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The settlement at Bath
was first made in the summer of 1850, by a man named John Bradford, a merchant,
at that time doing business at Stony Bar. His attention was first drawn to the
place by the excellent pasturage it furnished for his mules, and the beauty of
the location for a stock ranch. He therefore built a cabin in which to reside
and store his goods upon their arrival from Sacramento in wagons, to be packed
to the store at Stony Bar as they were required or as occasion served, and also
built a brush fence around the cove, claiming it as a ranch. Some time during
the fall of the year 1850; the place attracted the attention of some miners from
the .Middle Fork of the American River, who purchased the place of Bradford for
a small sum, and located there for the winter, intending to hunt deer, and mine
in the dry gulches which debouch into Volcano Canon. Among this party were D. P.
Marshall, and Thomas Creagh, who are now residents of Forest Hill. By this party
gold was discovered in the gulches, and, gradually, as the news of the existence
of gold in paying quantities became known, miners flocked to the place and
formed a settlement, and who dignified the place by giving it the name of
Volcano. The following year, in consequence Of the discovery of rich "hill
diggings" by the Blakeman brothers, who located the "Mint Drop" claims, and by
Isaac Snodgrass, who took up the " Snodgrass claims," large numbers of miners
flocked to the place, and rapidly built up a town. There being another town of
the same name on the opposite side of the Middle Fork of the American River, at
that time of equal importance, and considerably its senior, it was thought
proper to change its name, which was done at a town meeting, called for the
purpose, and it was afterwards known as Sarahsville, which name was given it in
honor of the wife of a man called " Blaze." Her christian name being Sarah, and
she being the first lady settler of the place, the gallant pioneers considered
the place honored by bearing her name. Early in January 1858, the citizens of
Sarahsville conceived the idea of having a Postoffice at that place; a town
meeting was called, the name of the place changed from. Sarahsville to Bath; a
petition drawn up and numerously signed, asking the Postoffice Department to
establish a Postoffice at the town, was immediately forwarded; and in a short
time a weekly mail route was established from Yankee Jim's to Bath, which had
the effect of rendering the new name permanent if the town itself was not. |
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