Looking Back Lincoln: 50 years ago - City Hall is for sale

50 years ago Population 3,179 (U.S. Census 1960 and 1970) City Council: Action was instituted by the council to annex some 671 acres of land along the existing westerly boundaries of the city. The property located south of Nicolaus Road and Moore Road would be southerly of the proposed annexation. As there are fewer than 12 registered voters in the area, the law allows for the annexation to be classified as uninhabited. Following adoption of a resolution of intent for the annexation, the proposal will be forward to the Local Agency Formation Commission for public hearings and recommendation. Following this action, public hearings will be set on the proposal in Lincoln. Several residents of the immediate area and adjoining lands were at the council to protest the action. The proposed annexation would include the site for the new sewer treatment plant. No action was taken on two requests for rezoning of property from single family to allow for duplex construction on sites at 7th and J streets and 8th and I streets. The planning commission recommended approval of the rezoning requests, but council members asked for further study before the requests were approved. City Hall: Have you ever tried to "fight city hall" and lost? Well, now's your chance to own your own city hall. Tuesday night, the City Council authorized the sale of the former City Hall on G Street as surplus property. Sealed bids will be accepted at the new City Hall until noon Jan. 27 and will be opened at the meeting of the council Jan 28. A minimum bid of $24,000 must be offered and the city has the right to reject any and all bids. In case of a tie bid, the city also has the authority to accept just one. FFA: The Lincoln Chapter, Future Farmers of America, traveled to Yuba City on Jan. 12 for a judging day at Yuba College. Two of the chapter's teams were represented. The advanced general livestock team took second place. Members of the team are Leeann Fraser, Barbara Hada and Mark Campbell. The horse judging team also placed second in competition. Team members are Larry Williams, Gayle Franck and Sondra Williams. Larry Williams took fifth high individual in overall competition. The local group was accompanied by John Taylor, advisor. 75 years ago Population 2,410 (U.S. Census 1940 and 1950) Local history: The story below was written by local resident Roscoe Allen. Mr. Allen says much of this information came from his grandmother, who was known as the Widow Allen. The following are to the best of the writer's memory correct; he having known many of the places hereafter mentioned, and others, from information gained from his father, both of his parents having been descendants of pioneer families. The widely traversed road passing the Mount Pleasant Hall was at one time a toll road, and an almost endless stream of freight teams, freighting between Marysville and Carson City, Nev., made their way over it. On the old Webdell Ranch, now owned by L.P. Singer, there was a roadhouse and stopping place for the accommodation of freighters. This place was later owned by Hiram Cartwright, also a pioneer. The creek flowing through this place was at one time very rich but was long ago mined out. At the old Phil Miller Ranch there was a saloon, and across the road from this place stood an oak tree from which an unfortunate (redacted) peddler was hung for supposedly stealing a mule; but it was afterward learned he bought the stolen mule from (redacted); they were later captured and suffered the same fate. That was, in those days, the penalty for horse, mule or cattle stealing. At Widow Allen's was another roadhouse and stopping place, now owned by Walter Allen. The stream running through this place heading from the northeast is Capps Ravine and was very rich in gold. Doty's Ravine, another rich mining stream, flows through part of this district. Its headwaters is in the Ophir district. Another roadhouse and stopping place was maintained at the old Kinkade ranch, now owned by Harry East. The next road house and where toll was collected was at the old Schnable place at the foot of Schnable grade, near the William Ayers ranch. Descendants of these pioneers now live at Newcastle. This Schnable grade road came into the Mt. Vernon road near Baxter's ranch and then on through Grass Valley, Nevada City, Graniteville, by Webber Lake to Truckee and thence to Reno and Carson City. Another old toll road was the old Stone House on Turnpike road over which freight was hauled from Sacramento to Forrest Hill and Georgetown. Toll was collected at North Fork bridge and Grizzly Bear ranch by John Engle (to Forrest Hill), and to Georgetown over Wire Bridge by John Mollett. On the Forrest Hill road, toll was also collected at the United States Ranch or better known as the Carlson ranch, and at Michigan Bluff. The Old Stone House on the Turnpike Road to Auburn is an old landmark and still stands. Auburn Ravine has been mined from Auburn to Lincoln and was immensely rich. Mostly coarse gold. The miners lived in tents on their claims, and these tents lined the ravine from Mose Predom's Blacksmith Shop, where the Shell Service Station now stands, to the Wise Power. This was in 1849 and was told to the writer by "Grandma" Allen, who was boarding a number of the miners while Mr. Allen mined on that stream. Little or no currency was used in those days, debts were paid with gold dust. Gold Hill and Virginiatown were both very rich, many fortunes being taken from the surface. The Chinese population of Virginiatown was around five thousand. Today, they are both ghost cities; nothing marks Gold Hill except the old cemetery on the hill. Several old adobe brick buildings remain in Virginiatown (Chevalier's Ranch.) The old Chinese Joss House stood on the left of the cross road, and north of Conley's Garage. The old Chinese Cemetery is across the road from Chevalier's house; to the east and about 100 yards from the fence. Most of the remains have been exhumed and shipped to China. George Aldrich owned the largest store in Gold Hill and dealt in groceries, dry goods and hardware. He was an uncle of the late H.S. Williamson. Iron Canyon is worthy of mention as it was at one time very rich in costly coarse gold. This canyon is in the Livingston Ranch, being the headwaters of the stream that flows through the Hinckley Ranch, George Allen's and the Aldrich Ranches, and into Doty's Ravine. Sailor Ravine, a tributary of Doty's Ravine, and having its headwaters in the Mt. Vernon district above the Holmes Ranches was another of the old gold stream. Dutch Ravine, a tributary of Auburn Ravine, having its headwaters between Newcastle and Auburn, was the scene of great mining activity during the gold rush. This stream passes through the old Barkhaus Ranch, later owned by Mr. A. Fereva. 100 years ago Population 1,324 (U.S. Census 1900, 1910, 1920) Our salutation: On Friday of last week, January 9th, I purchased from Mrs. Martha Sanders, widow of your late lamented fellow-citizen and former editor of The News-Messenger, Frank L. Sanders, the newspaper and job printing business formerly conducted by that gentleman. It is my earnest desire to be able to conduct my new venture in such manner and on such principles as to meet with the very general approval of the good people of Lincoln and Placer County. E.D. Fred