F 868 .P7 P7 Copy 1 C^IUMTIT ^^^■^ti-^^ CALIFORN _ v\« -VJ^'^ \^ PLACER COUNTY CALIFORNIA A CONTINENT WITHIN A COUNTY ^ ISSUED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PLACER COUNTY COMPILED BY A COMMITTEE SELECTED BY THE AUBURN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Printed by FRANK L. SANDERS Lincoln, California Foreword THIS BOOKLET was printed by direction and autliority of tlie Board of Supervisors of Placer County, and compiled by a com- mittee selected by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Its pur- pose is to furnish impartial and reliable information to those who may wish to be informed about the location, climate, soil, water supply, transportation facilities, population, industries, production, natural resources and opportunities of Placer County. Although Placer County is the banner deciduous fruit county of the State, it still contains a great deal of unimproved land well adapted to the growing of all kinds of fruit, grain and alfalfa; just as good land as that now under cultivation and offers just as good an opportunity for the making of thousands of happy and prosperous homes, as was the opportunity for the thousands we already have. To the investor, we offer large tracts of unimproved land await- ing subdivision and development; to the fruit grower and farmer, we offer a variety of soil and climate capable of producing almost every tree and plant produced by Mother Earth; to the stockman, we offer the mountain range in summer and the warm sheltered foothills in winter; to the miner we offer miles of unexplored ancient river channels, rich with placer gold, and hundreds of undeveloped gold bearing quartz ledges from which in ages past, our streams and can- yons drew their flow of river gold, that gave to this county the name of "Placer." To the man who wishes to retire from active life, we offer a situation free from the cold blizzards of the North and the violent storms of other sections; a climate and scenery second to none; a broad minded and intelligent civilization, and every form of modern convenience within his reach, in fact, a place where any man can sit beneath and enjoy "his own vine and fig tree." Very truly yours, JOHN A. LIVINGSTON, RAGLAN TUTTLE, ROBERT .lOXES, Committee on Printing. <' PLACER COUNTY Lies between the latitude of 38 degrees 40 minutes and 39 de- grees 30 minutes North, about the same as the State of Delaware and Southern Italy. Its direction is northeast and southwest. It is about 100 miles long and of varying widths, from 10 to 30 miles, the course and distance being defined by the course of the rivers which mark its boundaries. It extends from about 8 miles from the Sacramento river over the summit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, to the Nevada State line. Just above Auburn, between the Bear and American rivers, the county is very narrow, being about 8 miles across. Above Auburn it widens out into two divides, lying between the Bear river and the Middle Fork of the American river. These are known as the Dutch Flat or Railroad Divide, and the Forest Hill Divide. The southwestern portion is more regular in shape than the part just described. This section contains the foothill and level agricultural lands, the southwest two-thirds being on the pi? ins proper, and the southeast one-third being the foothill and fruit district. Area 1,395 square miles. Population 1910, 18,237. Population per square mile, 13.1. Auburn, County Seat, population 1910, 2,376. Temperature. Highest-105 (1912) Lowest-22 Normal Rainfall 35 inches. Of the area, 810 square miles are mountainous, 450 foothills, and the remainder valleys. The entire extent faces toward the west, ex- tending from an altitude of some 40 feet on the plains in the west- ern portion, to over 7,000 feet at its eastern boundary line, embracing nearly every variety of climate known in the State. At the eastern boundary separating it from the State of Nevada, is Lake Tahoe, one of the most picturesque lakes in America. The topography of Placer County, is as irregular as its shape. Imagine the whole Atlantic coast from Labrador to Tallahassee, incorporated into one county, and one will have a fair idea of what may be found in Placer, exaggerated as to size, but not as to the great variety of climate, elevation, soils and resources. As to the latter, the whole Atlantic seaboard can hardly equal the endless variety to be found within the borders of this county, which rivals Florida in the quality of its oranges, excels New Jersey in peaches, equals the Placer County Court House, Auburn, Cal. New England states in its granite quarries, and compares favor- ably with Maine in the quality of its lumber. From an elevation of about 2500 feet up to the summit of the mountains snow falls in the winter, light at the lower edge of the line, and increasing in depth as it ascends the Sierra. Here is a strip