© Craig MacDonald
Marysville, CA--This is a tribute to the creative men and women of Marysville
during the very wet Holiday Season of 1852. These hardy pioneers didn't let
anything get in their way. The last week in December was a complete
washout--rain continued day and night, causing the Yuba and Feather Rivers to
overflow, flooding much of the area.
Everyone had been so looking forward to the big New Year's Eve bash at Merchant's Hotel, but it and many other downtown buildings and surrounding streets were literally flooded.
Would the much-anticipated dance be cancelled? Not on your life. They weren't about to let a flood dampen their holiday spirit. The can-do party-goers came up with the perfect solution. They rented boats and the men rowed their happy dates to the hotel, where they were able to get safely up to the second floor ballroom. "We danced merrily until morning," wrote one attendee in her diary. Word is they never had more fun at an end of year party. It was something they would never forget!
(This and other true holidays stories are from the full-color book, "Old West Christmas-Tales with a Twist," by Pulitzer Prize nominee Craig MacDonald and famous artist Bill Anderson. To find out how to purchase an autographed copy, go to www.goldrushglimpses.com.)
Note: If you're an Old West Christmas fan, here's another fantastic, true story,
Santa Claus
Papa.