"OPHIR TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at a point in main Feather river opposite the mouth of the Honcut slough; thence up the channel of said river to a point one-fourth mile below the High Rock claim, being the beginning point of Bidwell township; thence along the line of Bidwell township to Kirby's or the Missouri ranch; thence along the line of Bidwell township to Woodman's ranch or cabin; thence in a direct line to Whitehall ranch; thence in a direct line to the nearest point on the county-line between Butte and Yuba counties; thence along said county-line, or down the Honcut slough, to the place of beginning, "MOUNTAIN SPRING TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at a point on the south fork of Feather river, where the dividing line between Butte and Plumas counties crosses said stream; thence along said line to the place where said line crosses the middle fork of Feather river; thence down said stream to the junction of the middle and south forks of Feather river; thence in a direct line to and excluding Woodman's ranch or cabin; thence up said south fork of Feather river in a line about one mile from the southern bank of said stream to a point opposite to Stony. Point, on said stream (including Stony Point in Mountain Spring township); thence up said stream to the place of beginning. "ORO TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at Woodman's ranch on the north side; thence in a direct line to Whitehall ranch; thence following the line dividing Ophir and Oro townships to the county-line between Butte and Yuba counties; thence up the dividing line between Butte and Yuba counties to the Buckeye ranch, including the same; thence along the line between Butte and Plumas counties to the beginning point of Mountain Spring township; thence down the south fork of Feather river and along the southern line of Mountain Spring township to the place of beginning. “HAMILTON TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at a point in the main channel of Feather river, opposite to the Holulipa Indian rancheria; thence in a direct line to a point one mile due north of Hasty's ranch, on Dry creek; thence in a direct line to Big Butte creek where said creek enters the Sacramento valley; thence down the channel of said creek to the junction of said creek with the Sacramento river, if said junction be in Butte county; thence along said river and the line between Butte and Sutter counties to a point in the main channel of Feather river, opposite to the mouth of Honcut creek; thence up the channel of Feather river to the place of beginning. "CHICO TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at a point in the Sacramento river, the confluence of the Sacramento river and Mud creek; thence up Mud creek to the foot-hills; thence along the foot-hills to the place where Big Butte creek enters the Sacramento valley; thence down the Big Butte creek to the Sacramento river on the line between the counties of Butte and Sutter; thence up said river, or line and river, to the place of beginning. "BENTON TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the confluence of Mud creek with the Sacramento river; thence up said river to the boundary line between Shasta and Butte counties; thence along said line to the foothills; thence along the foot-hills to the place where Mud creek enters the Sacramento valley; thence down said Mud creek to the place of beginning. "OREGON TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the beginning point of Hamilton township, thence along said line of said township to a point one mile due north of Hasty's ranch on Dry creek; thence east in a straight line to the west branch of Feather river to a point one mile above Nelson's bar; thence due east in a direct line to the north fork of Feather river; thence down said stream following its main channel to the junction of the north and middle forks of Feather river; thence down the channel of Feather river to the place of beginning. "KIMSHEW TOWNSHIP Shall be all that portion of Butte county lying north and west of Feather river and the north fork of Feather river, not included in Hamilton, Oregon, Chico and Benton townships." The last division made by the court of sessions was executed on the sixth of February, 1855, creating the township of EUREKA from Oregon township. The tenth township of Butte had its boundaries as follows: "Commencing at a point on Feather river at the mouth of the French ravine; running up said ravine in a northwesterly course to its source; thence westerly along the brow of the table-land to a point opposite the Garden ranch; thence on a line directly west until it strikes the line dividing Hamilton and Oregon townships; thence along said line to the middle of Feather river; thence up the main channel of said river to the place of beginning." An Act for the creation of boards of supervisors in the various counties in the state was passed in March, 1855, requiring the county clerk, assessor and surveyor of each county to meet as a special board, divide the county into three supervisor districts, appoint precincts and officers of election, canvass the returns, and declare the