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Thread: Saturday Drives

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Chico, CA
    Posts
    29,847

    Default Saturday Drives

    I took a little drive literally up the creek in the Subaru (hey, it is 4WD)

    I live on Butte Creek, which just happens to be in Butte County, go figure, which just happens to be full of buttes. Anyway, the creek comes down between some buttes and like most of the area around here, has a rich history due to the gold mining. In fact, the creek just a quarter mile from me was home to five dredges that looked like this.
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    230 hp 4.3L Chevy
    Built 4L60E with manual lockout
    Atlas 4 speed
    Griffin radiator
    On board air
    Warn 9.5ti on custom bumper
    7.5" RE front and bastard pack rear on custom long arms
    30 gal gas tank
    lockers
    And a bunch of other stuff

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Chico, CA
    Posts
    29,847

    Default Re: Saturday Drives

    The creek isn't that big, but these things just dredged large holes to float themselves and piled the stuff out the back after running the dredgings through a large sluice box on board. Which means in effect, that since my land sits on the flood plane, I am sitting on five acres of gold bearing rock, about 20' down

    But, I digress. Up the creek we went to Centerville, where there is nothing much left but a school house and museum. The locals get together there and hold shindigs, some of the old families are still buried in the cemetery, including some friends of mine. Within eyesight of the school house is something somewhat unique. This house.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1821.JPG 
Views:	25 
Size:	1.27 MB 
ID:	9021  
    230 hp 4.3L Chevy
    Built 4L60E with manual lockout
    Atlas 4 speed
    Griffin radiator
    On board air
    Warn 9.5ti on custom bumper
    7.5" RE front and bastard pack rear on custom long arms
    30 gal gas tank
    lockers
    And a bunch of other stuff

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Chico, CA
    Posts
    29,847

    Default Re: Saturday Drives

    The first thing one would notice is that this house is fenced off and there is no yard. The next thing is the water supply, even though it sits on the creek
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_1820.JPG 
Views:	25 
Size:	1.45 MB 
ID:	9022  
    230 hp 4.3L Chevy
    Built 4L60E with manual lockout
    Atlas 4 speed
    Griffin radiator
    On board air
    Warn 9.5ti on custom bumper
    7.5" RE front and bastard pack rear on custom long arms
    30 gal gas tank
    lockers
    And a bunch of other stuff

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Chico, CA
    Posts
    29,847

    Default Re: Saturday Drives

    The insides look more like this, not your average living room
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    230 hp 4.3L Chevy
    Built 4L60E with manual lockout
    Atlas 4 speed
    Griffin radiator
    On board air
    Warn 9.5ti on custom bumper
    7.5" RE front and bastard pack rear on custom long arms
    30 gal gas tank
    lockers
    And a bunch of other stuff

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Chico, CA
    Posts
    29,847

    Default Re: Saturday Drives

    This innocent looking fenced off house is the oldest hydroelectric generating facility in the U.S. It is still powered by the original Pelton Water Wheels that it was built with in the 1890s. When hydraulic mining was outlawed, power companies were formed that bought the water systems that fed the mines and a few pipes were laid and these generators began being build. The first pipe up above was laid in 1899 and was hand formed and riveted, just like all the rest of the plumbing for the hydraulic mines. Later, the second pipe was built using machinery. There was a steam donkey midway up the hill that ran an air compressor so they could use larger rivets. And so the modern age in the West was born. It still took awhile for electricity to come to my area, even though I am so close and down stream. it went to San Francisco and nearby Oroville, wealthy towns compared to Chico, a farming town.
    230 hp 4.3L Chevy
    Built 4L60E with manual lockout
    Atlas 4 speed
    Griffin radiator
    On board air
    Warn 9.5ti on custom bumper
    7.5" RE front and bastard pack rear on custom long arms
    30 gal gas tank
    lockers
    And a bunch of other stuff

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Fortwayne Indiana
    Posts
    187

    Default Re: Saturday Drives

    Thanks for the picks

  7. #7
    bruggz351's Avatar
    bruggz351 is offline Level: Uber Jeep Cherokee Trailer Queen
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    Mar 2014
    Location
    Australia
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    Default Re: Saturday Drives

    Cool history. Thanks man.

    Sent from my HTC_0PJA10 using Tapatalk

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