The article on Chico in the Pacific Rural Press, published July 3, 1886, continues with a  description of Chico’s financial and manufacturing capacity:

The Bank of Chico, ca. 1900. Look familiar?

Chico has two solid banks—the Bank of Butte County and the Bank of Chico. Both are located in fine brick blocks on opposite corners of Broadway and Second street. The former has a capital of $250,000, with a surplus of about $24,000. N. D. Rideout, the well-known banker of Northern California, is president, and Charles Faulkner cashier. The Bank of Chico, organized in 1872, has a paid-up capital of $100,000, and a surplus of $30,000. W. D. Heath is president, and Alex. Crew cashier. Both banks carry on a general banking business and buy and sell exchange on all the principal cities of the United States.

Among the manufactories are included planing mills, box factories, foundries, breweries, soda works, carriage and harness factories, and two large roller flour mills fitted with the latest improved machinery.

Employees of the Sierra Lumber Company at the yard where the flume ended. The water was discharged back into Chico Creek.

On the east side of town is situated the extensive lumber yard and planing mills of the Sierra Flume and Lumber Company, whose great V-shaped flume extends for 40 miles up into the fine timber belt of the Sierras. The company manufactures extensively sash, doors and blinds of all kinds, and gives employment to a large force of men. The immense lumber yard, embracing 15 acres, is filled with lumber and building material of every description. A side track from the railroad, running through the yard, affords excellent shipping facilities.

The Sierra Flume running through Chico Creek Canyon

Chico has lines of stages running to Oroville, Prattville (Big Meadows), Cherokee, Deadwood, Colusa, and to Newville, Colusa county, by way of St. Johns and Orland.

I want to know where Deadwood was, or is. Mining camp or lumber camp? Is it a ghost town today? I have never heard of Deadwood in Butte County.

All photos are used courtesy of Special Collections, Meriam Library. California State University, Chico.  The library has many more historical photos, including many flume pictures, in the Northeastern California Historical Photograph Collection.