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  Welcome to Backcountry Explorers

Poker Flat


Poker Flat
GPS:  39.694180°,  -120.843583°

Scott home on Poker FlatScott 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 FlatGrizzley 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.

Gold rush ghost town cemetery.
The Poker Flat cemetery holds over a hundred past citizens in graves marked with granite, wooden head boards and stakes.

Bret Harte postcard
Movie poster for The Outcasts of Poker Flat.
Poker Flat OHV 4x4 sign
Picture
Canyon Creek at Poker Flat
Poker Flat geocache in heart shaped tree trunk
The heart of Poker Flat GeoCache
Sinnott grave stones in cemetery
Picture
Scott house 2008
Bret Harte 5 cent stamp
collapsed scot home in 2015.
Scott house 2015
Mining grizzly
creek taht runs through town of Poker Flat
Canyon Creek
side view of scott home after collapse in 2015.
Scott house 2015


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Copyright  ©  2015  Laymon International LLC   21143 Hawthorne Blvd. #418 Torrance, Ca 90503 
  • Home
  • Our Adventures
    • Death Valley >
      • Artist Drive, Death Valley
      • Badwater, Death Valley
      • Ballarat Ghost Town, Death Valley
      • Broken Pick mine, Death Valley
      • Charcoal Kilns, Death Valley
      • Charles Manson Hide Out Barker Ranch, Death Valley
      • Chloride Cliffs, Death Valley
      • Corona Mine, Death Valley
      • Crater Sulfur Mine, Death Valley
      • Devils Golf Course, Death Valley
      • Geologist Cabin, Death Valley
      • Harmony Borax works, Death Valley
      • Ibex Springs Talc Mine, Death Valley
      • Inyo Mine, Death Valley
      • Keane Wonder Mine, Death Valley
      • Keystone Mine, Death Valley
      • Lost Burro Mine, Death Valley
      • Marble Bath, Death Valley
      • Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley
      • Morning Glory Mine Camp, Death Valley
      • Racetrack, Death Valley
      • Rhyolite, Nevada
      • Russell Camp, Death Valley
      • Ryan, Death Valley
      • Scotty's Castle, Death Valley
      • Skidoo Ghost Town, Death Valley
      • Stella's - Mengel Cabin, Death Valley
      • Teakettle Junction, Death Valley
      • Titus Canyon, Death Valley
      • Ubehebe Crater, Death Valley
      • Warm Springs, Death Valley
      • Zabriskie Point, Death Valley
    • California Gold Country >
      • Alleghany, California
      • Big Springs, highway 49
      • Downieville, California
      • Forest City
      • Kenton Mine
      • Kentucky Mine and Museum
      • Love Falls Yuba River
      • Mountain House Henness Pass
      • Oregon Creek Covered Bridge
      • Poker Flat
      • Sierra Buttes Mine
      • Sierra City, Ca
      • Young America Mine
  • Story Blog
  • Our Company
  • Support