Posting the Oregon Creek Campground

Orders came thru from the supervisor's office of the Tahoe National Forest in the spring of 1922 to survey, map and post the boundaries of all public camps in the district. Trouble had sprung up over the forests with people moving in permanently, squatters, mining claims located and casual mining done. Ranger Charlie Whittum of the Camptonville District and yours truly as helper got busy to secure or avoid further unforeseen grief. The tin signs colored black and yellow were nailed on trees, chest high, well up on the slopes facing the campground as the outer boundary and indicating that land had been withdrawn from public use. The two springs and pipelines also were tied in on the map and posted.

This Oregon Creek Public Camp adjacent to Highway 49 and bordering the Middle Fork of the Yuba River, perhaps the lowest elevation (1300') on the Tahoe, was a favorite spot for camping in fall and thru the winter, especially during the Depression years of 1930-1940. Free camping. Free downed wood.

Mostly single men with their autos and tents moved in and panned for gold. Some set up sluice boxes on the edge of the river and, with diligence, finding enough gold to buy beans. Some of the characters were tradesmen, two were carpenters, one elderly oil field worker, an artist (oil paintings), a couple of prospectors - anyway, you look at it, a motley group.

The elderly oil field worker who burned oil for warmth in his tent, which no longer was white, caused trouble. He started mining within the boundaries of the campgrounds. He was told to stop mining on public lands restricted to camping. But Old Oily had written to Washington D.C., perhaps his congressman, and believe it or not, word came down thru the channels, such as, Times are rough, let the man mine if he doesn't do too much damage. That's what happened, and it was my first flabbergaster in the roll as District Forest Ranger, who thought our campgrounds were safe for democracy.

He, our oil man, mined with pick and shovel about two weeks before becoming discouraged. The ground had been worked before in the early 1850s. So Washington's advice turned out OK. No more trouble.

My patrolman, Tommy, with a Ford 150-gallon-capacity pumper, practically had charge of two campgrounds, the other being Frog Hollow. His duties were to see that the newly planted cedars got water, toilets were clean, garbage pits in order, and to keep the peace. He came back one day, disgusted ,and said "You know, we have a 5th column down at Oregon Creek. I don't think they're good Americans." Turned out they loved Tommy, and it was all just fun talk. Tommy and I could depend on the so-called "column" in case of fire and did.

In 1889, the English Dam above Milton went out, sending a small wall of water, logs, and what-have-you, down the Middle Yuba River at the confluence with Oregon Creek, and it too running full, backed up with water so high that it lifted and floated the 100-foot-long bridge, which drifted downstream and lodged on the high bank in the campground. By the way, this was a toll road until about 1892, including the covered bridge, and owned by the Waymans, who had ranch property further up country. Being practical men, hard workers, jacks-of-all-trades, they raised the bridge, placed log rollers, then, with horses for power and winch using cables, slowly rolled the bridge up the slope on a false framework and put her back on the original foundation.

When this was done the Waymans realized they had the bridge end-for-end, but as it was, it made no difference.

I enjoy taking a flashlight, since the bridge interior is dark, and closely examining the arch span of douglas fir cut with an adze and the framing of the timbers. Must have been done by a millwright and tied by 1 and 1/4 inch iron rods. The bridge is still in use tho posted for safety's sake for 8-ton loads. Built in 1860 it is the oldest covered bridge in California.

There is a new concrete bridge over Oregon Creek about 3 miles up country and newly blacktopped road.

These roads join and head for Pike, CA, then up the ridge to Forest and Alleghany. At the junction, there is a monument indicating the Henness Pass Road and only this fall, in 1982, the road has been blacktopped to the Cornish House public camp.

Wonders will never cease. It's almost a flabbergaster for an old ranger.