of territory from the snow line up to an elevation of 3,000 feet, particularly adapted to the apple, pear, and a great variety of vegetables. This county, for years has produced, annually, from one-third to one-fourth of all the deciduous fruits shipped to Eastern and foreign markets, for consumption in the fresh state, out of the entire state of California. Its shipments last year, 1912, were 2,900 carloads of 24,000 pounds each, being about the average of the last five years. These consisted in the order named as to quantities, of peaches, plums, pears, cherries, grapes, apricots, etc. In addition, besides strawberries, blackberries. Loganberries, raspberries, etc., vast quantities of these fruits were shipped by express to nearer markets. WESTERN PLACEK The western or valley portion of the County, lies, as we may say, on the floor of the great Sacramento Valley of which it is a part. The land is practically level, broken by an occasional willow- riiuer County High Schtx fringed creek flowing toward the Sacramento river. The soil is of the same alluvial composition as the rest of the valley, and is well adapted to the growing of all kinds of grain, alfalfa, frviit and veg- etables. Heretofore most of this land has been held in large tracts rang- ing from one to ten thousand acres, the average farm being about 1200 acres, and farmed mostly to grain, with occasional large stretches used as pasture. The grain is sown in the fall and early winter, and the abundant I'ainfall of the winter and spring months always insures a good crop, without irrigation, which is harvested in the early summer months, when combined harvesters, drawn by traction engines, or strings of from twenty-four to thirty-six mules, or horses, are a common sight. A great many of these large farms that are owned by old time settlers, are being subdivided into smaller tracts, and sold to new settlers, at very reasonable prices. For instance, good valley land, the same as is being sold in other parts of the state for from $100 to $250 per acre, can be bought in Western Placer at from $50 to $75 per acre, but it is going fast and will not last long at these prices. Water for domestic use can be easily secured from bored wells, at a depth of from 20 to 30 feet, while a well bored to a depth of leeing: Station at Roseville, Placer County from 100 to 150 feet will furnish an abundant supply for irrigation. Heretofore, in the old days of wheat and mules, irrigation was very little practiced, but with the advent of alfalfa, hops and dairying, ir- rigation is a necessity, consequently the bored well, the gasoline, or electric pump are coming into general use. As will be seen by looking at the map on inside cove>- page the main line of the Southern Pacific traverses the full length of the county, and the Shasta Route traverses the Western part. The prin- cipal towns in this section, are Roseville, Lincoln and Sheridan, and the new State Highway, now under course of construction, will pass through all of these towns. ROSEVILLE So named because of the "Rose", the most beautiful of all flowers, which grows in this locality with surprising ease, attaining a size and beauty rarely known elsewhere, was one of the many sleeping villages of the Sacramento valley, up to and including a portion of the year 1906, and was called and spoken of as the "Junction" of the Northern and Eastern routes of the Southern Paci- fic. Today it is one of the great railroad centers of the West. To show the wonderful growth of Roseville, we give some figures ob- tained from the Assessment Book of 1912. The assessed valuation for the yeai- 1912 was $895,550, as against one fourth of this amount in the year 1905. The population was then 250, today it is over 3000. The town at that time, had one grocery store, in connection with which was the postoffice, a livery stable and a butcher shop. In the year 1906 came a change. The Southern Pacific realized the many advantages of Roseville as a terminal and commenced active opera- tions. As a result of these, Roseville has machine shops capable of turning out everything needed in the manufacture of freight cars, with the exception of the largest castings, and these are done in Sacramento, only 18 miles away. About 400 men are constantly em- ployed in the construction of these cars, besides a great number of others who are employed in and around the round-houses, of which there are two, each one capable of housing 32 engines at one time. Roseville is on the main trunk of the new State Highway, for which an appropriation of $18,000,000 was made by the State of California. This now runs North from Sacramento through Roseville, but arrangements will soon be made for a lateral East to Auburn, the County seat. A $10,000 Carnegie library was finished last year, and is being- stocked with the latest reading matter of all kinds. The Pacific Fruit Express has located in Roseville