North Columbia, California

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
North Columbia
Unincorporated community
North Columbia is located in California
North Columbia
North Columbia
Location within the state of California
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country  United States
State  California
County Nevada
Elevation[1] 3,015 ft (919 m)
Time zone Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)

North Columbia was a California Gold Rush town on the San Juan Ridge in Nevada County, California. Originally known as Columbia, Columbia Hill, or The Hill because of its proximity to Columbia Hill, it started as a gold miners' camp around 1851.[2] When a Post Office was established on May 29, 1860, the word "North" was added in order to differentiate the settlement from Columbia, California, another gold rush town in Tuolumne County, California.[3]

In 1878, when miners discovered that the Pliocene gravel bed upon which the town was built contained rich gold deposits, North Columbia was moved to its present location.[4] But with the eventual curtailment of hydraulic mining,[5] miners moved away. The post office closed in 1931.[6]

Eventually, North Columbia became an unincorporated part of Nevada City, California.

Historic landmarks

The Columbia Hill Schoolhouse still stands, though it has been converted into a cultural center,[3][7] hosting events such as the North Columbia Folk Festival[8] and the Sierra Storytelling Festival.[9]

Foote's Crossing Road, a National Historic Place, links North Columbia to Alleghany.[4]

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Columbia, California
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links