Onion Valley

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{About-distinguish-text|Onion Valley in Plumas County|Onion Valley, Inyo County}} {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Onion Valley, California |settlement_type = Former settlement |nickname = |motto =

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'''Onion Valley, California''' is a former California gold rush mining settlement and supply station<ref>Potter, Theodore Edgar (1913) [https://books.google.com/books?id=g10vAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA99 ''The Autobiography of Theodore Edgar Potter''] Rumford Press {{ISBN|9781981542611}} page 99</ref> in Plumas County, California, United States.

==Geography== Onion Valley was located on Onion Valley Creek northeast of La Porte, California at the foot of Pilot Peak.

Note that the California counties of Inyo, Sierra, Placer, Amador and Calaveras have other locations with the same name.

==History== Onion Valley was named for the wild onion plants native to the area. As a Gold Rush community,<ref>McIlhany, Edward Washington (1908) [https://books.google.com/books?id=rm4UAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA49 ''Recollections of a '49er''] Hailman Printing Company {{LCCN|08029358}} pp49–53, 69–70</ref> population may have peaked at 1,500 in 1851<ref>Rensch & Hoover (1966) [https://books.google.com/books?id=wYGaAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA281 ''Historic Spots in California''] Stanford University Press {{ISBN|9780804700795}} p281</ref> with six hotels, a few stores and saloons, gambling parlor and a bowling alley.<ref>Gilbert, Frank & Whiting, Fenton (1882) [https://books.google.com/books?id=n_8JEQAAQBAJ&pg=PA290 ''Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties''] Fariss & Smith {{ISBN|9783385476141}} p290</ref> Business started to decline at the end of 1851, and by 1853 only 120 settlers are noted.<ref>Hutchings (1856) [https://books.google.com/books?id=2GYdAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA194 Onion Valley and Pilot Peak] ''Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine'' v1 #5 p194</ref>

Organized ski club downhill speed races were held at Onion Valley starting in 1861,<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84038814/1861-04-10/ed-1/?sp=3&q=shoe "Snow Shoeing"] ''Daily National Democrat'' Vol 6 #50:3 (10 Apr 1861)</ref> with Sierra longboard skis referred to as "Norwegian snow-shoes". California Historical Landmarks No. 723 and 724 reference Onion Valley as a pioneer organized ski club in America.<ref>[https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/723 Pioneer Ski Area of America Historical Landmark] California State Parks</ref>

The 1880 population was listed as 23. A hotel<ref>[https://calisphere.org/item/70225f8d577e75ca0e132ca2c265b7d3/ Herson House Hotel, 1880] Calisphere</ref> and the Eclipse mine was in the area.<ref>Gudde, E. (2009) [https://books.google.com/books?id=i7QwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA106 ''California Gold Camps''] University of California Press {{ISBN|9780520261440}} pp106, 251–252</ref>

Photographs capture the decline of the area's human structures from 1905<ref>[https://calisphere.org/item/7da6636f1a138e8c69bd7b75e94fb8b2/ Snowy View of Onion Valley, 1905] Calisphere</ref> to 1953.<ref>[https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/87293/d3373x/ Onion Valley, 1953] Calisphere</ref>

==See also== *Plumas National Forest *Pacific Crest Trail *Lost Sierra *List of ghost towns in California

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Plumas County, California}}

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Category:Ghost towns in California Category:History of Plumas County, California Category:Plumas County, California Category:Former populated places in California