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Rare mining town newspaper from Northern California...
Rare mining town newspaper from Northern California...
Item # 702011
April 05, 1877
DUTCH FLAT FORUM, Dutch Flat, Placer County, California, April 5, 1877
* Rare old West publication
Dutch Flat is located mid-way between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, near Interstate Highway 80. Famous for its hydraulic mines, from which many tons of gold were taken, for its lumber industry, its role in creating the Central Pacific Railroad, and for its large Chinese community, Dutch Flat remains one of the most charming towns in California.
This scarce newspaper from its heyday from the mining era is complete in 8 pages and contains a wide variety of news items and advertisements, many of the latter illustrated and focused on those involved in the mining business--including plenty of saloon ads.
Eight pages, never bound nor trimmed, archivally rejoined at the spine with some archival mends at the margins, some edge tears, nice condition.
background: The Dutch Flat Forum was a weekly newspaper published in Dutch Flat, Placer County, California, from 1875 to 1879, during the waning years of the gold rush era when the town was still a busy hub on the Central Pacific Railroad line. Its first issue appeared on October 21, 1875, under the direction of Ben Frank & Co., and the paper carried local news, political commentary, and mining reports that reflected the interests of a small but diverse community of miners, merchants, and railroad workers. Like many frontier papers, the Forum served not only as a news source but also as a community bulletin, carrying advertisements for local businesses, notices of public meetings, and coverage of events in nearby Sierra foothill towns. In 1879 it was continued under the title Dutch Flat Weekly Forum, which lasted until about 1881, before evolving into The Placer Times published in Dutch Flat from 1881 to 1884. Surviving issues are preserved today in the California Digital Newspaper Collection and the Library of Congress, offering a rare glimpse into the life of a mining town transitioning from its boom years into a quieter role as a railroad stop and regional center.
Category: The Old West
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$88.00
