LOYALTON deserves a review of its history with talk of disincorporation.
The Plumas National Bulletin of February 20th, 1913 reported the first white people to reside in this vicinity were two men by names of Smith and Ball. They built a log hut on very nearly the present site of the I.O.O.F. Hall. They erected a log fort in which they defended themselves against Indian out-breaks.
The first “public spirited” man to arrive was Dr. A.G. Doom who built a hotel and other buildings near the present site of the I.O.O.F. Hall. Indians, while not warlike, were resentful of the presence of the whites. There were no definite wagon roads and no sawmills. All commodities had to be transported from Downieville by pack train. There was no mail service.
The Valley was a “common” and meadow lands alloted by mutual consent to settlers until 1864 when the government surveyors came and played havoc with accepted lines of early settlers.
According to Jim Sinnott’s books, in the early 1860’s were several fine prospects of gold, silver and copper discovered in the vicinity of Loyalton.
In 1864, Smith’s Neck had a population of fifty souls. In the presidential election that year, the precinct polled but one or two votes against Lincoln for President, and out of loyalty to the Union cause, Dr. Doom named the town Loyalton. Dr. Doom was storekeeper, hotelkeeper, postmaster, Justice of the Peace, physician, Sunday school teacher and minister of the Gospel. The first schoolhouse and first sawmill were built in 1868. It is thought the first artesian well was drilled in the 1860’s. In the early 1870’s there were active business relations of Loyalton and Sierraville with Truckee. In 1874 $2,650 of an estimated $3,000 was subscribed for construction of a section of new road between Loyalton and Reno. The 1890’s and early 1900’s was expanding economy and steadily increasing prosperity.
In July of 1901 people of Loyalton filed a petition with County Board of Supervisors asking to order an election within the boundaries of the land designated as the area to be incorporated. At its meeting on the 20th of the month the Board set the boundaries, appointed election officers and ordered an election to be held Monday, September 9th, Admission Day. The election was held and Loyalton became a municipality by a vote of 79 to 30. Articles of Incorporation included a section pronouncing Loyalton as a “dry city.” In order to prevent sale of liquor within close proximity to the incorporated area, was set the great area of 50.6 square miles. In 1936 a municipal election changed the boundaries to enclose an area of 27 square miles. Later the boundaries were again changed making the city have its present area of about .35 of a square mile. In fall of 1902, some people who had opposed the incorporation sought to have the election invalidated, claiming some illegal votes had been cast and the election was held on a legal holiday. The case was tried in the Superior Court of Judge Stanley A. Smith in Downieville, technically designated “Russell vs. Loyalton” and in August of 1902, Judge Smith held that incorporation was legally enacted and so decided in favor of the city of Loyalton. The protesting citizens had claimed there was some illegal voting, not by intent, but because some people in the Lewis Mill precinct voted, who it was thought lived within the boundaries of the incorporation, but which it later turned out, lived outside the boundaries of the incorporated town. Judge Smith found only four or five illegal votes had been cast and if deducted from the total cast in favor of the incorporation, the result would not have changed. He declared an election could be legally conducted on a holiday. The case was appealed to the State Supreme Court and held the incorporation was legal in all respects.
The Plumas National Bulletin of February 20th, 1913 reported the first white people to reside in this vicinity were two men by names of Smith and Ball. They built a log hut on very nearly the present site of the I.O.O.F. Hall. They erected a log fort in which they defended themselves against Indian out-breaks.
The first “public spirited” man to arrive was Dr. A.G. Doom who built a hotel and other buildings near the present site of the I.O.O.F. Hall. Indians, while not warlike, were resentful of the presence of the whites. There were no definite wagon roads and no sawmills. All commodities had to be transported from Downieville by pack train. There was no mail service.
The Valley was a “common” and meadow lands alloted by mutual consent to settlers until 1864 when the government surveyors came and played havoc with accepted lines of early settlers.
According to Jim Sinnott’s books, in the early 1860’s were several fine prospects of gold, silver and copper discovered in the vicinity of Loyalton.
In 1864, Smith’s Neck had a population of fifty souls. In the presidential election that year, the precinct polled but one or two votes against Lincoln for President, and out of loyalty to the Union cause, Dr. Doom named the town Loyalton. Dr. Doom was storekeeper, hotelkeeper, postmaster, Justice of the Peace, physician, Sunday school teacher and minister of the Gospel. The first schoolhouse and first sawmill were built in 1868. It is thought the first artesian well was drilled in the 1860’s. In the early 1870’s there were active business relations of Loyalton and Sierraville with Truckee. In 1874 $2,650 of an estimated $3,000 was subscribed for construction of a section of new road between Loyalton and Reno. The 1890’s and early 1900’s was expanding economy and steadily increasing prosperity.
In July of 1901 people of Loyalton filed a petition with County Board of Supervisors asking to order an election within the boundaries of the land designated as the area to be incorporated. At its meeting on the 20th of the month the Board set the boundaries, appointed election officers and ordered an election to be held Monday, September 9th, Admission Day. The election was held and Loyalton became a municipality by a vote of 79 to 30. Articles of Incorporation included a section pronouncing Loyalton as a “dry city.” In order to prevent sale of liquor within close proximity to the incorporated area, was set the great area of 50.6 square miles. In 1936 a municipal election changed the boundaries to enclose an area of 27 square miles. Later the boundaries were again changed making the city have its present area of about .35 of a square mile. In fall of 1902, some people who had opposed the incorporation sought to have the election invalidated, claiming some illegal votes had been cast and the election was held on a legal holiday. The case was tried in the Superior Court of Judge Stanley A. Smith in Downieville, technically designated “Russell vs. Loyalton” and in August of 1902, Judge Smith held that incorporation was legally enacted and so decided in favor of the city of Loyalton. The protesting citizens had claimed there was some illegal voting, not by intent, but because some people in the Lewis Mill precinct voted, who it was thought lived within the boundaries of the incorporation, but which it later turned out, lived outside the boundaries of the incorporated town. Judge Smith found only four or five illegal votes had been cast and if deducted from the total cast in favor of the incorporation, the result would not have changed. He declared an election could be legally conducted on a holiday. The case was appealed to the State Supreme Court and held the incorporation was legal in all respects.
