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Tuolumne County Water Company Stock Certificate - California Gold Rush Stock! (107765)

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Stock & Bond - Mining Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 150.00 USD
Tuolumne County Water Company Stock Certificate - California Gold Rush Stock!  (107765)
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This item SOLD at 2020 Feb 15 @ 08:27UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
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California Gold Rush Collectible. Most of these are badly soiled. Certificate No. 192, made out to John Bensley for one share. Datelined Columbia, March 1st, 1854. Signed by President William H. Clark and Secretary R. Robinson. Cut cancelled. A classic mining vignette showing a dammed river, miners operating sluices and a rocker. Lithography by Britton & Rey, S.F. The vignette was created by Britton & Rey in the 1850's and was used on the early versions of Bear River and Auburn Mining Company certificate’s, but it is perhaps most famous for the Tuolumne Water Company certificates from the 1850's. Pinholes, bent corner, some toning around edges. Early settlers of Columbia realized that maintaining their business relied on a steady supply of water, and local miners realized that a reliable supply of water was needed to find the gold all year around in this location. Together, they established to Tuolumne County Water Company (TCWC) in June of 1851. The Tuolumne County Water Company was set up as an employee owned and controlled company. Founders went to surrounding areas raising expectations and investors. At the end of June 1851, 160 shares of stock had been sold, the route had been surveyed, and workers were celebrating. Their efforts to tap into first Five Mile creek, then the south fork of the Stanislaus River was largely unsuccessful, as the creeks were dry and the rivers were low as was usual in the summer months. After almost a year water finally arrived, but there was not enough to sustain full mining operations, and the company was forced to borrow money for capital investments in sawmills, roads and equipment. The Tuolumne County Water Company incorporated in September 1852.

Provenance:
Country (if not USA):
State: California
City/County: Columbia
Date: 1854