one of the largest pre-cooling plants in the United States. Many carloads of fruit are sent here to be pre-cooled, preparatory to their trip east, from all parts of the Sacramento valley. One of the largest institutions in the county is the Plar-er County Winery Company, located at Roseville. The stock of this plant is held almost exclusively by local grape growers, and assures them, under contract, a most substantial price for their grape?, the ex- penditure for grapes, for the year 1911 alone amounting to over $42,000. This plant crushes annually, at vintage time, from 4,000 to 5,000 tons of grapes of the finest varieties obtainable, all grown in the immediate vicinity of the winery. Several thousand acres are planted to wine and table grapes, and a vineyard in full bearing will produce from $100 to $150 per acre. Land can be purchased at prices ranging from $30 to $75 per acre, and in any quantity desired. On such lands, a man engaged in diversified farming, realized $2,680, from hay, grain and poultry, grown on 100 acres, during the year just ended. Another man sold $4,400 worth of grain and hay cut from 90 acres, in one cutting, while the 40 acres adjoining, brought in an income of $1,200 net from melons. After the melons were harvested, the land wa.^ sown to grain in the same year. Peaches, almonds, plums, prunes, figs and other fruits do exception- ally well in this locality. Peaches produce from $150 to $350 per acre, according to the price obtained in the market. These trees begin IJirilseye View of IJncoln, I'liU-er County to bear in the fourth year, but the owner can make his acreage pay from the start by planting melons, potatoes, etc., between the trees. This can be done till the trees grow so large as to cover the ground. Almond growing is considered the best industry of its kind, as the land is especially adapted to almond culture. One acre of almond trees in full bearing will produce about two tons, which sell, at from $250 to $300 per ton. The Nonpareil variety is the best to plant, as these nuts bring the highest price. Plums and prunes do as well here as in any part of California. A plum grower, one-half mile from Roseville, produced $400 per acre. These plums were sold crated at seventy-five cents per crate. Fig growing can be made a profitable business, as one does not have to rely on the mai^ket for the disposal of the fresh fruit, but may sun-dry the entire crop of figs and dispose of them at a good figure. A young fig orchard near Roseville produced $125 per acre last year which was realized on the sun-dried figs. When it is considered that the figures quoted are from crops grown in this section, without irrigation, those figures would in many cases be doubled with irrigation. It has been demonstrated during the last year that water can be had in large quantities through pumping plants. The Whitney Estate Company, extensive orange growers, three miles north-east of Roseville, have recently developed storing llu' llarve>t at Uiu-olii, Pliu'er County an artesian well, furnishing a 7-inch flow. The fact that artesian water may be had, together with the assurance of the South Yuba Ditch Company, that their system of reservoirs will enable them to furnish irrigating waters to this entire district, promises great activ- ity in the near future. LINCOLN Known as the "Clay City" is situated on the line of the Shasta Route of the S. P. R. R. nine miles north of Roseville and twenty-eight miles from Sacramento, is a thriving up-to-date town of 1500 inhabi- tants, with broad clean streets. Lincoln has a municipal water sys- tem, a complete sanitary sewage system, fine Grammar and High schools, an up-to-date public library, wide awake newspaper, three hotels, a bank, three churches and all lines of business are well rep- resented. At the present time the people of Lincoln and vicinity have tak- en steps to build a first-class cannery, which will be in operation by next season. One of the finest and largest deposits of potter's clay on the Pa- cific Coast is at Lincoln. Here is located the great plant of Gladding, McBean & Co., the largest of its kind west of Chicago. Manufac- «■ ..^**.>£te*i '^^^^^^J gy]. ^ '"• y.-, -'■- _ ^^^^^SgM K 3 i • .£||^^^^HU;£i<^K^bS( \- ■■<:*■ 7^^^f ^^ ^r^%::^^ ..L^i ^ Tort ion of l*la<'er .