056_SouthCounty_10.qxd:056_SoCo_10
5/17/10
9:21 PM
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SOUTH NEVADA COUNTY
WAYDE CARROLL
A
MUSTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY
S YOU TRAVEL UP Hwy. 49 from Auburn, the first Nevada County “community” encountered is an area which has come to be known as South County. Although rural in nature, it has been growing over the years. Among the early settlers was Michael Higgins, an Irish immigrant. He lived with his parents in Canada and New York before coming to California in 1852 at age 19. At first, Higgins mined at Placerville, Georgetown and on the American River. Then in 1860, he moved to the southern area of what would become Nevada County. Here he began to farm and raise stock on 160 acres. Higgins was also an owner of the Globe Hotel located in the area. It was a stage stop, and according to reports of the day,
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NEVADA COUNTY GOLD
was the site of dancing and merry-making, especially on St. Patrick’s Day. The section of South County bounded by Hwy. 49, Combie Road and the Bear River is now known as Higgins Corner. Today, this area is home to a shopping center with another scheduled to be built nearby. Not far away is DarkHorse, an 18-hole golf course. Completed about seven years ago, it was rated in the top 100 among 16,000 public courses nationwide in 2006-2007. South County is also home to Lake of the Pines (LOP), a gated community with approximately 2,000 homes surrounding a 230 acre lake. There are six parks and beaches on the lake, an 18-hole championship golf course, available to the public part of the time, and clubhouse. Begun as a retirement community, today LOP has as many families as retirees. Further up Hwy. 49 is the area known as Alta Sierra. Located on 2,500 acres, it offers residents a range of home designs and set-
WAYDE CARROLL
A Gateway to Nevada County tings from starter homes to view ranch properties. The community features the Alta Sierra Golf Course and Country Club. The 18-hole course is open to the public for limited play. Serving a community of over 48,000 people is the South Nevada County Chamber of Commerce. Founded in 1998, it has grown in size over the years and now represents a number of area businesses. Besides special projects that benefit the community and mixers, the chamber also holds monthly lunch meetings which feature business speakers, as well as political candidates. A project of the chamber, was the construction of a stone monument that reads “Welcome to Nevada County, Established 1851,” flanked on either side by a gold miner. Located near the county line, the monument is seven feet tall and 15 feet wide, and sets the tone for a visit to Nevada County.