Tuberale
Gold Member
Fd. this several years ago, in a scrapbook at the Oregon Historical Society:
From Oregon Historical Society Scrapbook #85, p. 149, hand dated 1906
"DISCOVERED GOLD IN CALIFORNIA
Mrs. Marion Hibber Was Original Locator of Rich Deposits of Southern Coast.
DIES AT DAUGHTER’S HOME IN BAKER CITY
When Girl of Fourteen in Forty-Five She Found Yellow Flakes on Banks of Bear Creek but Kept Secret From Mexicans.
(Special Dispatch to The Journal.)
Baker City, Nov. 10. - Mrs. Marion Hibber, one of the earliest pioneers of Baker county, passed away in this city Thursday, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. H. Ames, 1845 Cherry street.
Mrs. Hibber was the original discoverer of gold in California, though her name was unwritten in history, and her claim was unknown except to her own family. In 1845, a girl of 14, she was playing along the banks of Bear creek, near Donner lake in the Sierra Madre range of that state, when she found, what in telling of it a short time before her death she described as shining particles of coarse bran. This was the first known discovery of gold in California. Three years later Marshall, the man accredited with making the discovery on the banks of Sutton creek, in February, found the first gold in California, of which history tells.
In 1845 Mrs. Hibber, with her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Trueman Bonney, came across the plains in a covered wagon from Canton, Illinois, where she spent her early life. It was at the time when the state was in a turmoil from the Mexican war, and they were forced to stop at Sutter’s Fort, which was then under General Fremont. At Sutter’s Fort the little girl found gold. Parties suggested that some of the gold be assayed, and Dr. Gildea, a member of the party in the fort, started with some of it to Monterey to have it assayed. On the way he died of mountain fever, and its value was never known.
Find Kept Secret
Meanwhile General Fremont who knew of the discovery, charged the Bonneys not to let it become known, since if Mexico knew of the gold deposits or believed them to exist it would only make the Americanization of California more difficult. The matter was dropped and the discovery was almost forgotten.
Dr. Bonney and his wife tired of life at the fort and wanted to live without danger from the Mexicans. They loaded their possessions on burros and packed up into Oregon, settling in Marion county.
In 1849 there came the news of the discovery of gold in California, and remembering his daughter’s discovery, Dr. Bonney and George F. Hibbler, to whom Marion Bonney had been married at Woodbine in 1847, and Mrs. Hibbler’s brother, Bradford Bonney, went back to California, to the place on Bear Creek, where they operated a placer mine until 1852, taking out thousands of dollars. Then they returned to Oregon, where Mr. Hibbler opened a stock ranch in Yamhill County, where for years he resided. He died in 1872, leaving his wife and 10 children. Since her husband’s death Mrs. Hibbler has been making her home with her children, and of late years has lived here with her daughter, Mrs. C.H. Ames."
Historically, gold was first discovered at Sutter's Fort in 1848, (not 1849 as many assert). In 1848 news of the strike was brought to Oregon by no other than Captain James Scarborough. He shrewdly had purchased all newspapers issues he could find of the strike while in San Francisco, then sailed immediately north. In Oregon, he rapidly sold all of the copies of the newspapers he had for $1 each, a considerable increase from the purchase price of 10 cents.
But Scarborough didn't stop there. He immediately bought up every piece of farming tool which had a handle: shovel, pick, fork, axe, hatchet, etc. He paid an astounding 50cents each of these items, in some cases. He also was the first person to navigate the Willamette River from Portland to Oregon City, by having 2 Native Americans take soundings in the river ahead of him. Until that time, it was not known how deep the Willamette River was. In Oregon City, the provincial capital of Oregon, Scarborough did the same thing: sold limited numbers of S.F. newspapers, bought up everything with a handle. But at Oregon City he went one step further by buying all lumber, finishes or unfinished, which he could fit on his ship. He immediately returned to S.F. and proceeded to do the same thing several more times, next buying foodstuffs, grain, and everday comestibles. By 1850 Scarborough had made enough to retire, but still continued to guide ships over the treacherous Columbia River Bar. He was the third officially-sanctioned bar captain to do so, after Chief Comcomly. (Comcomly was either Scarborough's father-in-law or grandfather-in-law, and Comcomly's son; both of whom died of marlaria in 1831 within a week of each other).
