Another look at echoes of our Gold Rush past are in the second edition of the free online book “Ghost Towns of Nevada County”. It’s written by the chair of the county’s Historical Landmarks Commission, Bernie Zimmerman. He says the first edition looked at 18 ghost towns. This edition covers 29, or another 11, mainly in the San Juan, Lowell Hill, and Chalk Bluff Ridge areas. Zimmermann says towns died, after the Gold Rush did…

click to listen to Bernie Zimmermann

Zimmermann says the main reason the towns died was a judge’s ruling outlawing hydraulic mining and toxic dumping practices into the Yuba and Bear Rivers. As for the names, Zimmerman says the town of You Bet, where he lives, got its name from the tavern owner, Rogeris Beard…

click to listen to Bernie Zimmermann

The book contains two maps and 58 photographs and other images. It’s available as a free download from Apple Books, or as a PDF from the publisher, at youbetpress.com. The publisher is Zimmerman’s wife, Grace.