Rich Ore to Selby

From the Historical Gazette:Baker City, 1899 under the heading:
More Gold Than Rock:

A carload of ore from the Golconda mine, six miles southerly from Sumpter, Baker county, has just been received for the Selby Smelting Works and another is ready for shipment. It is magnificient ore, much of it being so rich in free gold and
telurides as to seem almost fabulous in value. It was struck at the 200 foot level in the mine and is now 12 feet wide, all pay shoot.
The rich mine is the property of J.G. English and John T. English, father and son, who purchased the mine 18 months ago and have operated with only indifferent success until the present strike was made. So rich is it that it runs thousands of dollars to the ton some of it showing more gold than rock. ... The Golconda mine is only one of the promising properties located on a mineral belt some 40 miles long and 20 miles wide running through Eastern Oregon.

Sugarbeets in North Dakota

Insects Affecting Sugarbeets in North Dakota: "The earliest record of sugarbeets being produced in North Dakota indicates that they were first planted in1890. While sugarbeet trials were conducted over the next 30 years, there was no amount of commercial production until the first sugar factory was completed at East Grand Forks, Minnesota in 1926. The first record of sugarbeet production is for 1924 when 2,600 acres were harvested in North Dakota. The total value of this crop was $194,000."

Port Costa in the Winter

The hills around Crockett and Port Costa are the most beautiful in the winter when they have turned greeen and the creeks are running full.
This view is from west looking east. The picture is not mine - it is from Claton Bailey's skycam. Take a look. It is the best.

Molasses

One of the by-products of sugar refining is molasses. Molasses that is consumed by humans is derived only from cane sugar. Some molasses is produced by directly boiling the sugar cane. Many different grades of molasses correspond with the flavor and level of processing of molasses. Blackstrap molasses is the lowest grade of molasses available because of its dark bitter qualities. All the molasses in graded foods is unsulphured. Beet sugar molasses is not fit for human consumption because it is too bitter. Beet sugar molasses is fed to dairy cows and cattle. The syrup is added to their food to make it taste sweeter. The beet molasses is also sold to yeast-making industries.

The molasses syrup which is consumed by humans has not gone through any bone char or carbon filter. About 95% of the molasses is removed before the sugar travels through the bone char or carbon filter. Any molasses which has gone through the char is used in animal feed or for fermentation purposes. Molasses companies often buy their initial product from sugar refineries and then further refine the syrup. They do not use any type of char filter because they do not desire to eliminate the brown color.

Brown sugar is basically refined sugar with added molasses. The brown sugar produced by the beet industry uses cane molasses, but this molasses has not gone through the bone char. Cane sugar companies which use bone char will utilize bone char to refine brown sugar.

Museum Visitors

Despite rain, wind, and chilly weather some of the regulars find their way to the old depot to discuss everyday happenings in Crockett. Today much of the discussion had to do with the role of county planners/inspectors in blocking any new projects in Crockett. Thanks to volunteer Mary we have a large supply of jelly beans.

A Day to Remember

A Day to Remember

For Californians the Day to Remember has to be January 24, 1848

Boys, I believe I have found a gold mine!"  With these words, James W. Marshall set the California Gold Rush in motion—a chain of events that would shape California and the American West.  James Marshall had a work crew camped on the American River at Coloma near Sacramento building a sawmill for John Sutter. On the cold, clear morning of January 24, Marshall found a few tiny gold nuggets. Thus began one of the largest human migrations in history as a half-million people from around the world descended upon California in search of instant wealth.

Of course, there are other January dates worthy of remembrance. On January 1, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. On January 29, 1891, Queen Liliuokalani assumed the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii determined to return Hawaii to native Hawaiians. On January 1, 1906, the California and Hawaiian Sugar Refining Company sent a letter to “The Sugar Trade” announcing their intention to enter the sugar refining business before April 1, 1906. On January 16, 1920, the 18th Amendment to our Constitution went into effect bringing prohibition to the United States. And on January 3, 1959, Alaska was admitted to the Union as a state.

The Story of Sugar

From time to time, you will read items about "sugar" on this site. The history of the role of sugar in the development of the America's is endlessly facinating. Our town of Crockett has been part and parcel of the sugar industry since 1897.

Sugar is made by some plants to store energy that they don't need straight away, rather like animals make fat. People like sugar for its sweetness and its energy so some of these plants are grown commercially to extract the sugar. Sugar is produced in 121 Countries and global production now exceeds 120 Million tons a year. Approximately 70% is produced from sugar cane, a very tall grass with big stems which is largely grown in the tropical countries. The remaining 30% is produced from sugar beet, a root crop resembling a large parsnip grown mostly in the temperate zones of the north. Historically, sugar was only produced from sugar cane and then only in relatively small quantities. This resulted in it being considered a great luxury, particularly in Europe where cane could not be grown. The history of man and sugar is a subject in its own right but suffice to say that, even today, it isn't easy to ship food quality sugar across the world so a high proportion of cane sugar is made in two stages. Raw sugar is made where the sugar cane grows and white sugar is made from the raw sugar in the country where it is needed. Beet sugar is easier to purify and most is grown where it is needed so white sugar is made in only one stage.

News from Oslo

Aftenposten Norway, Norwegian news in English: "A local humanitarian group in Drammen, west of Oslo, wanted to display a classic scene of peace and goodwill this holiday season, but their effort instead led to a wild chase through town involving one of their Nativity scene's cows."

RAGS

RAGS

In the book Crockett and its People by David Billeci ( © 1991 by the Crockett Improvement Association) on pp. 42-43:

“Many Crockett citizens are familiar with the story of ‘Rags.’ Rags was a mongrel, medium sized black and white dog owned by Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin H. Zuppan of 615 First Avenue. Their garage was rented to the Peters Company of Vallejo, one of the builders of the second Carquinez Bridge. Rags became the unofficial mascot of the bridge workers. He would go to work with them daily, eat with them and then return to the Zuppans at night. Towards the end of construction, the bridge workers would even take Rags to the vet, I guess you could say Rags was an adopted member of the bridge company. However, one day after watering down the bridge cement, the workers closed the bridge gate and without knowing, locked Rags in. Rags trying to escape, jumped over the side of the bridge to his death. The bridge workers erected a tomb under one of the bridge columns, marking the grave of Rags.”

Leadville Colorado

Leadville, Colorado

From the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, 1910-1911
p. 321, Vol. 15-16

Leadville, Colorado, Lake county. Mean elevation 10,500 ft.
First building erected after the silver strike, June 1877
In 1879 it had 35,000 inhabitants
“In early years Leadville was one of the most turbulent, picturesque and in all ways extraordinary, of the mining camps of the West.”

(Note by Keith: This was the time that Charlie was in Leadville.)

RETURN of the Museum Historian

After several weeks I am back at my favorite blogspot. We are just in time to celebrate the anniversaries of 2006. The first one will be the January mixer for the Chamber of Commerce. The Museum has been rearranged to make room for the 60 or 70 people who may attend. I hope we will see many Museum members there.