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