Leland Pauly's parents, Grace and Julius, came to Camptonville in 1919. They came from the Mohawk Valley in Plumas County, California. Grace Pauly was a school teacher, and Julius, along with his brother, Oscar, operated stage and freight lines between Marysville, Camptonville, and Downieville.
Photo of Julius Pauly and the stage

Leland Pauly has lived in Camptonville his entire life, other than the first few years of his life, his service years in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and time at the Colorado School of Trades to study gunsmithing. He spent several years working at the Meek Mercantile, the general merchandise store that was the center of town for many years, and he was the Postmaster from 1962 to 1977.

Photo of Leland as a child

Leland was born in Brown's Valley and raised in La Porte. His father operated the stage in the Feather River area for many years before taking on the Marysville to Downieville route and moving to Camptonville. The Paulys purchased a house on Main Street (now Cleveland Avenue) from Dr. Frederick K. Lord, and where Leland still lives. He has seen many changes in the town during his time, and he has preserved many photos and artifacts from the 'old days'. Leland has also made his own contributions to historical preservation with his personal photography and collecting interests.

He is an avid and knowledgeable gardener as well as the town's main chronicler and archivist. A guest in his home is likely to witness to any number of telephone calls or knocks at the door from friends and strangers alike seeking information about the best way to grow grapes or asking for information about old-time families. He is unfailingly generous with his time, energy, and information. Nothing makes him happier than sharing what he knows, and his knowledge is considerable, his memory almost limitless. When anyone has a question about Camptonville's history, the advice is always "You should ask Leland."

His interest in photography has resulted in a respectable collection of cameras and a huge library of photos and negatives. He decided to take a portrait photograph of every person who came into his Post Office while he was Postmaster. He has a passion for photographing wildflowers and can be found walking Highway 49 in the spring or hiking in the higher elevations hunting for rare blossoms.

In a 1977 newspaper interview, Leland described his philosphy of life this way: "I just did what they told me, and it always worked out. I found myself doing things I would never have thought of myself."

For this project, Leland was especially interested in sharing his knowledge of the routes and trails that contributed to Camptonville's development during the Gold Rush days. He wanted to make a record, he said, of "places that don't exist anymore."

Rocky Turn
Leland Pauly shares stories at Rocky Turn on Highway 49... (movie)

Horses
Comments on horses... (movie)

Up the Hill
A walk up the hill in town... (movie)