YEAR END WRAP UP

It seems like I am starting this year end compilation a little early
but because so much happened in 2007 that I thought I should start
early.
A lot of folks took my advice to observe the footings of the 1858
diversion dam at Bagby which only become visible when the river is so
low. In l977-78 these footings were exposed and seldom since. Some
think that the foundations across the river are what I am talking
about. Sorry. About 150 ft above the parking lot on the south side
of the Bagby Bridge, on the camp ground road, there is room to park
and observe the footings in the bottom of the river (now a creek).

This dam was first built in approximately 1858 when Fremont installed
the turbine mill just west of this location. In l861, a wall of
water caused by the breaking of an earth slide some distance above
Bagby, damaged the dam and washed away the mill. Fremont rebuilt a
new mill higher on the hill side father west and repaired the dam.
By the time the company was sold to the New York investors, the new
mill was not in operation. Soon, when mining resumed at the Pine
Tree/Josephine complex, water once again ran the mill.
In 1903, the Mariposa Commercial and Mining Company, owners of the
Grant from about l880, built a 400-kilowatt power plant which
provided electricity to the mills at the company mines and as a
by-product, electricity to the towns of Bear Valley, Mt Bullion and
Mariposa. The dam was once again repaired and put into service
running the generators. In 1927 a brush fire burned the power house,
flume, a portion of the bridge and damaged the dam. Everett Bagby
told me that he was running the store at the north end of the bridge
and to prevent the fire from destroying the town of Bagby, he
dynamited the bridge stopping the fire. Mariposa went without
electricity for two years when the transmission lines were bought by
the San Joaquin Light and Power Company. By this time Hwy. 140 was built through Mariposa to El Portal to join the Coulterville Road. Logging operations were starting up again at Incline and the power company built the substation on the south side of the river which is still used, to provide power for the electric motors that ran the incline.

A new steel bridge was built at Bagby that continued in use until
the middle l960's when Lake McClure inundated the old town site.
This was caused by the building of a new dam at Exchequer. The lake
is so low at the present time that I was able to photograph the
Yosemite Valley Railroad Tunnels that are usually underwater. Quite
a sight. So there it is, the dam footings, for all to see. Perhaps
twice in a lifetime.

I have been working on the history of the Mariposa County Fair. I
mentioned this to my friend Tom Phillips and he came up with a couple
of Gazette articles from 1913 about the District 4 and 5 fairs held
at Jerseydale in September of that year. One of the interesting
asides in the articles was the mention that the vegetable displays
were not as extensive as in the l912 event because "when we take into
consideration that this is a dry year in the mountains and that
streams and springs that have never been known to go dry in the
memory of the oldest settler are now dry." Wow", sounds like 2007 and
l977, and a couple more years in this old settler's memory.

The other foundations at Bagby are of comparatively recent vintage.
Probably before l900 there were few cement foundations. Most
buildings were on either stone ring walls or post and beam
constructions. For example the Bertkin Cottage built in l901 is post
and beam with the posts resting on sawed granite blocks. Most of the
houses and some commercial structures built in the 19th century were
constructed in that manner. Many of the buildings downtown are brick
on granite blocks or slabs. There was a granite quarry just south of
town where a stone mason by the name of Lowry would acquire his
material. He also made many of the stone markers in the cemetery.
The Lowry's lived on Lowry creek which now crosses Ben Hur Rd., just
south of the junction with Buckeye Road. They had gardens there and
the level areas developed for growing can still be seen more than one
hundred years later.

It is interesting that the workings of the miners and early settlers
can still be seen and explored. Most of them are on private property
now so I would not suggest visiting without an invitation. However,
on Hwy 49 North, just past the dump one can see portions of a tributary
to Agua Fria Creek which shows extensive workings. Same is true of
dredging remains on various creeks and rivers like near Hornitos and
on the Merced west of Merced Falls. Sixty-five years ago or so, I
would explore these old workings and find bits and pieces of metals,
gravel screens and cabins which up until the late l930's were located
on property still owned by the Mariposa Commercial and Mining
Company. During the Depression many came to Mariposa County in the
early spring and summer to placer mine the creeks, obtaining the price
of bacon and flour. In fact, there is a book, available locally by
the title of "Bacon and Beans in a Gold Pan" talking about such an
adventure. The author remembers taking his stash to Trabucco's Shopping Center (Cheap Cash Store) in exchange for goods for survival.

