Living in South County It’s Just Beautiful! By Steve Cottrell Nevada County Historian Although major residential and commercial development in what today is known as South County didn’t begin until the 1960s, thousands of 19th century adventurers passed through the area after safely descending from Yuba Pass and following the Bear River to the edge of the Sacramento Valley. The Overland Emigrant Trail that brought families from the East and Midwest to the Pacific Coast had several branches in California, including one that crossed present-day Highway 49 at Wolf Creek, about seven miles north of Higgins Corner. An alternate route took wagon trains from Yuba Pass to Nevada City.
In all, more than 250,000 people traveled overland to California during the Gold Rush, many eventually following the Donner Summit/Bear Valley trail.
home construction began at Lake of the Pines—followed by new commercial buildings on Combie and Magnolia roads.
As a state historical marker on Highway 49 explains, “The trail resounded to the creaking wheels of pioneer wagons and the cry of hardy but footsore travelers buoyed by the realization their long trip to the goldfields was about over.”
About that same time, Alta Sierra, eight miles south of Grass Valley, was approved for development by the county. Soon, more than eight square miles of rolling hills became a beautiful subdivision featuring an 18-hole golf course and a full-service clubhouse used for many public gatherings. In addition, a restaurant, market and other businesses opened near the Alta Sierra entrance.
The southern portion of Nevada County remained largely undeveloped well into the 20th century. There were some businesses at Higgins Corner and a few along Highway 49 leading to Grass Valley, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that
In 1986, as the South County region continued to grow, Bear River High DESTINATION Nevada County
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