From Oregon Historical Society Scrapbook #85, p. 149, hand dated 1906
"DISCOVERED GOLD IN CALIFORNIA
Mrs. Marion Hibber Was Original Locator of Rich Deposits of Southern Coast.
DIES AT DAUGHTER’S HOME IN BAKER CITY
When Girl of Fourteen in Forty-Five She Found Yellow Flakes on Banks of Bear Creek but Kept Secret From Mexicans.
(Special Dispatch to The Journal.)
Baker City, Nov. 10. - Mrs. Marion Hibber, one of the earliest pioneers of Baker county, passed away in this city Thursday, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. H. Ames, 1845 Cherry street.
Mrs. Hibber was the original discoverer of gold in California, though her name was unwritten in history, and her claim was unknown except to her own family. In 1845, a girl of 14, she was playing along the banks of Bear creek, near Donner lake in the Sierra Madre range of that state, when she found, what in telling of it a short time before her death she described as shining particles of coarse bran. This was the first known discovery of gold in California. Three years later Marshall, the man accredited with making the discovery on the banks of Sutton creek, in February, found the first gold in California, of which history tells.
In 1845 Mrs. Hibber, with her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Trueman Bonney, came across the plains in a covered wagon from Canton, Illinois, where she spent her early life. It was at the time when the state was in a turmoil from the Mexican war, and they were forced to stop at Sutter’s Fort, which was then under General Fremont. At Sutter’s Fort the little girl found gold. Parties suggested that some of the gold be assayed, and Dr. Gildea, a member of the party in the fort, started with some of it to Monterey to have it assayed. On the way he died of mountain fever, and its value was never known.
Find Kept Secret
Meanwhile General Fremont who knew of the discovery, charged the Bonneys not to let it become known, since if Mexico knew of the gold deposits or believed them to exist it would only make the Americanization of California more difficult. The matter was dropped and the discovery was almost forgotten.
Dr. Bonney and his wife tired of life at the fort and wanted to live without danger from the Mexicans. They loaded their possessions on burros and packed up into Oregon, settling in Marion county.
In 1849 there came the news of the discovery of gold in California, and remembering his daughter’s discovery, Dr. Bonney and George F. Hibbler, to whom Marion Bonney had been married at Woodbine in 1847, and Mrs. Hibbler’s brother, Bradford Bonney, went back to California, to the place on Bear Creek, where they operated a placer mine until 1852, taking out thousands of dollars. Then they returned to Oregon, where Mr. Hibbler opened a stock ranch in Yamhill County, where for years he resided. He died in 1872, leaving his wife and 10 children. Since her husband’s death Mrs. Hibbler has been making her home with her children, and of late years has lived here with her daughter, Mrs. C.H. Ames."
Historically, gold was first discovered at Sutter's Fort in 1848, (not 1849 as many assert). In 1848 news of the strike was brought to Oregon by no other than Captain James Scarborough. He shrewdly had purchased all newspapers issues he could find of the strike while in San Francisco, then sailed immediately north. In Oregon, he rapidly sold all of the copies of the newspapers he had for $1 each, a considerable increase from the purchase price of 10 cents.
But Scarborough didn't stop there. He immediately bought up every piece of farming tool which had a handle: shovel, pick, fork, axe, hatchet, etc. He paid an astounding 50cents each of these items, in some cases. He also was the first person to navigate the Willamette River from Portland to Oregon City, by having 2 Native Americans take soundings in the river ahead of him. Until that time, it was not known how deep the Willamette River was. In Oregon City, the provincial capital of Oregon, Scarborough did the same thing: sold limited numbers of S.F. newspapers, bought up everything with a handle. But at Oregon City he went one step further by buying all lumber, finishes or unfinished, which he could fit on his ship. He immediately returned to S.F. and proceeded to do the same thing several more times, next buying foodstuffs, grain, and everday comestibles. By 1850 Scarborough had made enough to retire, but still continued to guide ships over the treacherous Columbia River Bar. He was the third officially-sanctioned bar captain to do so, after Chief Comcomly. (Comcomly was either Scarborough's father-in-law or grandfather-in-law, and Comcomly's son; both of whom died of marlaria in 1831 within a week of each other).
