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Browns Valley is an unincorporated town in Yuba County. It is located on the north bank of the Yuba River (opposite Hammonton), south of Loma Rica, southwest of Rancho Loma Rica and Stanfield Hill, west of Sicard Flat, northeast of Hallwood, and southeast of Iowa City. Its elevation is 269 feet.
The native plant community of Browns Valley is central oak woodland, with some serpentine areas especially on the Browns Valley Ridge (on the west side of Spring Valley Road).
The U.S. Postal Service sometimes lists addresses in Rancho Loma Rica, Sicard Flat, and Stanfield Hill as being in Browns Valley, because they are all in the 95918 zip code. However, on the Yuba-Sutter Wiki, we prefer listing the more specific locations.
History
The History of Yuba County, California (Chapter XXVIII: Long Bar Township) by Thompson & West, 1879, described Browns Valley this way:
| This little town is situated twelve miles northeast of Marysville, and was once the scene of the most extensive quartz mining operations in Yuba county. In 1863, there were hundreds of quartz ledges located here and at Prairie Diggings, most of which were abandoned the next year. A few claims were worked for several years. The Jefferson mine went down seven hundred and eighty feet from 1863 to 1867, and took out five hundred and thirty-nine thousand dollars, declared dividends to the amount of one hundred and thirty-one thousand six hundred dollars. They erected a twelve-stamp mill, operated by steam power. The Pennsylvania mine, in 1867, had gone down six hundred feet, and run drifts two hundred feet, but paid no dividends. They had a sixteen-stamp steam-power mill. The Donnebroge mine had gone down in 1867, five hundred feet, and drifted two hundred feet. They had an eight-stamp steam-power mill. In addition to these, considerable work was done on the Daniel Webster, Pacific, Burnside, Paragon, Ophir, Rattlesnake, Sweet Vengeance, Bayerque, Anderson, and other mines. Several hundred thousand dollars were expended in developing these mines, but they were abandoned on account of the great expense and difficulty experienced in working them; water in the lower levels being very troublesome. The ruins of the old mills and buildings are still standing here, indicating the spot where a great deal of money was poured into holes in the ground. |
| Surface digging was commenced here in the early days, and the locality was quite a mining place before the quartz leads were developed. There is a little town here now of about one hundred people. A postoffice is located here, and the mail is brought from Marysville three times a week by the Downieville stage. |
Organizations
Events
See Loma Rica Foothill Lions Club site for upcoming community events.
Places to Have Fun
- Blackwelder Lake
- Browns Valley Ditch
- Daugherty Hill State Wildlife Area
- Dry Creek
- Hammon Grove Park
- Little Dry Creek
- Lower Blackwelder Lake
- Marysville Lake
- Miller Lake
- Olive Hill Ditch
- Prairie Creek
- Sycamore Ranch RV Park and Campground
- Sheriff's Posse Arena
- Splat Hill
Places to Shop
Grocery and Drug Stores
Gas Stations
Other Stores
Services
Places to Learn
Other Places
- Browns Valley Cemetery
- Browns Valley Irrigation
- Browns Valley Post Office
- Peoria Memorial Park Cemetery
- Red Hill
- Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center
