167 - Feather River Canyon
Oro is Spanish for gold. The city of Oroville is a reminder of the back-breaking work performed by the 49ers to create the state of California. The Feather River and its forks were a center of gold mining during the 19th century. Those early-birds who worked in these mines during the fall of 1850 were extremely fortunate. With gold selling at $16 an ounce in 1850, many of these gold hunters found themselves, at the end of a few weeks, extremely rich. Much of this wealth was invested in the Western Pacific Railroad, traveling through the canyon, from Salt Lake City to San Francisco, in 1909. The history of the financial maneuvering necessary to complete one of the most complex rail lines over the Sierra and through the Feather River Canyon, makes fascinating reading.
