http://www.weather.com/weather/climatology/monthly/95986 The Town Washington Page 2 The School Washington Page 3
Welcome to
Washington, California
95986
Introduction
Patrick M. McLeod Sacramento,CA USA 04/14/2007 My E-Mail Address: AltSolarPwr@aol.com
IN AUGUST OF 1850 WASHINGTON WAS THE HIGHEST POINT ON THE SOUTH YUBA RIVER AT WHICH GOLD HAD BEEN DISCOVERED WITH OVER 1000 MINERS. IN 1870 THE CHINESE OUT NUMBERED THE WHITE POPULATION. THE LAST TRY TO STRIKE IT RICH WAS IN THE 1890'S WASHINGTON IS THE LAST REMAINING VILLAGE OF THE MANY THAT ONCE FLOURISHED IN THE WASHINGTON MINING DISTRICT
From the book "Historical Notes of early Washington, Nevada County, California Mining District" by Robert and Grace Slyter
This book is available at the Washington General Store & Washington Hotel
Get a map of where you are!
Click on the big map for a closeup map of the town and some other goodies!
First sign of snow 1999!
OH! You might want to check your gas gauge, before you go down the hill to the old mining town, there are no gas stations there and you just might want to drive back out again, well, maybe not!
Looking
South-East while on Washington Road about 1 mile from the Highway 20 junction,
you can often see snow on the mountains in the direction of LAKE TAHOE. To
the right, in the picture the scared area, you can just see parts of
the Alpha and Omega diggins. These were hydraulic gold mine fields and depending
on road conditions, a four wheel drive truck is recommended, you can
drive up the Alpha Road to these locations and see what this type of mining
left behind. Remember this was done in the 1850's, it takes a long time to
heal.
Speaking of views, this is a Shot from the SHUTTLE showing the area from 115 miles up. It's a BIG picture, you might want to get your Rand McNally out for this one! Of course you can see Lake Tahoe, top right, to the left of that is Donner Lake, and now just down and to the left you can see the faint line running down the page, that is I-80, you can find Grass Valley, Nevada City, just to the left of the center and down a bit of this picture. Looking along the bottom of the frame you can see the runways of Beale AFB. It's a great shot from space, I have had fun just matching the physical features to a road map.
This is part of a picture taken from the shot above, just to give you a reference as to where things are. If you are not familiar with the area it will be hard to determine what is where in this photo, Take a map, find SR 20 running out of Grass Valley, East toward Tahoe, and you can then match the items indicated above.
Click on this LINK to see if a view of your location is available
Find a picture of the area around your town. It's great fun and you will be surprised at how different known physical features change with a picture in hand, example look at your map showing Lake Tahoe, now match this picture to your map, surprise! Details Details!. Oh the frame around this picture, is the window of the shuttle, that is why I didn't crop it out.
This is spy satellite shot of DOWN TOWN Washington, cool huh!
What you are looking at. Washington Road comes into the picture from the south, left, bottom, pass by the River Rest Campground, Post Office, off the picture. The Washington grave yard just on the left, pass a couple of homes, "Clara's Place" white square on the right, then the little park is on the right, Washington General Store, on the left on around the bend the Yuba Inn is on the right, ahead on the left is the Washington Hotel. Already you are on the way out of town, you can see a few homes on the left and right, then on out of town to the "new" Washington Bridge, over the South Yuba River. WOW! If you click on the map at the top of this page there is a hand drawn map that you can relate this picture to.
This is the closest sky shot I have found, if you find or know of a better one, or have a recent aero-photo please let me know.
The
Washington School is one of Nevada Counties finest examples of the one room
school system. This, still active school, is the areas learning center for
grades K-8, allowing the children of the area to remain close to home during
the formative years, the older students travel by bus the 20 miles one way
into Grass Valley to attend high schools.
River
access is available at The River Rest Camp Grounds, just as you enter town
on the left, form 20 of
course, (http://www.riverrestresort.com)
as well as various charming
spots along the "Maybert Road" East of town. There is a wonderful , deep
water, swimming hole located just East of the bridge that crosses the South
Yuba River and the current is mild during the summer months, but it is mid
to late July before the temperature of the water will sustain swimmers other
than the strongest at heart. The snow melt keeps the water temperatures cold
until then. Light rafting is afforded as the river drops some 50 feet along
the 2 mile run from the bridge East of town to The River Rest Campgrounds.
It can, however, be deadly during periods of high water! NO Lifeguards? You're
it, unless you brought one with you!! Of course the town has a good EMT/Rescue
team that will pull your dead body from the rapids should you insist!! Know
your limits! Enough said, Well maybe
not!
There were three drownings
in this area the past few years... Pay attention will
ya!
The South Yuba River in the Fall of 1999
This is the South Yuba River at rest.... Summer is over and the summer crowds have faded into memory. The river makes it way along the riverbed, at this point it rests and makes ready for the high water of the winter runoff, it might look a bit different next spring, after the high water, but it will still be here, it will be the same The smells, the sounds they'll all be here waiting for your return..
