Penn Valley


	Earliest Settlement By Michelle Roth Nevada County Gold www.nevadacountygold.com

The Maidu Indians were the first to reside in what is now known as Penn Valley. They migrated from the Sacramento Valley in 1833. Four camps settled in the area at sites now called Bridgeport, Lake Wildwood, Mooney Flat and Indian Springs.

In 1848, discovery of gold in California brought the first white settlers to Penn Valley which is believed to be the earliest settlement in Nevada County. They traded bows, arrows and rifles to the Indians in exchange for animal skins.

Many feel that Penn Valley is named for a Madame Penn who had a 320 acre homestead at the intersection of Squirrel and Grub Creeks. A gold miner turned rancher named James Ennor purchased the




		Bridgeport Covered Bridge

property from her in October of 1852. Eventually, the 320 acres grew to 700 and became a good part of what is now Penn Valley. Early settlement of the area occurred in part due to its location on a freight wagon route established between mining regions to the east and Sacramento. Penn Valley was an important stop with livery and blacksmithing services available.

Growth of the area also came about when discouraged miners gave up their gold pans for plows and the valley became an agricultural community. Known as the “Pantry of the Northern Mines,” the area had some of the finest land in the state and supplied fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to freight wagons heading to mines as far away as Nevada.

Penn Valley also became home to a thriving dairy industry which took off in the late 1800s with completion of a creamery that became one of the best known in the state. Today, all that remains of this important industry is the rebuilt Butter Maker’s Cottage in Western Gateway Park.

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Life was good in Penn Valley in those days, says Susan. “I remember the gas station and market – the wood floors would creak. Where the shopping center is were trees – that’s where people would park when they had the rodeo. “Everyone would come to the rodeo. That was a big thing.” “I was there for the first rodeo,” says Susan’s mom, Kathy Robinson. Susan was, too – she was a year old. “You sat on bales of hay. It was Father’s Day, and it snowed,” says Kathy.

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	Tom and Bill Casey Circa 1900

In the summer of 1848 Jonas Spect went prospecting up Deer Creek from his diggings at Timbuctoo, where on June 1 he had discovered gold. He later wrote, “I came to the finest kind of valley, which I think they afterwards called Pen Valley, but nothing occurred which would be of interest”. Of course, Mr Spect’s interest was gold. Many who came after found a different kind of value in the land. The present site of Penn Valley’s commercial center developed long after Indian Springs and Pleasant Valley (around the Anthony House) had post offices, schools and businesses.

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	At the drop of a hat, Alice Magonigle can recite Penn Valley history – first person. After all, she has lived through 86 years of it. Sitting in the living room of her 100-year-old home, originally built by homesteaders the memories flow as sweet and free as gurgling creek. We’ve always had cattle,” Alice said. In addition to the 160 acres she still owns, Alice and her husband Henry at one time owned over 300 acres near where Williams Ranch School now stands They owned an additional 1700 acres in the vicinity. “It took a lot of land for 200 head of cattle,” she said. To read the rest of this document, please click here.