La Porte, Plumas County California

La Porte, Plumas County, PO 30 miles south of Quincy, is reached by stage from Oroville, 45 miles distant.

This was formerly known as Babbit Creek, the name of the stream of water on which it lies. It is one of the most elevated towns in the State, having an altitude of 4,500 feet, and for a number of years was one of the most prosperous of the placer mining localities. Placer mining is still successfully prosecuted. Snow falls to a great depth in winter, often forbidding communication with the surrounding country, excepting by the aid of snow shoes.

The Conly & Gowell Company who own and work, the principal hydraulic mine of La Porte, gave, a few years since, figures of results which are of interest as illustrating more definitely than usual the manner, cost, value of dirt required, and profit of this class of mining. This company, in one season of four months' washing, with 800 inches of water running through an eight-inch Monitor nozzle, washed away six and a half acres of ground of an average depth of 65 feet, equal to 1,380,807 tons, through a Hume, or sluices, of 4,500 feet in length, cleaning up $125,000. The average value of the gravel thus appears to be eighteen and one-third cents per cubic yard, and a return for water used at the rate of $1.20 per inch for 24 hours' run. The profit is very large.

Auburtus Julius C, jeweler
Babb George, livery stable
Bank of La Porte, banking
Buckley H, liquor saloon and hotel
Cazot Madame, hotel
Clough G G, attorney at law
Darling T J, fruit and varieties
Ephraim & Son, dry goods
Ford A J, teacher
Gouilhard B, hotel
Harris A, tinsmith and iron pipe manufacturer
Klickner Brothers, general merchandise
Lowery C, carpenter
McNeil, Hugh, boot and shoe maker
Mussey J M, physician
O'Rourke Catherine Mrs, hotel
Pike C M, carpenter
Robinson J H, brewery
Rosenberg Brothers, dry goods and clothing
Russell S S, blacksmith
Shaw C H, liquor saloon
Union Lumber Company, lumber manufacturers
Washington Henry, postmaster and justice of the peace
Watson R H & Company, general merchandise
Weston H G, butcher
Wheeler S, notary public and agent Wells, Fargo & Company

California Gazetteer | AHGP California

Source: Pacific Coast Business Directory for 1876-78, Compiled by Henry G. Langley, San Francisco, 1875