Rush hour in Washington, Ca.
" Someone call a Cop!.. Please clear this grid lock."
This is an old picture of Washington that I found on the Nevada County Tax Collectors page. I think it was a post card, taken before Washington road was paved. Makes a nice comparison of Now and Then..
A view from the hill...
This is an early morning view of Washington from the Relief Hill Road, The Washington School can be seen to the right of center of this picture, (white building) and clearly you can see the back of the hotel, the Yuba House. It was very quite this AM, if you listened, you could hear the sound of the river as it spattered by on it way down stream.
A closer view of Washington as seen through the trees, the back side of town from Relief Hill Road.
The Washington Catholic Church
This is the Washington Catholic
Church. It was located on the last lot on the right as you go towards the
bridge, just before the Robinsons place. Originally built in 1903, this building
survived until the mid 60's. I remember seeing it in 64, not as it looks
here with an apparent fresh coat of paint, but barren, graying wood, and
a condition that was less than inviting. It finally was in such condition
that it was torn down and the wood used as fire
wood.
Picture Provided By: May Loos 1/10/2005 From her Mother's collection.
It is sad indeed that this was allowed to happen, but as with a lot of things in life, these thing rarely matter until they are gone... I do not even recall seeing it in 1967 on my summer visit, nor did I miss it. I just failed to take note of it.. Thank you May for the photo at least we now have that. The drawing here was pretty close!
This is a photo of the picture which is hanging on the wall in The Washington Hotel at the bottom of the stairway. If you know who drew it, please let me know so credit can be given where due.
So then, this was the OLD bridge at
Washington. This picture was taken just prior to the construction of the
present bridge.
"I loved that old bridge. I can remember trying to save it but we were only stupid kids, what did we know? The new one is so ugly it looks like something from L.A. The old one had so much class and it was so much fun to walk across the top of it, remember?
Kathy"
Now the new Bridge Hummmm
Lacks a little in the character department, don't you think? Next thing you know, there will be a stop light, somewhere in town... progress...
Here is a nice note from a recent site visitor and past resident of Washington 3/27/01:
Thank you so much for your web-site of Washington. I lived in Washington from 1979-1987. I attended the school there from 5th to 8th grade. I miss it so much! It was wonderful to see pictures of places I love and brought back some great memories. I now live in Oregon and have moved around frequently. I have never found any place like Washington! Thanks again for the great tour!
Alicia Flood by permission
Just a quick thought on what the little town of Washington brings to my life and apparently others
by: Pat McLeod
"I have, over the years since starting this page in '95, received a lot of nice notes from people that have been to and become a part of Washington. Notes from some new, just discovering the area, some from years past, many recalling as Alicia does above, their childhood, when their parents brought them down to Washington to swim, camp and even as I was, to live. I thought it unique that I now look back on what I consider to have been some of the best times of my life, when all along this little town may have been some of the best time ever, for a lot of people over the years.
Truly, more than beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Despite the less than sparkling appearance this little town finds itself in these days, "it's so shabby" and most likely it was the same when I lived there, then going unnoticed, it's deficiencies are noticed more I feel by those that have truly missed, or that have, over time, and their absents from it may have lost touch with the real beauty of the place. The peaceful quite, slight rumble of the river and the slow pace of time passing marked by the trek of the sun rather than the clock. It would be, I think, the people I would become to know, love and share my adventure with that is Washington for me, this far outweighed the less than noteworthy tattered look of this little town on the Yuba.
While the young at heart have no problem playing their roll in the Washington adventure, they are satisfied to let daily life pass only to find themselves making the memories of the days spent here available for many years to come. Re-enjoying the varied moments, some very good, some bad, some heart felt, often with a tear, left to drift away, then, on the hot summer breeze. Or loving the quiet of a newly fallen snow in winter or as a surprise in April as in the picture below. Maybe, it's the breathtaking cold of the river one felt after a daring jump from the high rock, splash! I did it! Then the hope that no one noticed your gasp for air, as you burst to the top of the ice-cold Yuba. It's then you may have first realize that your life may have just changed, not for the good or bad but more to do with defining the person that you will or have become. After all, you just dared to jump off the high rock, and you were just fine, then!
It's funny how these moments become so important, to some, having passed by barely noticeable by most at the time. How grand it is then, this instant memory recall. These memories that can place you on the river on a particular day, at particular time in the day, all your friends of that moment can come along for the instant visit. You can actually recall the feeling of the hot summer sun warming your face as you try to get warm, ice water... What a place this is, what a place! How lucky then were we then to have been there, if even for a moment. Washington shabby, yes maybe, but what a place, if you take a moment to remember, and can find it again, as it was, as I found it.." -Pat
Snowy S.Yuba Beach at Washington © 2003 Patrick M. McLeod All rights reserved thank you.
Now that's a pretty April morning surprise!
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