Belden in Plumas County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Rich Bar
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 31, 2012
1. Rich Bar Marker
Gold first found here July 1850 by miners coming over the mountains from the Yuba Diggins. Much production during early ‘fifties along this east branch of the Feather River’s North Fork. Here “Dame Shirley” (Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe) wrote her “Letters from the California Mines,” one of the foremost classics of the gold rush.
Erected 1957 by California State Park Commission in cooperation with Las Plumas del Oro Chapter of E Clampus Vitus. (Marker Number 337.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the California Historical Landmarks, and the E Clampus Vitus series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1850.
Location. 40° 0.721′ N, 121° 11.58′ W. Marker is in Belden, California, in Plumas County. It is on Highway 70 (California Route 70 at milepost 19), on the left when traveling west. The Rich Bar marker is approximately 24 miles west of Quincy via Highway 70. The marker is at a pullout/scenic vista east of the intersection of Rich Bar Road on the south side of Highway 70. Touch for map. Marker is in this
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Shasta Cascade and in the Sierra Nevada. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, in the Cascade Range, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pacific Crest Trail (approx. 3.1 miles away); Feather River Highway (approx. 3.1 miles away); Belden (approx. 3.1 miles away); Eby Stamp Mill (approx. 3.1 miles away); Spanish Ranch (approx. 8.4 miles away); Meadow Valley Historical Site (approx. 9 miles away); Seneca (approx. 9 miles away); Bucks Ranch Hotel and Store (approx. 9.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Belden.
Also see . . .
1. Rich Bar, California. Western Mining History website entry (Submitted on October 26, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. “Dame Shirley” Describes Life at a California Gold Mining Camp.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 31, 2012
2. Rich Bar Marker
The author of this letter, who used the pseudonym “Dame Shirley,” was Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clapp (1819–1906). The letter was written to Clapp’s sister, Molly, in Massachusetts, but was subsequently published as one of a series of twenty-three in the Pioneer, a California literary magazine. (Submitted on June 21, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 31, 2012
3. View of Rich Bar from the Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 20, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,962 times since then and 95 times this year. Last updated on December 11, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 20, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
