Poker Flat

Poker Flat
GPS: 39.694180°, -120.843583°

Scott Home in 2008

This gold rush town was made famous by Bret Harte’s famous short story, “The outcasts of Poker Flat”. Back in the 1800s a stage would take you over the hills almost due north ten miles to Poker flat From Downieville, the center of Sierra County mining and supplies. Once you reach Poker Flat you start to understand why shop owner Henry Cohn called it “a miserable hole”. The Scott house was the last house standing in 2008 but has since collapsed.

Bret Harte was later put on a five dollar U.S. postage stamp. His book was also made into three different movies including one in 1952 starring Anne Baxter and Dale Robertson.

Historical picture of the Grizzly mine near Poker Flat

Grizzley Mine near Poker Flat

In 1852 Poker Flat produced $700,000 in gold in a single month and then celebrated the event with a string of triple hangings. First the streams were mined, and then hydraulic mining as well as some lode and drift mining took place through the early 1900s. By 1854 there were over two thousand hardy folk eking out a living in Poker and Howland Flat general area with fifteen stores, five hotels, three dance halls, and seven gambling houses. The town was even big enough to draw a circus to town in 1856 selling 1500 tickets with an admission of $20 each. Poker Flats also held some of the very first down hill ski races was skiers attaining speeds over 70 miles per hours. As with most gold rush towns the town burned down twice, once in 1859 and again in 1876.

Old building foundation from ghost town.

Poker Flat Building foundation

No doubt many a miner and prospector found their riches near Poker Flat but they were not the only ones. Store keeps who supplied the miners also profited handsomely. One such individual was Jerome Peyon, who became quite wealthy selling goods out of his retail establishment. Not having a bank in town Mr. Peyon was known to make frequent trips into the hills behind his store in Poker Flat to bury his earnings. A Mexican gang caught wind of Mr. Peon’s hidden stash and demanded to know of its location. Mr. Peyon refused to divulge the whereabouts of his riches and the gang murdered him. Jerome Peyon’s buried cache still remains somewhere in the hills of Poker Flat even to this day.