result. The districts as appointed at that time were: District No. 1-Bidwell, Mountain Spring and Oro townships; District No. 2-Ophir, Eureka, Oregon and Kimshew townships; District No. 3-Hamilton, Chico and Benton townships. The vote cast at the election, which was held April 9, 1855, was as follows: District No. 1. : The gentlemen elected-R. R. Randall, M. Pence and Robert B. Moore-met at Bidwell's bar on the seventh of May, and had the following proceedings : : State of California, County of Butte. Monday, May 7, 1855. Board met at the court-house in Bidwell. Present R. B. Moore, M. Pence and R. R. Randall. On motion of M. Pence, seconded by R. R. Randall, R. B. Moore was chosen chairman of said board. R. Hobart presented an affidavit appraising the board that the office of county clerk of Butte county is vacant by the decease of French Paige, Esq., the clerk elect and acting of said county. Whereupon the board takes the matter under advisement, and board adjourns to to-morrow at nine o'clock A. M. On the following day A. E. Griffiths was appointed county clerk, and a few days later the appointment of John W. Scott as county surveyor, made by the court of sessions, was ratified by the board. The vacancy was caused by the drowning of the former surveyor, Hugh Black. The board also altered the composition of supervisor districts, so that Bidwell, Ophir, Mountain Spring and Oro were in district No. 1; Hamilton, Eureka and Chico in No. 2; and Oregon, Kimshew and Benton in No. 3. In September a new board was elected for the new districts, composed of R. R. Randall, Robert B. Moore and George W. Wilmot. A few changes of little note were also made in the boundaries of some of the townships. By the Act of April , 1856, the county of Tehama was created out of the territory of Butte, Colusa and Shasta counties. By this action Butte county lost Benton township, the dividing line between the two counties being from a point in the middle of the Sacramento at the "mouth of Mud creek; thence up the middle of Mud creek to the line which divides the counties of Butte and Plumas." Having lost Benton township, and Wyandotte having been created, the Board reassigned the townships to supervisor districts, on the thirteenth of August, 1856, as follows: District No. 1-Oro, Wyandotte, Bidwell and Mountain Spring. District No. 2-Hamilton, Eureka and Ophir. District No. 3-Oregon, Kimshew and Chico. WYANDOTTE TOWNSHIP was created May 10, 1856, from portions of Ophir and Oro townships. The boundaries were fixed as follows: "Commencing at the initial point, fifteen rods south and opposite to the Miner's ranch; thence running southwesterly, parallel with the road leading from Miner's ranch to Prairie House, via Garden ranch, to a point two miles below Seeley ranch; thence southeasterly to a point on the north Honcut creek fifteen rods east of Sandy Hornbrook's ranch; thence down said Honcut creek to the county-line; thence following the county-line up the south Honcut creek to the mouth of first ravine below Miller's ranch; thence northeasterly to the mouth of Dutch ravine on Rocky Honcut, and thence in an air line to Woodman's ranch; thence following the line of Bidwell township to the place of beginning." In November, 1856, Chico township received a considerable accession of territory on the southeast. CASCADE TOWNSHIP was formed from the eastern portion of Oro and Mountain Spring townships in August, 1857. The boundaries were: "Commencing at a point on the Yuba county-line at the head of Oro Lewa creek; thence following down the center of said creek to its mouth; thence northerly to the middle of the middle fork of Feather river at a point opposite Bald rock; thence up said middle fork to the Plumas county-line; thence southerly along the line to its intersection with the Yuba line; thence down the Yuba line to the place of beginning." In 1858, all that part of Kimshew township between the north fork and west branch of Feather river, to the Plumas county-line, was added to Oregon township. On the sixteenth of November, 1861, the board of supervisors abolished all of the boundary-lines of the old townships and organized them anew. Most of the old names were preserved, and, with a few exceptions, the boundaries then fixed were the same as those now established. Ten townships were created by this order, as follows: Chico, Kimshew, Oregon, Hamilton, Concow, Bidwell, Mountain Spring, Oro, Wyandotte and Ophir. “CHICO TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the southwest corner of the county, opposite Placer City, on Sacramento river; running thence on the county-line to Watson's bridge on Butte creek; thence up said creek to a point one mile above Watson's mill on section-line between sections 34 and 35, township 22, north of range 2, east; thence due north to Chico creek; thence up said creek and the first west branch of same to its head; thence due west to Tehama county-line; thence following said line to Sacramento river; thence down said river to the place of beginning. "KIMSHEW TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the intersection of the line between townships 21 and 22 north, and the west branch about one mile below