When we moved to Mariposa some 65 years ago, John and Emile Trabucco
were still the main merchants in Mariposa. Their store downtown
stocked almost everything needed for comfort and survival in a mining
camp. I remember to this day the smell of that store of leather and
Levi's, yardage goods and lead plumbing supplies; horse feed and hay;
and the must of an un-air-conditioned building during the summer. In
fact, and maybe it is because my olfactory senses no long work well,
the whole town smelled like and old mining camp, whatever that is.
Of course there was no MPUD at that time so the effluent from a
number of cesspools emptied into Mariposa Creek. Late on a hot summer
day, the odor of Vanilla or something like that lifted from the
vegetation (obviously abundant) into the early evening air of
downtown. I think I know now why the ladies of the town planted so
many rose bushes in those days.

I dearly love the creek walk downtown even these days but I wish
people would not defile the water course with trash and bottles. If
they only knew that the creek symbolized the history of Mariposa,
they would treat it with more respect. I hope the creek project gets
finished before I cash in my dust. I have many pictures of the
Mariposa River as VonSchmidt called it in his l852 map, showing how it had
been abused in the search of wealth. Today it is at rest although
there are still monuments to the past still visible. The piers of
the 5th St Bridge, which was built to take Mariposa residents to the hospital
located on the site of the Mariposa Park and Swimming Pool. Some of
us had wanted the Swimming Pool located near the High School, but the
county owned the old hospital site and the basement became the
precursor for the too small pool. (Although at the time it was built
it was declared too big.)

This year end wrap up will probably go on for a time. My mood now
is nostalgic and not interested in the politics of solid waste sites
and fire departments. I try not to live in the past but with such a
rich past all around me how can one resist. I have been under the
Gold Coin and there is a depression where a mine tunnel might have
been but the maps of the Mariposa Mine do not show such a tunnel. Of
course it is possible that Palmer Cook and Company, during their
short 18 months in Mariposa could have dug such a structure, but if
one looks at the use of that building from quite early on, one would
wonder if anyone had any use for such a thing. I was told by Emile
Trabucco, and you have to take my word for it, as you have to about a
lot of things, that the little tunnel under the Gold Coin was for
cold storage, like a root cellar. Then a bartender working many
years later for George Hanlin would not enter the basement due to an
unsavory personage who was thought to have dwelt there. Having known
many of the ladies and/ or gentlemen who were involved with the Gold
Coin and other establishments in that location, I would not recommend
paranormal exhortation because having been a friend of many who
resided in that premises I would say that they have a right to their
presence and to respect their humble abode. So there.

Leroy Radanovich

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Leroy Radanovich

To Read More By Leroy Radanovich:
Leroy Radanovich's Mariposa Life Archives
 

To learn much more about Mariposa County along with
historical photos:
A signed copy of "Images of America" - Mariposa County,
By Leroy Radanovich can be purchased at his web site:
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This is a early day photo of the Mariposa Mine in
Mariposa County that is mentioned in the article to
the left by Mr. Radanovich.

This photo and others can be purchased in various sizes.
All prints are archivally printed on fiber based paper, given a selenium wash which renders the photographs permanent with a warm tone ready for framing
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Mariposa in 1920

This photo and others can be purchased in various sizes.
All prints are archivally printed on fiber based paper, given a selenium wash which renders the photographs permanent with a warm tone ready for framing
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Mariposa County Courthouse written by Leroy Radanovich and
Scott Pinkerton is a book about the oldest courthouse in California that is still in use today.
The book is signed by Leroy Radanovich.
To purchase the book:
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Mariposa in 1860

This photo and others can be purchased in various sizes.
All prints are archivally printed on fiber based paper, given a selenium wash which renders the photographs permanent with a warm tone ready for framing
Radanovich Galleria & Books