The indigenousMountain Maidu were the primary inhabitants of pre-Columbian Plumas County, living in small settlements along the edges of valleys and subsisting on roots, acorns, grasses, seeds, and occasionally fish and big game. They were decentralized and had no tribal leadership; most bands lived along waterways in and around their own valleys. Areas with high snowfall, including the Mohawk andSierra valleys, were hunting grounds for game in the warmer months.[6][7]
In 1848, European Americans discovered gold in the Sierra foothills. Miners were attracted to Plumas County in particular, largely due to the tales of Thomas Stoddard, who claimed to have discovered a lake lined with gold nuggets while lost in the wilderness. Gold-hungry prospectors flooded the area. Though hopeful miners scoured the glacial lakes for months, they did not find the purported lake of gold. But some had success panning for gold in the rivers and creeks in the area, and created squatters' villages, the first non-Native American settlements.[8]
Rough shanty towns quickly sprang up around successful mining areas, including Rich Bar, Indian Bar, and Rabbit Creek (nowLa Porte). Many were developed adjacent to theFeather River, namedRío de las Plumas by Spanish explorer Captain Luis Arguello in 1820.
In 1850, African-American frontiersmanJames Beckwourth discovered the lowest pass through the Sierras, which became known asBeckwourth Pass. Using the pass, he blazed a trail from Western Nevada through much of Plumas County, eventually terminating in the Sacramento Valley.[9] Many erstwhile miners followed this trail into Plumas County. Beckwourth also set up a trading post in the western Sierra Valley that still stands today. Though the Beckwourth Trail was longer than the original emigrant trail that ran south of Plumas County, its lower elevations extended its seasonal use when the higher trail was snowbound and impassable. Between 1851 and 1854, the Beckwourth Trail was frequently traveled, but in 1854, use dropped sharply when it became a toll road. The toll to move a ton of freight from Bidwell Bar to Quincy was about $18. This made using the Beckwourth Road an expensive enterprise and use of the Beckwourth Trail declined.[10]
Plumas County was formed in 1854 during a meeting of three commissioners at theAmerican Ranch in Quincy. It was carved from the eastern portion ofButte County.Quincy, originally a mining town, was chosen as the county seat after an early settler donated a plot of land there to establish the seat. Once it became the seat, nearbyElizabethtown faded and ultimately became defunct. In 1864, the state legislature took a large portion of Plumas County to organizeLassen County. Shortly afterward, Plumas County annexed part ofSierra County, including the prosperous mining town of La Porte.
Over the next decades, different industries drove the growth of the various settlements that sprang up around the county.Greenville began as a mining and farming community in Indian Valley in the late 1850s.Chester was formed near the area that is nowLake Almanor, as a result of cattle ranching and the timber industry.
When theWestern Pacific Railroad was constructed in 1910,Portola developed as an important railroad stop. Thanks to the railroad, Plumas County could export its lumber beyond the local area, and the timber industry became dominant in the county's economy for decades. As the railroad route extended up theFeather River Canyon, it was also used by the area's first tourists and sightseers. When theFeather River Highway was completed in 1937 with federal investment in infrastructure by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt during theGreat Depression, Plumas County became linked to the Sacramento Valley year-round thanks to the route's low elevation.[9]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 2,613 square miles (6,770 km2), of which 2,553 square miles (6,610 km2) is land and 60 square miles (160 km2) (2.3%) is water.[11]
Plumas County is in the far northern end of theSierra Nevada range. The area's rugged terrain marks the transition point between the northern Sierra Nevada and the southern end of the Cascade Range.[12]Lassen Peak, the southernmost volcanic peak in theCascade Range, is just north of Plumas County's border, and part ofLassen Volcanic National Park extends into the county's northwest corner.
Plumas National Forest's 1,200,000 acres (4,900 km2) offer a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, camping, kayaking, swimming, mountain biking, hunting and fishing. The area has more than 100 natural and artificial lakes. Many of the natural lakes are glacial in origin and can be found in and around Lakes Basin Recreation Area.[13] The artificial lakes includeLake Almanor,Lake Davis,Frenchman Lake,Little Grass Valley Reservoir,Antelope Lake, andBucks Lake. Plumas County also has more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of rivers and streams.[14] All three forks of the Feather River run through the area.