Kunkle's; thence up said west branch to a point about one mile and a half below Round valley, being township-line between townships 25 and 26 north; thence due east to the Plumas county-line; thence northerly along said line to Tehama county-line; thence southerly along said line to Chico township-line; thence south on said creek to Chico town-line, to intersection of Butte creek and first-named township-line; thence due east to the place of beginning. "OREGON TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at mouth of Morris' ravine, and running thence in a direct line to the extreme east point of South Table mountain; thence along the southerly edge of same, and the spur thereof, to the line between townships 19 and 20 north; thence on said line due west to Butte creek, near Watson's bridge; thence north along said creek to line of Kimshew township between townships 21 and 22 north; thence east along the south line of Kimshew township to west branch; thence down said west branch and main Feather river to the place of beginning. "HAMILTON TOWNSHIP.--Beginning at the mouth of Morris' ravine, and running thence along south line of Oregon township to Butte creek, near Watson's bridge; thence south along Butte creek to Sutter county-line; thence easterly along said line to Feather river; thence up said river to the place of beginning. "CONCOW TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the mouth of the west branch, and running thence up said stream to near Round valley; thence east on the Kimshew township-line to Plumas county-line; thence southerly on said line to the north fork of Feather river; thence southerly along said stream to the place of beginning. "BIDWELL TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the mouth of the middle fork of Feather river and the junction of the north fork of said river; thence running up said north fork to Plumas county-line; thence southeasterly along said line to middle fork Feather river; thence along said stream to its mouth or junction with the south fork of said river; thence up said south fork to the first section-line east, about threequarters of a mile; thence south to the line of Wyandotte township, about one mile north of Buffalo ranch; thence southwesterly along said line to the township-line between ranges 4 and 5 east, and sections 13 and 24 in range 4, and about three-quarters of a mile south of Miner's ranch; thence due north to the place of beginning. "MOUNTAIN SPRING TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at intersection of middle fork with Plumas county-line ; thence along said middle fork and the Bidwell township-line to the Wyandotte township-line about one mile north of the Buffalo ranch; thence in an easterly direction about parallel with and one mile from south side of the south fork to a point opposite the mouth of Sucker run; thence northerly to the mouth of and up said run to a point one mile north of said south fork; thence easterly one mile distant from and parallel with said south fork, to the divide between Know Nothing creek and the south fork; thence up said divide to the main divide between said south fork and Fall river; thence up said main divide to the Plumas county-line; thence up said Plumas line to the place of beginning. "ORO TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the Buckeye House, at corner of Butte and Plumas on the Yuba county-line; thence southeasterly along said Yuba line to a point due east from the Robinson saw-mill; thence due west about one mile to the head of McCabe's creek; thence northerly to a point on the line of Mountain Spring township, or divide between McCabe's and Powell creek; thence following the southerly line of said Mountain Spring township to the Plumas line; thence southeasterly along said county-line to the place of beginning. "WYANDOTTE TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the southwest corner of Bidwell township, about threequarters of a mile south of Miner's ranch; running thence southeasterly to a point or line between townships 18 and 19 north, and two miles east of township corner near Wyandotte; thence due south on section-line to north Honcut, near and above Hornbrook's ranch; thence down said stream to the line of the Cordua or Honcut rancho; thence south to the south Honcut and Yuba line; thence up said creek and county-line to line of Oro township; thence along said line to head of McCabe's creek; thence northerly to Mountain Spring township or divide between said McCabe's creek and Powell's; thence westerly in a direct line to the place of beginning. "OPHIR TOWNSHIP.-Beginning at the junction of the north fork with the south fork of Feather river; running thence along the line of Bidwell township to line of Wyandotte township, about threequarters of a mile south of Miner's ranch; thence following the line of Wyandotte township via Hornbrook's to the south Honcut; thence down said stream to main Feather river; thence up said river to the place of beginning." In 1862, the legislature gave to Butte county one more supervisor, and district No. 4 was created, containing Hamilton and Chico townships, which had formerly been in the third district. |