E S I D A PA R G A L I A & MA his tor y d e g d i r an ab
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N PREHISTORIC Northern California, a volcanic eruption caused such immense lava flows that several “ridges� were created. They include: Cohasset, Forest Ranch, and the Paradise Ridge. Eventually, soil covered these lava caps, but from the air, the lava flows are still very clearly seen as the defining feature of the region. As for human history, this area was originally populated by the Maidu Indians, and archaeological evidence suggests that their presence here extended as far back as 10,000 years before the arrival of white settlers. Like many other indigenous people, the Maidu were killed, or died of diseases new to them, soon after the whites and Chinese flocked to the area in search of golden dreams. This proved to be a reality for some, but not so for many more, especially the Chinese who were squeezed out of their claims by discriminatory laws. Many ended up mining gold only as laborers for white miners, or worked in other trades; as cooks, or launderers.When the Gold Rush ended, a society that had tolerated the Chinese for their inexpensive labor, now wanted them to leave. In fact, the Chinese were literally burned out of their homes in Chico. In spite of the marvelous Chinese Temple in Oroville (lined with gold that Chinese laborers secreted out of the mines in spite of the threats of imprisonment or death), much of the vibrant Chinese community disappeared from the area. Considering it only began in 1848, the Gold rush was relatively short-lived, and by 1853, the Paradise area had settled in to the business of agriculture.Apples, hogs, vegetables and grains all thrived in Paradise's red soil. The area, being along a well-traveled stage route, was one of lively exchange between people on their way to Susanville or Nevada. Names of these stops still resurface today in the form of street names, or by the nicknames that people still call the areas, such as Toadtown, Dogtown, Coutolenc, Powellton and Inskip. Y 1861, the town had grown sufficiently as to warrant the building of a school, the Delaplain School. In 1879 the Congregational Church opened.A post office followed, and by 1880, the census discovered that the population of the Paradise Ridge was 301. More leaps in population were to come, such as 1903, when the Diamond Match Company built a large lumber mill in Stirling City, just up the hill from Magalia. This endeavor was to employ many residents for decades. By 1911 it was time for the post office to move from the Strong house, a private residence, and into the Orloff office. It was at this time that the name of the town was officially changed from
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8 Paradise Visitor Guide
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