\ iirserit's Near l^inooln, I'lacer County turers of all kinds of sewer and drain pipe, tiling, terra cotta, chim- neys, lining partitions of every description, flower pots, pressed brick and the finest and most elaborate designs of architectural terra cotta. This company has all of the modern appliances for handling the raw rhaterial and the finished product. They employ several hun- dred men all the year round, which makes Lincoln one of the best markets for fruit, farm, or garden truck in the county. Not only are these various clay products manufactured at Lincoln, but the Lincoln Clay Products Co., which owns a large deposit of fine clay makes a specialty of shipping and supplying clay to other potters throughout the state. There is also a deposit of the finest quality of glass sand here, as well as a deposit of low grade coal. The country surrounding Lincoln is of the same general char- acter as the valley portion of the county. Although a great deal of this land is well adapted to horticulture but very little is so used at present, it being mostly devoted to general farm- ing, which, although it has not been painted in such glowing colors as some other lines of industry, has many good bank accounts to its credit. Here the farmer can have a rotation of crops, growing practically all the year round; his stock requires very little shelter and can range in the open pasture continuously. The cold blizzards of winter and the violent storms of summer are unknown iiere; stock of all kinds do remarkably well and are exceptionally healthy. Hog raising is a very profitable branch of the stock business in this sec- tion, as well as turkeys and other poultry. In fact, this is a section where diversified farming of every description can be carried on both comfortably and profitably. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierras, a short distance east of Lincoln are the Orangevale, Fruitvale, Gold Hill and Mt. Pleas- ant fruit districts. The Orangevale district has an exceptionally fine belt of deciduous fruit orchards, and here is located the great nursery of the Silva-Bergtholdt Co., one of the largest in the state. Gold Hill, once a famous mining district, is now famed for its fine orchards. Nestled along the south slope of a spur of the Sierra foothills is the Mt. Pleasant district. It contains not only many fine deciduous fruit orchards, but also one of the best citrus belts in the country, in fact, a citrus belt that will compare favorably with any in the state. Here oranges ripen as early as in any por- tion of the state, without any exception whatever, and the records of the last thirty years prove the district to be practically immune from danger by frost. At present there are only a few orange groves in this district, but considering the quality of the soil; the early ripen- ing of the fruit; the advantage of the early market; the immunity from scale and insect pests, and the abundant supply of water for irrigation, together with an ideal climate, it would seem that this section is bound to become one of the best early orange growing sections in California. SHERIDAN A town of some 200 people, is situated eight miles north of Lincoln, on the same railroad and the same State Highway. Sheridan has a good general store, hotel, lumber yard, postoffice, grammar school and church. Up to a short time ago, Sheridan was a sleepy village, where the farmers from the surrounding country were wont to gather and discuss the "weather," crops and neighbor- hood gossip, but as in other parts of Western Placer, the large tracts of practically idle land adjoining the town, have changed to more pro- gressive owners; subdivisions are being sold, homes built and orchards planted and Sheridan has had more activity in real estate during the past year than any town in Western Placer. The land adjoining the town is well adapted to general farm- ing, fruit growing, dairying, and poultry raising. The foothill sec- tion, a short distance east of Sheridan, contains some exceptionally fine fruit land, some portions of which are particularly well adapted to citrus culture. In this direction are the Goss tract. Clover Valley NewcuNlle in rruit Seaison tract and the Washington tract; all new subdivisions being fast settled up, as well as the Wright electric farms on the west, where electric pumps are being installed. Sheridan offers special inducements to the small investor with limited means, as well as opportunity to the man of wealth. THE FRUIT SECTION OF PLACER COUNTY This section of Placer county, in which are situated the towns of Rocklin, Loomis, Penryn and Newcastle, and consisting of an area of 102 square miles, enjoys many advantages unequalled elsewhere. Notwithstanding the comparative smallness of the district, and the fact that but a small part of it is set to orchard, or vineyard, it produces a very large proportion of the deciduous fruits shipped from the State of California, besides several hundred cars of ripe fruits and berries, and a rapidly increasing acreage of oranges and lemons. Placer county fruits ripen early and are of a superior quality. The warm foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, sloping to the west, with the decomposed granite soil, so particularly adapted for fruit, combine to make the fruit of this section superior to that grown elsewhere. Our plums, peaches, grapes, pears and other fruits have a fine flavor, and high sugar content. PRINCIPAL FRUIT PRODUCTS PEACHES have always held first place in this section, not only