Gold was discovered in California at Sutter's Mill on January24, 1848. People from all over began to talk of the easy wealth to be gained in California as news of the discovery spread. About 300,000 people came into California from all over the world seeking their fortunes. Major William Downie found gold up the North Fork of the Yuba River at the junction of two rivers called the "Forks", now called "Downieville" in 1849. Goodyears Bar was founded by the Goodyear Brothers in the same year. The Brothers lived and mined in Goodyears Bar for a number of years. These people seeking their fortunes in gold were called "forty-niners." Methods of travel to California included sailing by ship and in covered wagons across the continent, often facing extreme hardships on the trip. Many people died on the way to the gold fields in Sierra County. While most of the newly-arrived were Americans, the Gold Rush also attracted tens of thousands from Latin America, Europe, Australia and Asia. It is estimated that over 400 Chinese people came to Goodyears Bar. At first, the "fourty-niners" recovered the gold by picking it up from streams and riverbeds using simple techniques, such as panning, and later developed more sophisticated methods of gold recovery. Gold worth billions of today's dollars was recovered, leading to great wealth for a very few. Most, however, returned back home with no more than they started with. This is the history of Sierra County, California.

www.GoodyearsBar.com is where the North Yuba flows. We love the history and the life in Sierra County, California