. There was also an Odd Fellows Lodge. The two lodges built a hall together. In 1863, this lodge hall was moved to Moore's Flat.

A Strange Event in Town

Something very unusual happened involving a Dr. Kittredge. He ran a drugstore in Orleans Flat. After a young child passed away and was buried, it was discovered that the child's body had been taken from the grave. Townspeople became suspicious of his clerk. They confronted Dr. Kittredge. He admitted he had removed the body. He said it was for scientific study. Some townspeople were very angry. But they agreed to let him go if he returned the body. He did, and the body was reburied. However, the townspeople avoided him, and he soon left Orleans Flat.

A Successful Business Leader

One of the most successful people in Orleans Flat was Marks Zellerbach. He was an immigrant from Germany. He started a bank called Marks & Co. He also owned parts of several mines. He became a main leader in the Eureka Land and Water Company. This company supplied water to many mines on the Ridge. He was also an early investor in the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad. His brother Anthony, who lived in Moore's Flat, helped him in many of these businesses. Anthony later founded what became the Crown Zellerbach Paper Company.

The Decline of Orleans Flat

By 1857, the shallow gold mines were running out of gold. The town began to shrink. Many people moved to nearby Moore's Flat. Others moved to different places on the Ridge. Some miners started digging tunnels closer to and under the town. This sometimes caused problems for the town's buildings.

Fires and Desertion

A fire destroyed several buildings in 1859. A worse fire happened in 1863. This fire burned all the buildings on the south side of Main Street. This included houses, the old drugstore, the butcher shop, and other stores and saloons. People thought someone might have started the fire on purpose. Because of these problems, the town soon became empty.

The End of a Mining Town

In 1867, Orleans Flat was described as "nearly deserted." Only a few people, mostly Mexicans and Chinese, were still trying to find gold. There were only about half a dozen American residents left. In 1869, a local newspaper said, "Orleans Flat, once a lively mining camp... but for a long time dead, is likely to revive." While some mining continued after 1869, the town never truly came back to life. The last residents were the four Buck Brothers. They were all born in Orleans Flat. They mined, farmed, and ranched there into the 1900s. Today, only the Buck ranch house remains. It sits on a hill overlooking where the old town used to be. All that's left of the town are many piles of rocks.