as regards acreage, but also in the amount of fruit raised and ship ped. At present, the output is about 45 per cent of the total shipment of deciduous fruit. Preference is given to the Triumph, Elberta, Crawford, Lovell, Levi and Phillips clings. Prices for green fruit vary from 40 to 85 cents per box, at point of shipment, while clings for canning com- mand from $30 to $65 per t^n. PLUMS are next in importance and are becoming more and more plentiful each year. All kinds of plums are raised to perfection, and the prices average close to $1 per box at the point of shipment. GRAPES have a standing next to plums in relative tonnage, wine and table varieties being extensively grown. Table grapes bring from 75 cents to $1.75 per crate, and wine grapes from $15 to $25 per ton. PEARS come next in relative importance, and are grown over a large area and do equally well in suitable soil in any locality, or al any elevation up to 3,500 feet, and bring a cash price of from $1.00 to $2 per box at point of shipment. CHERRIES do particularly well in this section and command a cash price of from $1 to $1.50 per box of 10 pounds. Placer Couuty Orchard Scene Near Loom! BERRIES of all descriptions do well in our soil, but the Placer "Dollar" strawberry is in a class all its own. It has an exceptionally fine flavor, and is of a firmness that will permit long distant ship- ment that no other variety will begin to stand. Strawberries are packed in crates containing 15 small baskets, the crate weighing about 17 pounds, and they bring from $1 to $2.50 per crate at the point of shipment. Loomis, Penryn and Newcastle ship about 75,000 crates per season. ORANGES: There is a large acreage in navel oranges, mostly young trees, and more being planted from year to year, as the results obtained from older trees become known. The Whitney Estate Co., pio- neers in orange growing in Placer county, have 150 acres planted to navel oranges, of which only 15 acres are mature trees. The mature trees have been bearing for several years and have conclusively proved the adaptibility of this section for citrus production. During the sea- son of 1910, eleven car loads of 380 boxes each, were harvested from 15 acres. The oranges sold in the eastern markets for $2.34 a box above freight charges and commissions. It costs about 80 cents to pick and pack the fruit and load it on the cars, which left the grow- er a profit of $1.50. The 15 acres produced 4,180 boxes, and the total profit was $6,437.20, or $429.15 per acre. Placer county oranges are from six weeks to two months earlier than those of Southern California, an advantage which gives us the choice of an early market, and corresponding high prices. At Rocklin, besides the fruit industry, granite quarrying is the principal industry; there being some twenty-seven quarries in opera- tion, with possibilities for many more. The only State in the Union that produces granite as hard as Placer county is Vermont. The stone used in some of the finest public and private buildings west of the Rocky mountains came from the Rocklin quarries. The quar- ries at Rocklin employ some five or six hundred men, and the average wage of the stone-cutter is five dollars per day. Carnation growing has proved a remunerative and easy pastime to several persons engaged in that business near Loomis. Here the florist is able to do in the open air what the eastern florist must do under glass. The expense of carnation raising is comparatively small and the profits are large. Loomis carnation plants are ship- ped all over the United States. Adjoining the town of Loomis, is the government experimental station ror fig raising, from which Capri figs for fertilization are shipped to all parts of the coast. The prosperous condition of our people, the farmer and orchard- ist, as well as the commercial wealth of our community will make itself apparent to the most casual observer, and will compare favor- View Between lar and Colfax er County ably with any section of the United States where prosperity depends upon the productiveness of the soil. Our people have good homes, drive good teams, or automobiles, not the result of inherited wealth, accumulated from other sources, but the direct revenue of their orchards, or farms. A rural telephone system practically covers the district, and brings the farmer in close touch with his neighbors, the towns and cities. Rural free delivery brings the mail and daily paper to the door; the schools and churches will compare favorably with those of any other rural section and the roads are inferior to none. In the matter of railway transportation, particularly as applies to our principal products, Placer county enjoys the exceptional ad- vantage of being on the most direct transcontinental railway route. Fruit loaded into refrigerator cars late in the afternoon, has but to pass from this county, and is well on its way to the Eastern