Plumas County, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 19,790. The median age was 53.0 years, 17.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 29.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.4 males age 18 and over.[29]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[31]
There were 9,216 households in the county, of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[29]
There were 15,396 housing units, of which 40.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.4% were owner-occupied and 29.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%.[29]
As of thecensus[33] of 2000, there were 20,824 people, 9,000 households, and 6,047 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 8 people per square mile (3.1 people/km2). There were 13,386 housing units at an average density of 5 units per square mile (1.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.8%White, 0.6%Black orAfrican American, 2.6%Native American, 0.5%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 1.8% fromother races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 5.7% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 16.1% were ofGerman, 15.0%English, 10.1%Irish and 8.0%American ancestry according toCensus 2000. 95.4% spokeEnglish and 3.6%Spanish as their first language.
There were 9,000 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% weremarried couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,351, and the median income for a family was $46,119. Males had a median income of $38,742 versus $25,734 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,391. About 9.0% of families and 13.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Plumas County has five elected Supervisors, each elected within their own district. The Board of Supervisors oversees the management of county government and members serve four-year terms. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors provides support to the Board of Supervisors and information to the public.[34]
The County Administrative Office's purpose is to facilitate the delivery of cost-effective county services in accordance with the vision and policies outlined by the Board of Supervisors. Its responsibilities include monitoring legislative affairs, preparing the county's annual budget, and undertaking studies and investigations for the Board of Supervisors.[35]
The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county. The sheriff's jurisdiction extends throughout the county, including federal and state lands. The county sheriff is elected to the nonpartisan office for a four-year term and is charged with preserving the peace, enforcing criminal statutes, and investigating known or suspected criminal activity.[36]
More than three-quarters of Plumas County's 2,618 square miles (6,780 km2) isNational Forest Service land.[37] The management ofPlumas National Forest is overseen by three districts: Beckwourth Ranger District,[38] Mt. Hough Ranger District,[39] and Feather River Ranger District.[40]
In its early history, Plumas was a reliable Republican county, voting for that party in every election from 1864 to 1908.[43] It then became one of the most reliablyDemocratic counties in California, voting for the Democratic nominee for president in 13 straight elections from 1928 to 1976. The county has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1980, except for 1992, whenBill Clinton won a small plurality.
United States presidential election results for Plumas County, California[44]
The town ofPortola is home to theWestern Pacific Railroad Museum, one of the largest railroad museums in North America. It is one of the county's major tourist attractions.
The town ofChester is home to the Collins Pine Museum, completed in 2007 and dedicated to educating the public about the history of the Collins Pine Company's (a division ofThe Collins Companies) logging operations in the Chester region.
ThePlumas County Museum inQuincy is notable for exhibits on theMaidu people, the California Gold Rush, logging, and theVariel House. It also hosts contemporary art exhibits.
The primary local news source since 1866 is Feather Publishing Co., Inc. Until 2020, four Plumas County newspapers were published every Wednesday, except for certain holidays; all content was available online instead atplumasnews.com until June 29, 2023, when Plumas News announced it was shutting down.[50] Feather Publishing will continue to release High Country Life, The Dining Guide, The Visitor Guide, maps, and more while also providing commercial printing to the local community.
Plumas County is in the Sacramento television market, and thus receivesSacramento media. Sacramento stationsKXTV andKCRA regularly cover major news events in Plumas County.
TheFeather River National Scenic Byway follows the Middle and North Forks of the Feather River, traversing steep canyon walls and high mountain valleys. The route features grasslands, oak woodlands, mixed conifer, and high desert chaparral. It begins in the Sacramento Valley, following theFeather River Canyon and entering Plumas County just west ofStorrie. As it gains elevation, it climbs over the crest of the Sierra and passes throughQuincy andPortola, eventually reaching the Middle Fork of the Feather River and following it to its headwaters inSierra Valley. After going through Beckwourth Pass, the route terminates atHallelujah Junction on Highway 395.[52][53]
The southernmost point of theVolcanic Legacy Scenic Byway,Lake Almanor, is in Plumas County. The route spans 500 miles between California and Oregon and has views of dramatic volcanic landscapes, including nearbyLassen Peak.[54]
The Scenic Byway Link is the section ofHighway 89 that connects the Volcanic Legacy and Feather River Scenic Byways. Featuring the alpine meadows of Indian Valley, the rushing waters of Indian Creek, and views of Mt. Hough and the surrounding mountains, the route is about 18 miles long.[55]
Gansner Field is a general aviation airport near Quincy.Rogers Field is near Chester; in addition to its civil-aviation role it also serves as the Chester Air Attack Base, a logistical and coordination facility for theCalifornia Department of Forestry'saerial firefighting (both fixed-wing and helicopter). Resources include fueling, retardant loading, communications, and some quartering for aircrew and ground firefighting teams.Nervino Airport is in Beckwourth, east of Portola. The closest major airport is inReno.
^abcU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
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