1975: Turkey industry is tops in Placer County

50 years ago Population 3,179 (U.S. Census 1960 and 1970) Crop report: The 1975 crop report for Placer County shows a gross value of agricultural production of $33,585,756, an increase of $2,825,886 over 1974. The most significant increases in value occurred in the beef cattle and turkey industries. The turkey industry, including meat bird and hatching egg production, is now the leading industry in the county, followed by the cattle and rice industries. The large increase in the turkey industry, according to the report, was brought about by a significant increase in the number of meat birds produced together with better prices for meat birds and hatching eggs. Commenting on the report, John H. Wilson, agricultural commissioner, noted that "with the increasing costs of production, I must emphasize that this report reflects a gross dollar value and in no way represents the net return to the producer." Breakdown of the various crops show: fruit and nut crops, $2,843,340; field crops, $11,784,000; livestock and poultry, $13,719,000; livestock and poultry products, $3,177,200; nursery products, $1,824,000, and apiary products, $238,216. More Lincoln history: We will begin with the first two years, 1861-1862. A saloon was apparently the first place of business to open in Lincoln. Mabel Ahart, former Lincoln historian, states it was owned by Alexander Mills and run by Mr. E.A. Gibson. This would indicate it was the saloon associated with the Phoenix Hotel-Logan House. Mills sold the Pioneer Hotel Brainard House before the railroad arrived in 1861. He kept the Logan House on the southeast corner of 5th and G streets (now Lincoln Boulevard). In May of 1862, the Placer Herald reported on the building of the hotel, saying, "Improving rapidly. Neighbors at Lincoln are busy building up their town. All day the sound of the hammer is heard in erecting new buildings. Alex Mills has nearly completed a large hotel, which will soon be opened for the accommodation of the public. D.V. Mason has also followed suit, having the largest public house in town. Business is lively, and citizens wear cheerful faces. A good indication of prosperity." Meanwhile, Lincolnites were reading about the following new county law in the newspaper: "The Sunday Law. Section I: Any person who shall hereafter keep open on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, any store, workshop, bar, saloon, banking house, or other place of business, except as in hereafter especially provided, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than five nor more than fifty dollars…" In today's money, $1,600 to $1,700. Besides the three hotels, there were other early businesses. An ad in 1862 read: "N.L. Day, proprietor of Livery Stables in Lincoln and Gold Hill. Stock kept at reasonable rates. Horses and buggies to be let. Lincoln, May 17th, 1862." On Nov. 4, 1861, the Sacramento Union reports: "The Railroad Co. have erected on their grounds (in Lincoln) a commodious depot, and are preparing for the construction of workshops for building and repairing cars, etc." Note: The railroad depot was at 5th and G streets, where Dollar Tree is now. There is a replica model and photographs of the depot in the Lincoln Area Archives Museum. An earlier report in the Sacramento Union of Oct. 31, 1861, stated: "C.L. Wilson, of the California Central Railroad, arrived in the city (Sacramento) yesterday morning from San Francisco, where he has been engaged recently in making arrangements with the managers of the Sacramento and Folsom Road for the conveyance of through passengers and freight. On his arrival, the furniture and fixtures of the office of the CCRR, on K near Second, were removed to the railroad depot for transportation to Lincoln, at which point the office will hereafter be located." Note: C.L. Wilson is Charles Lincoln Wilson, the founder of our town. Meanwhile, Lincolnites were reading in the paper that county supervisors granted Richard Fuller a license to keep his toll bridge across Auburn Ravine, about 7 miles west of Lincoln. (Descendants of Richard Fuller, who was one of the very earliest settlers in Western Placer, still live in Lincoln.) Fuller had built a 75-foot span across Auburn Ravine on the lower Sacramento-Nevada City road in 1859. The rates he was allowed to charge – for the license fee of $9 per quarter – were: man and horse, .25 cents; horse and buggy, .37 cents; wagon with two horses, .50 cents; with four horses, .75 cents; with six horses, $1; with eight horses, $1.25. Within a month of the railroad's arrival, Wells Fargo & Company opened an express office in Lincoln. Two bankers from Auburn, Hall and Allen, who also had the express office in Auburn, opened the business. Mr. Charles Higgins was in charge of the Lincoln branch. This was Nov. 23, 1861. The office may have been at the depot; however, a "Higgins" owned a lot on H Street directly west of the depot. In addition to the depot, the three hotels, the livery stable, the railroad restaurant and the Wells Fargo office, there were other businesses before the end of 1862. Mrs. Ahart wrote that the first dry goods store was owned by an I. Isneer, and that it was on 5th Street, between F and G streets, about where the IOOF building now stands. Late in 1861, the Sacramento Union reported "The California Stage Co. has commenced the work of erecting a stable, fifty-two feet wide by one hundred feet deep. It is expected that they will have their stage running to all points north and east of Lincoln in about two weeks." The California Stage Co. was located on 5th Street between C and D streets, south side. They had purchased the entire block. Meanwhile, Lincolnites were shaking their heads as they read the weekly Auburn paper and came across the following article about a Lincoln neighbor: "Mr. Richard Fuller, of Fuller's Ranch on Auburn Raine, has left us with some stalks of corn ten feet in height, and oats 8 feet in height, as tall specimens of Placer County products. There is no denying the fertility of Placer County soil." Other businesses in Lincoln before 1863 included: John F. Cannon, Attorney and Counselor at Law, who owned a 26-foot section fronting on 5th Street, north side, between F and G, just east of the alley. He had other locations later. Halfway between Cannon's lot and F Street was Nagel's Saloon. L. Hickey had a blacksmith shop in the early years of Lincoln. His shop was located in the area where the building addressed as 570 5th Street now stands. In May of 1862, a butcher shop was opened on 5th Street where the old Carnegie Public Library is now. On the west side of the alley behind the Logan House were two businesses fronting 5th Street. They included a saloon and a barber shop. The sale of almost all these lots in Lincoln, recorded in the county recorder's office, was the work of Henry Rood. He was the superintendent of the CCRR, but, more importantly, he had purchased the entire town of Lincoln on 11 October 1861, except for the few lots already sold by C.L. Wilson. Rood paid Amos Catlin (of Folsom) and Benjamin Hastings (of Sacramento) $10,000 for the town. They, in turn, had purchased it from Wilson eight months earlier, also for $10,000. Rood's purchase came just 20 days before the railroad arrived. Charles Lincoln Wilson was married to Sarah Jane Rood. Source: "Tales of Western Placer County, Volume I" by Jerry Logan. This and other books written by Mr. Logan may be purchased in the Lincoln Area Archives Museum in Beermann's Plaza, 640 5th Street. Hours are Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thank you for reading! MBO