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Hayward Forbes

First Settlers. | Forbestown Post Office.
Masonic Hall. | Yuba Feather Historical Museum.
Mount Hope Bible Conference Center.
Old Forbestown. | Did You Know?

The First Settlers

Prehistorically, the inhabitants of the region were the Maidu Indians. The village was the main unit of Maidu Life. Each had a headman chosen by group consensus and an established territory to live and obtain subsistence within. The usual population of the village was about 40-50 people, most of whom were related to each other. The major portion of their diet was obtained by gathering acorns, buckeye, berries, fruits, greens, bulbs, and roots. Hunting of deer, rabbit, birds, and other small mammals supplemented the meal. The bedrock mortar pits were used to pound and grind the food into a variety of meals and mushes, depending upon the constituents of the food. Temporary camps were occupied as needed and depending upon the needs of the people involved, were used for either gathering or hunting activities.
In 1848 Gold Rush disrupted their way of life and forced many hardships upon the Maidu. Gold was discovered in June 1848 by Jonas Spect at Rose Bar on the Yuba River to the south and in the ensuing months thousands of gold miners traversed the waterways and hillsides of the region. The Maidu people had to cop with foreign and strange food, clothing, speech, and behavior. Several of the Maidu villages were involved in the 1851 Treaty discussions. In fact one of the treaties was signed at the Yuba River near Smartsville. However, in 1863 almost all of the known Indian villages and individuals were collected up and removed by the U.S. government to reservations in Humbolt and Mendocino Counties. But in a very short time most of these people had returned to their lands and reestablished their homes where they continued to live up to the present.
The Maidu Indians.
BY:
Donald J. Storm
of Oregon House.
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Forbestown Main Post Office
Forbestown, Ca. 95941

Click on picture for larger view.

Post Office 1860's
Forbestown General Store
And Post Office 1936

Ben F. Forbes came to California looking for gold in 1849. Ben and his brother James D. Forbes in 1850 opened a general merchandise store, and the United States Hotel. James Forbes recognized the need for transportation and started a partnership with Nathaniel Plum, together they started the first stage line between Ophir (Oroville) and Forbestown in the early 1850's.
The Post Office was established on May 13, 1854 by Ben Forbes. The stage carried the mail from Ophir (Oroville) up to Forbestown and eventually connected to Woodville (Woodleaf) and the Marysville-LaPorte Stage. Each trip took several days with two or three regular trips a week. It exchanged mail bags and sometimes a Wells Fargo box of gold.
In a few short years the Forbestown population had reached 3,000. Mr. Plum had married Forbes' daughter and was awarded the Postmaster position. The Auditor's Report for fiscal year 1856-57 gave his annual compensation as $444.56 and the proceeds for the Post Office was $288.26.
Because of several very rich gold mines the town flourished regardless of four devastating fires in 1860, 1861, 1899, and 1913, rebuilding each time. The Post Offices were frequently located in other businesses depending upon availability of space. Since the Postmaster was responsible for buying the furnishings for the Post Office, it was often located within his business. After the 1913 fire and dwindling gold production, many people moved away and on April 30, 1925 the Post Office was closed.
At the beginning of the Depression the population was 18 with eight houses and one boarding house. With the "New Deal" brought the "road work" programs. Rocks for the roads were needed so they re-opened a mine in 1935, and the Post Office reopened on March 19, 1936.
Although the gold rush days passed, and the valley highways were built, Forbestown stayed alive, and so did its Post Office. Unfortunately, the records of past Postmasters have yet to be acquired prior to the 1936 opening of the Post Office. You can be assured they were a shrewd, sturdy group that were always being challenged by outlaws, the winter snows, the mountain terrain, the constant influx of people, and of course, forest fires.
Today's Postmasters feel overwhelmed by Liberty Cards, computerized forwarding services, and retail merchandising. Their early counter-parts, too, dealt with the mining company's savings plan, moving miner's mail to the next gold field, and as today, retail merchandising.

Post Office Cancelled

Marysville News paper, May 2, 1925, "The Forbestown post office, established on May 13, 1854, was ordered discontinued yesterday. Hereafter, according to instructions from Washington, mail will be handled through the Oroville - Woodleaf star route.
Mrs.. M.J. Cooney was the last postmistress of the Forbestown office. Mrs. Cooney resigned some months ago and the department was unable to get anyone to take her place."
That irreplaceable Mrs. Cooney was the same lady who helped her husband try to sell the Forbestown Consolidated Gold Mines.
Forbestown was the eighth post office established in Butte County. It was preceded by:

Hamilton and Bidwell Bar, both established on July 10, 1851.
Lassen and Chico, both established on October 7, 1851.
Charley's Ranch on June 8, 1852.
Oroville on May 3, 1854.

