It was early August, 1887 when electricity came to Nevada City, from a gold mine.

A small reservoir was constructed in the mid-1880s to provide water for the Charonnat Mine. The South Yuba Canal Company sold the water - a commodity almost as valuable as gold - to the mine. From the reservoir a pipeline dropped downslope to the mine where it powered gold mining machinery.

As a hopefully lucrative add-on the mine planned to generate electricity using the water's muscle, and deliver it to Nevada City, a mile and a half away. The plan was short-lived, but on August 5^th a goldmine lit the lights in Nevada City. It also provided enough juice to light the horse racetrack at what is now Glenbrook Basin.

The mine was owned by L. Charonnat & Sons and later was renamed Canada Hill Consolidated Mine. During its productive life the mine's rich gold deposits yielded $600,000, according to the Nevada County Mining Review and was considered one of the best paying in the area.

Water as a power source was a growing idea and soon other mines were exporting the commodity produced originally to run their machines and ventilation systems. The Banner Mine in Grass Valley was one of the first to join the new trend.

A depression in the ground is all that's left of the Charonnat Reservoir. It can be seen alongside the Nevada Irrigation District's lower cascade trail.

Prices

As the gold dwindled more attention was paid to agriculture in Nevada County. Particularly products that could be sold to miners.  Local winemaker E.G. Waite said, "...gold is an important source of livelihood for Nevada County -- but it will not last.  The wines will be more important..."  At about that time wine was selling for $2.50 to $3 a gallon. 

Before Prohibition shut them down, there were over 100 wineries in the foothills.  They disappeared when alcohol was outlawed.  The Nevada City Winery was the first to return to Nevada County, and that wasn't until 1980.

Silver!

The world learned of Nevada's history-making silver strike...from Nevada City.

In June, 1859, according to the Nevada County Mining Review, J.F. Stone and W. P. Morrison brought some ore samples over the mountains from Nevada to be tested in Nevada City by J.J. Ott. The results were startling: $3,196 in silver to the ton of ore. Another assay by a Grass Valley mineralogist showed similar rich results. Stone and Morrison had no idea they had bought into what would become a phenomenal strike.  Neither did the man who sold them a share, a man named Comstock.

Quartz Mining Laws

As gold mining went underground and the quest was for gold-bearing quartz, the quartz miners of Nevada County were the first to recognize the need for some general regulations. A convention of miners was held in Nevada City in the early fall of 1852.

Just before Christmas of that year a committee created at the convention delivered their ideas on how things should run. Their report was adopted by the miners and became the first quartz mining laws in California, and became recognized in the courts.

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Copyright Don Baumgart, 2009