Sierra Mayhem Jeep Tours

Forest City Beginings
The once thriving town of Forest City is situated at the junction of the forks of Oregon Creek, twelve miles south of Downieville and four miles from where the Mountain House once stood. Diggings were first started at this location in the summer of 1852 by a company of sailors, among who were three gentlemen, Bob Ritchie, Little Ned, and a Mr. Brown (no first name recorded). An alternate account shows a Michael Savage as discoverer 1850-53. The encampment was at first built principally of cloth tents but grew quickly into a settlement of respectable proportions. In the very early days the location was known as the “Forks of Oregon Creek”. It was also sometimes referred to as Yakama, which wassaid to be the Indian name of a most sacred hill just above the town.

The camp first took the name of Brownsville, named after one of its locators, until the following spring where by it had grown to over one thousand residents and the name changed to Elizaville, named for the wife of W.S. Davis who had accompanied her husband to the town. Another woman named Forest Mooney, wife of a Captain Mooney, came in 1853 and originated the name of Forest City. The residents were split as to which name was the most appropriate. Finally in 1854 a meeting was held and a vote taken and the thriving new town was formally christened Forest City.

Forest City Mining
In the Forest City area there was extensive mining carried out by tunneling throughout the mountain. In the early days on the flat it was said the diggings paid an ounce a day clear to a man. In 1854 the Sierra Citizen reported mining claims selling for one to four thousand dollars. There were reports of a 42 ounce lump of gold found that same year. The most famous mine was the 1872 Bald Mountain Mine with miles of horizontal tunnels producing over 3.4 million dollars throughout its eleven plus years of operation. The main tunnel had a steep grade up to its mouth, and the first underground steam locomotive on the west coast was used for hauling an ore train of thirty five cars filled with two tons each. Sluice boxes over a mile long downstream washed out the gold. The Bald mountain mine was the largest drift mine in the state with 250 miners producing 150,000 ounces of gold by 1887.

Forest City Commerce
Forest City had both an express office and telegraph line built to town by 1855. It had its own post office as well with the first postmaster, William Henry, serving from 1856 to 1860. Mr. Henry defaulted on his finances to the tune of $1,450 and his bond proved worthless with Uncle Sam picking up the loss. At its most prosperous the town had 5 hotels, 10 saloons, the famous Forest City Brewery, a dairy, jail, four black smiths, seven provision stores, 2 meat markets, and firehouse. The meat market building and Penberthy’s General store still stand today in town along with the dance hall and school house.

Forest City Dance Hall
The Forest City dance Hall was originally three stories and built after the 1883 fire. The second floor housed a large rubber sprung dance floor that can be found in only a couple other gold mining towns in Northern California. The first floor was both a barber shop as well as a saloon. Today the dance hall doubles as a museum of sorts trying to tell the story of a town long since gone.

Henry Kern established the Forest City Brewery in the early 1850’s. He later sold the brewery along with mules, hogs, malt, barley, and kegs to two gentlemen named John Amerheim and Frank Deidel. In its eighty year history the brewery was rebuilt on the same location four times due to fires. The location remained the same due to it stone brewing cellar and good spring water just across the creek. Forest City beer was sold by the glass, gallon, or keg and even made moonshine during prohibition. The building was torn down in the 1930’s.

On July 12th, 1857 a miner named Chapman Hough was fatally wounded in a fight with a Mexican fellow named Muchaco. The altercation took place between the two men in the street across from Henry’s saloon when Hough punched Muchaco in the face, and Muchaco pulled his pistol. Muchaco’s first shot missed the mark but a second shot fatally wounded Hough with the bullet entering the stomach and ranging downwards. Hough, though mortally shot, seized the pistol, and in the struggle it went off, wounding Muchaco in the thigh. Hough died the next day and Muchaco was arrested by Deputy Sheriff Kirkpatrick and later sent to the state penitentiary.

Forest Rifles, Company C, (Sierra Battalion) Fourth Division, Second Brigade were mustered in 1856 in the town of Forest City. In 1855 Forest City was growing rapidly and the residents desired military protection and also recreation for the male population. There was a call for volunteers, and holding of an organization meeting and election of officers. This meeting was held on Saturday evening, October 27, 1855, in the Forest City Exchange by orders of General S. M. Miles, Inspector. The company was composed of men of fine discipline who expected to be permanent residents and men who would be a credit to the Volunteer Militia of the State.

On November 19, 1855, a uniform was chosen by the men; the outfit consisted of green hunting shirts trimmed with black fringe, blue pants with black stripes down the leg and army caps with yellow bands. Drums and Fife were purchased on May 5, 1856, from Dayliss and Hale, 155 J Street, Sacramento, for $70.00 and shipped to the Forest Rifles. As of May 14, 1857 the Forest Rifle Militia still did not have rifles. Then Captain Platt corresponded with the Adjutant-General and stated "Unless arms were supplied to them he could no longer sustain his command, as soldiers without arms were of no account." The Forest Rifles had been ordered to Downieville for the Fourth of July Battalion Parade with orders to have thirteen rounds of cartridges. Yet they could not fire a gun for they had no ordnance stores or no caps for their musketoons. 

The company received their rifles a week later however they were dirty and in bad condition. These arms and accoutrements were all destroyed in the fire of April 11, 1858, which razed a large part of the town. After the town of Forest City had suffered its disastrous fire, many of the settlers moved, leaving behind too few men in numerical strength to maintain a militia. Circumstances forced them to admit defeat and the volunteer company was finally mustered out for inactivity on August 20, 1866.