Doble
In 1873, the Carter brothers discovered gold northeast of Bear Valley. Word of their find spread, and in December 1873 Samuel Baird purchased the two richest claims for $30,000 with financial help from investors; among them was Elias "Lucky" Baldwin, who had earned a fortune on the Comstock Lode. Baldwin agreed to pay 90% of the development costs for a percentage of the profits and began work on both a new road and 40-stamp mill. Soon a new camp called Bairdstown developed, which by early 1875 had saloons, boarding houses, stores, and a wide array of other businesses. On March 6, 1875, the new mill went into operation and began pumping out 100 tons of ore per day. By the end of the year, however, decreasing ore quality led to the closure of the mill and Bairdstown was quickly deserted. The mill was lost to fire three years later.
In 1894, Budd Doble (husband of Baldwin's daughter Clara) invested $25,000 in reopening the old mine, which at this time took his name. Again due to poor ore quality, the mine was sold in 1899 to Captain J.R. LaMar. LaMar believed that the new cyanide process could yield better results, and began construction on a new mill. Unfortunately, he too failed to make a profit and Doble was soon abandoned.