Did You Know?

We get more mail in a week than our parents got in a month.

Our parents got more mail in a month than our grandparents got in a year.

And our grandparents got more mail in a year than our great grandparents got in a lifetime.
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Masonic Hall

Masonic Hall and the longest standing building in Forbestown.
St. Louis #86, Polar Star #90, Jefferson #97, Gibsonville #158, have been consolidated with, Forbestown Lodge #50, F & A. M., Chartered May 3, 1854. A.L. 5857, A.D. 1857.
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Yuba Feather Historical Museum

19096 New York Flat Road
Forbestown, CA 95941
530-675-1025

Yuba Feather Historical Museum
The Forbestown area first attracted worldwide attention when gold was discovered in California. Mining soon gave way to ranches and sawmills. Today logging is the major industry in the district. Exhibits reflect this varied heritage.
Located in an old school house, the Museum's exhibits change from year to year concentrating on different aspects of history as diverse as the life of a pioneer child and the basketry of the Maidu Indians. Outside there are exhibits of mining and logging equipment as well as a country store and a blacksmith shop.
Forbestown Museum, operated weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day by the Yuba Feather Historical Association, is dedicated to the preservation of the lumber and gold mining eras.
Pioneer snowshoes for humans and horses, mining implements, antique clothing and furniture, and a working print shop are housed in the main building.
Outdoor mining displays, a miner's cabin, blacksmith shop, general store, and replica of an old schoolhouse are all of interest.
Gold Trader Flat is a life-sized replica of a Gold Rush town.Visitors may stroll the boardwalks and visit the barber shop, Miss Millie's Hat Shop, the saloon, jail, Well's Fargo Office, school house, leather shop, blacksmith, mercantile, miner's cabin, pioneer homestead, and post office. A Maidu Village and hotel are under construction and an extensive Chinatown is planned. The adjacent main museum building houses 3,000 vintage photographs, an exhibit of logging equipment, a Victorian parlor with stitchery through the ages, antique shoes and more.
Admission is always free as the town was built by volunteers with materials donated by individuals and businesses. We have hands-on activities such as churning butter, walking on stilts, sawing logs with a cross cut saw and washing clothes on an old wash board.
Forbestown Museum, The Yuba-Feather Historical Association was founded in 1972 to preserve the history of eastern Butte County and northern Yuba County and maintains a Museum at Forbestown.
Museum Hours
Open 12:00 - 4:00 PM
every weekend from Memorial Day in May Through Labor Day in September.
Donations gladly accepted
Living History Days on Memorial Day,
Forbestown Daze on Labor Day
Special tours for schools and groups may be arranged by calling 530-675-675-2855
The museum complex is located at 19096 New York Flat Road, Forbestown. Phone Number is 530 675-1025.
Map on how to get here.
E-mail yfhamuseum@bigvalley.net
Yuba Feather Historical Museum
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Mount Hope Bible
Conference Center

It is our pleasure to introduce you to Mt. Hope.

An affordable, well maintained facility that meets all of your camping and retreat needs. Mt. Hope is affiliated with the American Missionary Fellowship, our nation's oldest home missions organization. For over 200 years AMF has been providing America with quality ministries based on the Word of God. Located in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mt Hope is situated 37 miles northeast of Maryville and 23 miles east of Oroville at approximately 3,000 ft. elevation. Numerous hiking trails through fir, cedar, and pine forest are available to the camper, along with a variety of sporting and recreational opportunities.

We are a non-denominational camp and conference center, dedicated to the advancement of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and teaching of the truths of the Bible. We run several of our own camps as well as hosting many guest groups through out the year.

It is our desire to serve Northern Calfornia's churches in the best manner we can.
E-mail mthope@juno.com
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Old Forbestown

All that remains in Old Forbestown today are a few homes, the Memorial Cemetery, and the Masonic Lodge which is still in use. The cemetery has approximately three hundred grave sites, many unmarked and unknown. The grounds are maintained by volunteers from the Masonic Lodge and Yuba Feather Historical Association.
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Did You Know?

Back in the 1860's to 1900's Families from China and the China Men that were looking for gold were not able to live in the town around the mines. They were forced to live by them self. Their small villages became the "China Towns."
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