Prior to the California Gold
Rush, the area now known as Plumas County was
inhabited by the Mountain Maidu Indians.
 Living
in small groups, they gathered roots, berries,
grasses, seeds and acorns, supplementing these
staples with large and small game and fish.
Their existence was suddenly disturbed in the
spring of 1850 when a flood of gold-seeking
miners poured into the canyons and valleys of
the region in search of a fabled "Gold" Lake.
Overnight, mining camps sprang to life. Rivers
were turned from their beds, ditches were dug to
bring water from distant sources to the diggings
and the land was turned upside down.
A sizable Chinese population took up
residence here and remained until the early
1900s when, with the decline in mining, most
left the area.
The North, Middle and South forks of the
Feather River were named in 1821 by Captain
Luis Arguello as the Rio de las Plumas
(River of Feathers) after the Spanish
explorer saw what looked like bird feathers
floating in the water. "Plumas," the Spanish
word for "feathers," later became the name
for the county.
The river and its forks were the primary
sites of early mining activity, with many
smaller camps located on their tributaries.
Over the next five decades gold mining
remained the main industry of the county.
In 1850, the famous mountain man, James P.
Beckwourth, discovered the lowest pass
across the Sierra Nevada and the following
year navigated a wagon trail for
California-bound emigrants from western
Nevada, through Plumas County, to the
Sacramento Valley.
 Several
years later, in March of 1854, Plumas County
was formed from the eastern and largest
portion of Butte County with the town of
Quincy chosen as the county seat after a
heated election.
In 1864, a large part of northern Plumas
County was carved off to form present day
Lassen County. Following this, Plumas
County annexed a small portion of Sierra
County which included the town of La Porte.
In the late 1850s, Greenville came into
existence as a mining and farming community
at the head of Indian Valley; Chester, near
Lake Almanor, was born as a result of
damming Big Meadows and the lumber potential
from the timber stands blanketing the area.
Soon after the turn of the century, and
with the construction of the Western Pacific
Railroad in 1910, Portola came into
existence. With the railroad for
transportation, the timber industry began to
emerge as the primary economic force in the
county. Until that time lumber was milled
strictly for local use. Finished lumber
could now be shipped nationwide from Plumas
forests. The timber industry contributed
enormously to the growth and prosperity of
Plumas County and continues to do so to this
day.
Coeval with the railroad's construction up the
Feather River Canyon came some of the
earliest tourists to the county. Resorts and
lodges popped up at intervals along the
"Feather River Route" to accommodate
fishermen, hikers and sightseers.
The last passenger train ran in 1970, and
the line is now devoted to freight traffic
only. In 1937, the Feather River Highway,
touted as an "all weather route," was
completed through the Feather River Canyon
from Oroville to Quincy, linking Plumas
County year-round to the Sacramento Valley.
contributed
by Scott J. Lawson
Plumas County Museum Director
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