Lincoln’s Renaissance , 1873-1880<\/p>\n
“October 11, 1873, Coal Mine in Placer. – We learn from a friend that a bed of coal has been discovered in Lincoln in this county, which promises to be of great importance, not alone to that section, but to the whole country.\u00a0 The same material was struck as early as 1862, while boring a well, but it attracted no attention, as no one seemed to suspicion the existence of coal in that part of the country.”<\/p>\n
Newspaper reports of coal induced Charles Lincoln Wilson to do test boring at various sites on the north side of town.\u00a0 He finally settled on a location at the north end of F Street.\u00a0 The coal was 58 feet down in a 13-foot thick layer.\u00a0 On December 27, 1873, the Lincoln Coal Mine was reported open and shipping coal by rail.<\/p>\n
Another report about the coal in Lincoln ended: “If it is a good thing, as we hope it is, the people of Lincoln will soon have to commence repairing some of those shabby-looking houses which line the streets of that moral little burg.”<\/p>\n
The spirits of the townspeople began to rise with the prospect of jobs in the coal mine and in shipping it via the railroad and in the resulting increase of activity in the businesses in Lincoln.\u00a0 In May 1874: “We passed through Lincoln the other day and were pleased to notice a marked improvement of the town.\u00a0 Many of the property owners were repairing and painting their buildings, which gives to the place quite an improved appearance to what it was a year ago.\u00a0 The coal does it.”<\/p>\n
Property values in Lincoln were rising impressively.\u00a0 There was complaining about the high price of bricks, $20 per 1,000.\u00a0 A side track was completed from the main rail line to the coal mine.<\/p>\n
Lincoln coal was found to do well in iron smelting.\u00a0 It was tested in Sacramento at Guttenberg’s foundry.\u00a0 Housewives found it excellent for the kitchen stove.<\/p>\n
An unexpected outcome of coal mining proved to be more crucial to Lincoln’s future than the coal itself.\u00a0 As the layer of coal was being removed, observers noted that the ceiling of the resulting tunnel was composed of clay, apparently of very high quality.\u00a0 Other parties prospecting for coal north of town had also noticed layers of clay above the coal.<\/p>\n
Charles Gladding, operator of a pottery in Chicago, read a report about the clay in Lincoln.\u00a0 He visited the site in February of 1875 and had large samples of the clay tested in Oakland and San Francisco and also at his pottery in Chicago.\u00a0 Satisfied with its superior quality he formed a company with Peter McBean and George Chambers and prepared to move out to California.<\/p>\n
In May of 1875, with a total of $12,000 capital invested by the three partners, the building of a pottery at the north end of town was underway.\u00a0 The first clay was hoisted out of the coal shaft.\u00a0 By July they were manufacturing and firing vitrified sewer, water and irrigation pipe (Iron Stone).<\/p>\n
The original name, California Clay Manufacturing Company, soon became Gladding, McBean & Co.<\/p>\n
………………………..and the rest is history.<\/p>\n
For the complete story:\u00a0 this article is found in the Lincoln Area Archives publication “Lincoln Area History Review – Indian Era to 1980”, Chapter 15, written by Lincoln Historian Jerry Logan.\u00a0 This book is available at the Lincoln Gift Shop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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