Sierra County, California

California gained statehood on September 9, 1850. It did so comprised of 27 counties with this area a part of Yuba County.

"The disadvantages of belonging to Yuba County were early felt; Marysville was too distant and a county government located at that place was to the citizen's here as useless as one in Kamtchatka. The trouble, expense and the time required to send criminals to Marysville were so great that many escaped the just punishments for their acts, while others were severely dealt with by Judge Lynch. No protection whatever was afforded by the Yuba government, and no benefit whatever was derived from it; in fact, the only official who at all interested himself and paid a visit to the region, was the tax collector, who failed not to scrape together all he could."¹

Therefore, on April 16, 1852, Governor John Bigler signed legislation to establish Sierra County, the 31^st county of the 31^st state, described as follows:

"Beginning at a point in the middle of the Middle Branch of Yuba River, ten miles from the mouth, running thence in a north-westerly direction to a point on the North Branch of Yuba River, known as Cut Eye Foster's Bar, thence westerly to a point on dividing ridge between the waters of Feather and Yuba Rivers, known as the Lexington House, leaving said house in Yuba County, thence northerly, following out said ridge; thence easterly in a straight line to the boundary line of the state; thence south along said boundary line to a point east of the Middle Branch of Yuba River and north-east corner of Nevada County; thence west following the northerly line of Nevada County, to the place of beginning. The seat of justice shall be at Downieville."

April 16, 2002
1852 Sesquicentennial 2002
Board of Supervisors

1 History of Plumas, Lassen and Sierra Counties, Fariss & Smith, 1882