mar- ket, while fruit from other sections is not yet out of the state. THE AUBURN DISTRICT Auburn, the county seat and chief town of Placer County has a population of 2500, and is situated on the Ogden line of the Southern Pacific, 36 miles from the state capital. It is therefore most con- veniently situated with reference to markets, and for communications in all directions, as will be clearly seen by looking on the map. There are many towns in California which boast finer buildings and more elaborate improvements, but none which surpass in natural advantages for home building. Its altitude, fine air, mountain water and magnificent scenery, together with sightly and well drained build- ing locations, make it unrivaled in this respect. From its many hills may be seen, stretching for hundreds of miles on the eastern Horizon the snow-clad Sierras, and on the west the broad valley of the Sac- ramento, in which the river glistens like a thread of silver. Nearer by, in the foothill valleys, and climbing to the tops of the hills, the orchards and vineyards, pastures and fields of grain, make a panorama upon which the eye is never tired of dwelling. Auburn, spread over its seven hills (or more nearly a dozen) climbing from the miners' Old Town, in the ravine, to the crest of the American canyon, two miles distant, is a true urbs in rus, a city in the country, and if not the "loveliest of the plain", is surely the love- liest city of the hills. Its beautiful court house, built entirely of Placer county stone and brick, and framed by tall eucalyptus, makes a picturesque acropolis, and behind, as seen from the Nevada street station, may be glimpsed the pretty little Methodist church, and on still higher ground the Catholic church, a fine new edifice of stone, replacing the building half a century old. Other churches are the Baptist, Congregational and Episcopal, the latter remarkable for its excellent choir. Olive Grove on Aeolia Heights, Auburn, Placer Countj The Placer County High School, occupying a commanding loca- tion on the south side, is perhaps the building of which Auburn has the most cause to be proud. With an exceptionally able faculty this school has a wide reputation. The cadets have a military instructor and are annually inspected by the adjutant general. On another hill is the public library, with a fine collection of the latest literature and periodicals and a useful reference department. The library also has the advantages of the state library circulation, so that the students of Auburn can make use of the great historical and literary collections of the state. Auburn is the business town and fitting-out place for the mines and lumber camps of the mountains, and is the junction point for Mountain Quarries, with its million-dollar plant and railroad. It has two banks, two postoffices, two newspapers, two hotels of high repu- tation and a variety of commercial houses and shops. In the office of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce may be seen in a large frame, the sixty-five ribbons and medals awarded to Placer county at the last State Fair, for excellence, or superiority in product of the field, orchard, mine and forest. And it may be added that no other county took half as many prizes as this county of Placer. It is a story told in blue and gold. The soil of the Auburn country, extending from the beautiful \ iew Between Newcastle and Aiiburr Long Valley on the south, to Christian Valley and Clipper Gap on the north, and westward to Edgewood, Rock Creek and Lone Star, is classed by the department of agriculture (which has selected it as one of the types of California soil) as Sierra red-clay loam, and is the result of centuries of decomposition of the granites, schists, vol- canic and other rocks of the mountains above and is rich in lime, potash and other fertilizing material. Here oranges, pomelos and the tender lemon are successfully grown, as are the fig, pomegranate, apri- cot, almond, etc. The principal market fruits are peaches, plums, pears, cherries and small fruits. Poultry keeping and dairying are profitable occupations and the business is growing. The water question is always an important one in California. The great reservoir of the foothills is located by nature in the can- yons and forests of the high mountains, where the snov/ lies deep till late in the summer; therefore, such a thing as drought is unknown. From the Bear, American, and Yuba rivers, ditches fifty miles or more in length, conduct the water to the mines and the agricultural dis- tricts, insuring a never-failing supply of water for irrigation. The rainfall here averages thirty-five inches, mostly from Sep- tember to May, and most farm crops are not given irrigation. The v/ells are from 30 to 50 feet deep, with the best of soft, cold water. The average temperature for winter is 46.9 (the lowest for the Gold Dredger at Work Near LooiniH, Fla