Angels Camp in Calaveras County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Ol' Beth
Photographed By James King, December 24, 2016
1. Ol' Beth Marker
Inscription.
Ol' Beth. . This Best 110 hp steam traction engine, built 1903-1906, was originally used by Pacific Borax Co. to pull ore wagons. The next owner was the Dixie Mill, near Sheep Ranch, where it was used to haul logs down the steep hillsides to the loading deck. The mill was purchased by Giacomo Oneto in 1923, and Ol' Beth was used there until the mill closed in the late 1940s. The passage of the Timber and Stone Act in 1878 allowed for the individual acquisition of 160-acre parcels of timbered land, and speculators made agreements with patentees, assembling vast tracts of prime, virgin groves of timber for sawmill investors. In the higher elevations, logging became a significant local industry in the 1890s through the 1940s.
This Best 110 hp steam traction engine, built 1903-1906, was originally used by Pacific Borax Co. to pull ore wagons. The next owner was the Dixie Mill, near Sheep Ranch, where it was used to haul logs down the steep hillsides to the loading deck. The mill was purchased by Giacomo Oneto in 1923, and Ol' Beth was used there until the mill closed in the late 1940s. The passage of the Timber and Stone Act in 1878 allowed for the individual acquisition of 160-acre parcels of timbered land, and speculators made agreements with patentees, assembling vast tracts of prime, virgin groves of timber for sawmill investors. In the higher elevations, logging became a significant local industry in the 1890s through the 1940s.
Erected by Angels Camp Museum, sponsored by Native Sons of the Golden West in memory of esteemed member Millard Smallin.
Location. 38° 4.528′ N, 120° 32.741′ W. Marker is in Angels Camp, California, in Calaveras County. Marker is on South Main Street (California Route 49), on
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the left when traveling south. This marker is on the side of the horseshoe driveway on the south side of the property. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 753 South Main Street, Angels Camp CA 95222, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 27, 2018. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2017, by James King of San Miguel, California. This page has been viewed 430 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 26, 2017, by James King of San Miguel, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
