Snow Point, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Snow Point
Former settlement
Snow Point Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Nevada County
Elevation	4,321 ft (1,317 m)

Snow Point was once a busy mining town in California. It was located in Nevada County, high up on the San Juan Ridge. This historic spot was about 4,321 feet above sea level. You can find its general area near today's German Bar Road. It was about two miles east of Moore's Flat.

A Glimpse into Snow Point's Past

Snow Point was founded in 1853. Its location was very special. It sat right where the famous Blue Lead gold deposit crossed the Middle Yuba River. This rich area then stretched southwest along the San Juan Ridge. Many believed it was one of the richest gold gravel deposits anywhere.

Reports of mining started in 1853. That same year, Edwin McCabe was born there. He was said to be the first white child born in Nevada County. Snow Point even had its own voting district for the 1853 governor's election.

Life in the 1850s

In 1855, Snow Point was a lively place. New buildings were always going up. One new building was a billiard hall. The town also had two stores, two hotels, and a bakery.

The 1850s were Snow Point's best years. Besides the businesses, it had two sawmills. People enjoyed social events like dances and foot races. Traveling minstrel shows also visited. Stagecoaches connected Snow Point to other towns. These included Nevada City and Downieville.

By the 1860s, news about Snow Point became less common. Nearby Moore's Flat became the main center for business and social life. Snow Point never had its own post office or school. Moore's Flat had both. But mining still thrived in Snow Point. In 1882, a newspaper said that Moore's Flat would be "dead" without the Snow Point mine.

Gold Mining at Snow Point

Mining was the most important activity in Snow Point. In 1858, the town declared itself the center of the Phoenix Hill Mining District. It even created its own mining laws. All kinds of mining happened here because of the rich Blue Lead. People often found large gold nuggets.

Types of Mining

Many successful hydraulic gravel mines operated in Snow Point. These included Blackwell & Co and the Conger Bros. Hydraulic mining uses powerful jets of water to wash away gravel and find gold. At first, water was hard to find. But this changed when ditches were built. The Miners' Ditch arrived in late 1855. It later became part of the Eureka Lake Company's water system.

Hard rock or quartz mining was also successful. This type of mining digs into rock to find gold veins. Early on, it was hard to crush the ore because there were no local mills. But in 1855, four miners from Walton & Co found $10,000 worth of gold in one day. From the famous Fellows quartz strike, miners took out $108,000 in gold.

Drift mining was also common. This method involves digging tunnels underground to follow ancient riverbeds where gold might be. It was especially useful where water for hydraulic mining was not easily available.

Everyone who reported on Snow Point's mines agreed they were very rich. One person noted that the old riverbed around Snow Point was "rich in gold" and mostly untouched. Another said the area was "the richest field of gravel in the world."

After 1884, a court decision called the Sawyer decision limited hydraulic mining. Because of this, drift and quartz mining became even more important. In 1885, someone predicted that Moore's Flat and Snow Point would soon become major quartz mining towns.

Snow Point in the 20th Century

The town of Snow Point itself slowly disappeared. However, mining continued well into the 1900s. The main mines were the Snow Point mine and the Twin Sisters mine. George Hegarty managed both. He first worked for the Hearst family. Later, he worked for other investors from the San Francisco Bay Area.

There was a small mining comeback around 1950. But after that, mentions of mining at Snow Point stopped. Some small-scale mining still happens today. If you visit Snow Point now, you won't see much of the old town or its mines. You might only see some scarred land from the past mining activities.