A Story of Two Gold Country Towns

  When you drive up Banner Mountain on Banner Lava Cap Road, you are technically in the beautiful little Gold Country town of Nevada City, California. That's where my school bus drove Monday through Friday during the school year. Up Banner Mountain, down Banner Mountain. I went to school in Nevada City, first at the Elementary School, then at Seven Hills Intermediate School (which was brand spanking new when I started fourth grade).  I played in the volcanic red dirt under tall cedar, pine and oak trees with my sister Stephanie and all the neighborhood kids.  We shopped every Saturday at SPD Market (started by Mr. See, Mr. Painter and Mr. Dilley) and played at Pioneer Park.  

  At the top of Banner Mountain, you can make a right turn which takes you down Idaho Maryland Road.  Then you are technically in the little bigger Gold Country town of Grass Valley.  I always felt sorry for the kids that lived on Idaho Maryland Road, because they had to go to school in Grass Valley.  I loved my schools, and couldn't imagine schools in Grass Valley were in any way superior.  

  But, a great deal of my life was also spent in Grass Valley.  That's where my relatives lived, worked and attended church on my mom's side of the family.   My dad's side of the family moved to Grass Valley in the late 40's from San Carlos and owned Grass Valley Drug on South Auburn Street since 1949. They lived in a house (Villa Rusticana)  on Mainhart Drive that still remains vivid in my memories.  

  One street up from South Auburn  was Mill Street.  We shopped for shoes and clothes on Mill Street. Dr. Ross the optometrist was on Mill Street. The movie theater the Del Oro (Gold!) with it's unbelievable Art Deco murals was on Mill Street.  Piano lessons were on Mill Street. 

  The next street up was Church Street, home to the Grass Valley United Methodist Church and the Emmanuel Episcopal Church that were so important to my family stories. My Great Grandmother (Nana) Emma King Hayes VanDuzer lived up one more street on the corner of School and West Main.  My Uncle Jack Hansen lived across West Main Street from her in a house built by Uncle Bob Hansen. 

  So, really, we lived right in the middle of both towns when I was growing up, almost to the top of Banner Mountain.  I found this picture of my maternal  Grandfather, Harold Hansen, taken in June of 1928. It is titled "Hiked to Banner". He is on the right.  I sure don't know who Muriel or Neil were, or Yours Truly. But it is fun to ponder on how his trip went, which route they took, or how far they got. Maybe they got as far as the neighborhood where my childhood home was eventually built almost 40 years later. 

Here I am in 1968 or 69 on our back deck with Jay Smart. Banner Mountain.