You Bet 1870s Stock & Check Nevada County Calif Mining Start Price USD 34.95 Current Price USD 34.95 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, July 14, 2008 End Time Monday, July 21, 2008 Location Santa Ana, California See more about 'You Bet 1870s Stock & Check Nevada County Calif Mining' Description   This is a very rare 1871 issued stock certificate AND a 1872 issued check for the Birdseye Creek Gold Mining Company operating the mines at You Bet, Nevada County, California. This was a Britsh company that bought up the hydraulic mines at the gold rush towns of You Bet and Red Dog in Nevada County California around 1871.  According to the book "History of Nevada County 1880" by Thompson and West; "The Birdseye Creek Company, known as the English Company, is operating at You Bet on two claims, Brown's Hill and Walloupa.  Some twenty white men and as many Chinamen are employed.  This company has bee operation for about nine years and uses 1,600 inches of water, from a ditch owned by it.  Jerry Goodwin is the Superintendent."  The Gold Rush town of You Bet town grew when the people from the nearby town of Walloupa moved their homes and businesses in 1860 and again when the town of Red Dog moved there because of winter flooding which destroyed the mining operations in 1868 .  The generally accepted story of the origin of the name of the town came about in 1857, it is said that “you bet” was the favorite saying of Lazarus Beard who was a saloon keeper in the area. Mining was carried on as early as 1849, but the camp did not start to develop until hydraulic mining was introduced in 1855.   In 1867 You Bet had a sizeable population, and a post office was established in 1868. It had a Odd Fellows Lodge, saloons, stores, hotels, blacksmiths, and a schoolhouse.  The red gravel of the mines assayed up to 984% fineness. By 1871 most of the hydraulic claims had passed into the hands of the British company “Birdseye Creek Gold Mining Company, Limited”. The diggings of the district produced 3 million dollars worth of gold by 1918. The 1884 Sawyer Decision which ended hydraulic mining turned You Bet into ghost town overnight. Shipping is via USPS Priority Mail. Be sure to check out my other ghost town and mining town related items. Place a Bid!