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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1884)
THE WEST SHORE. THE 1850. tz nim n EXCITEMENT U A HKAKOSAlil.K Uhaiai r.." MOKE fHr-rwutliing in tot nffwts. more extended in h-ngth of time, ami affecting n fur greater number of pl tl.an oven Um Gold Lake craze, was tho Trim dal excitement and the ruHh for the Trinity mines early in the year 185ft The crude ideas and extravagant ex-liM-tiitioiiH of tkiwo days led tu many ft wild gooHe chase, mid nono of them whh wilder than the search for Trinidad Bay, where wan to le founded a rival to San Francisco nnd mi entreat to the northern mines. Tho gold discoveries in 18-18 and 18-1!) were chiefly confined to tho western slope t.f the Sierra, and hundreds crossed tho northern mountains and passed tho great while Shasta, with no idea that in its very shadow the precious metal could bo found, and in tho mountains where it stood n king were stored riches in keeping with it regal splendor. Klamath, Scott, Shasta, Salmon nnd Trinity rivers, with their gold-laden confluents, were passed by with scarcely n thought, while the emigrant hastened onward to tho center of attraction. Yet Northern California was not even then an entirely unknown region. The trapperB of tho Hudson's Bay Company had visited every stream nnd set their traps along the banks for nearly twenty years. To tho great mnss of Argonauts, however, it was an unexplored wild. No map had been made of it nnd no published information was to be had. Tho knowledge of the trapjwrs, who were scattered far nnd wide, availed but little to clear up tho mystery of mountains nnd streams, nnd but little thought was be stowed iiH)ii them. Fremont had marked the Klamath River on his map, but had located it many miles north of its proMT course. Beyond this all was blank. Added to this whh tho general liclicf that gold was only to bo found on the western slopo of tho Sierra. "Why, then, should tho proiMetor turn his thoughts or his Btops toward the northwest I iuajor renrson is. Heading, the old trapjier and pioneer California!!, left Sutter's Fort iu tho spring of 1815 on n trapping expedition to tho upper rivers, nnd in May crossed tho ridgo nnd came upon a lanre stream which he then christened Trinity River, supposing that it had its outlet in Trinidad Day, as marked on the old Spanish chart This bay had Won discovered , 11th or June, 177'), by nu exploring expedition, consisting .r a frigate, commanded by Bruno Hacotn, nnd a sloop lLT, ? i g"mlr0 y lkH,,,t,n- Tllis was the Sunday of the Holy Trinity, nnd tho devout Spaniards named the toy Trinidad This could not linve i nnmeil the Humboldt Bav. for thomOi u i m . . , . . ..... " '"V w ciiiiwi iruuuad is little more than nu ojen roadstead, nnd lies but a few U..U to the north of the other and better harbor, its outline was too phunly marked on the chart to admit of Sn JriUKusoo for a public meeting to take steps for - n.u. ,.MMonug una old Spanish discov, what kind of a harbor it presented, and win rbararkr of the country tributary to it; but the went of the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill i to the project for a time. Trinidad was forgotten and all California hastened to the mines. In the summer of 1849 Major Heading started with a oartv of men from toovi Heading to prospect the Trinity. They returned in August nnd reported the discovery very rich diggings on that stream, ine enect of such a statement as this can well be imagined. Emigrants were then coming down from Oregon or entering the upper Sacramento Valley by the Lassen trail from across the plains, and while most of these preferred to continue on to the well-known mines farther south, a few were ven turesome enough to cross the high mountains to Trinity River. In this way quite a number of miners gathered and worked along the banks of the Trinity in the fall of 1849. The reports of rich diggings sent out by these men created quite a fever of excitement, but the fear of the rigors of a winter in unknown mountains, cut off by snow-bound ridges from food and supplies, deterred the crowd from venturing into this wilderness until spring; and, indeed, all but a few of those who worked on the stream in the fall went back to the valley as winter set in for the same reason. Hundreds gathered at the. head of the Sacramento Valley to await the opening up of the mountain passes by tho warm spring weather, while all through the mines were working men who had determined to abandon their claims and hasten to Trinity Itiver at the earliest possible moment The error made by Major Beading in suppos ing the Trinity to flow into Trinidad Bay was communi cated to others, and this was the general opinion of alL It was then conceived that the best way to reach the mines Was to go to Trinidad Bay and then follow up the course of the stream. All that was known of the bay was contained in the records of the Spanish explorers and the Inter observations of Captain Vancouver, while such a place was indicated on the maps at an indefinite point on the northern coast. To find Trinidad Bay became, then, the all-important object. In the month of November, 1849, two parties left the Trinity mines to find the de sired harbor. One of these proceeded to San Francisco and commenced fitting out a sea expedition. The second party, consisting of Josiah Gregg, L. & Wood, D. A. Buck, Van Dusen, J. B. Truesdell, C. G Southard, Isaac Wilson and T. Sebing, followed down the stream to find its mouth. When they came to the Bald Hills they crossed the summit to the coast, thus failing to discover the fact that the Trinity was but an affluent of the Klamath. Thev reached the coast at the mouth of Mnd River, which then received its name because Gregg flow into a passion there when some of the party desired to abandon the senrch and not go up the coast to examine a bny, of the existence of which they had learned from the Indians. Gregg's passion prevailed; they followed up the const nnd enme upon a bay which they called the Trinidad, nnd is the one so known at the present day. Near the head of the bay they left an inscription on J tree as evidence of their presence. They then traveled south inland and soon came upon a stream which they named Eel River, continuing up its banks and crossing