Downieville, California on Hwy 49 – A Most Unusual Historic Landmark – Road Trip Day 10 Ep.26

Lex sez:

Driving along Highway 49 was definitely one of the highlights of our road trip.  I loved riding with the window down to breathe the fresh mountain air and listen to the Yuba River crashing by!  One destination that Neek, Sar and I really wanted to check out along this stretch of road was Downieville, which has a very interesting history.

Named after Major William Downie who, along with a group of other miners, made camp here in their search for gold in 1849, Downieville was an important “49er” gold rush town in California.  By 1851, the population rose to a peak of 5,000 people living in what was then called “The Forks”, named because two rivers converged there.  With a population according to Wikipedia of 282, it is considered one of the least changed gold rush towns in California, and driving into it, we could see its rustic past still living!

We parked in the center of town in a parking lot off Main Street that was near the visitor center.  I was hoping that we would be able to find out more about Downieville from someone there but unfortunately it was closed.  Walking around town, I found the Yuba River bridge and near there was a cool place that had a fence made entirely from skis!  The rushing river and the blooming flowers in the area really made the walk refreshing.

 

From the brochures outside the closed visitor center, we found out information on Downieville that was fascinating.  Back in the 1850s, it missed becoming the state capital by one vote!  We also found out that the infamous Gallows of Downieville are located adjacent to the Sierra County Courthouse.  The area around there was kind of steep, so Sar stayed near the car while Neek and I checked it out.

Its full name is the Sierra County Sheriff’s Gallows and it is California Historic Landmark number 971.  The one and only time the gallows was used was November 27, 1885 when 20-year old James O’Neill was hanged for the murder of John Woodward.  It is kind of unnerving standing near (and underneath!) and instrument of capital punishment; a chilling reminder of justice in frontier times!

We got back in the car and headed back to beautiful Highway 49.  If we ever make a return trip to this highway, I think Downieville is one place we’d like to explore more and spend more time visiting!