The old town of Kelsey is located about seven miles in a northwesterly direction from Placerville, occupying an elevated plateau on the higher side of the South Fork of the American river. In the flush times of placer mining it was the business center for an extensive and a wonderfully rich mining district, embracing a large number of creeks, ravines, gulches, flats, etc. In those days the old town supported twelve stores, perhaps twice that number of saloons and gambling houses, half a dozen hotels and hay-yards, and other places of business in proportion. As before remarked, the placer mines of this district were wonderfully rich ; it was characteristic of the gold taken from these gulches, ravines or flats, perhaps in a greater degree than that from any other mine in this State, that it was rough, and in a large proportion had small fragments of quartz attached to the particles of gold, indicating to thoughtful observers, that the places where it was found, were not far remote from its original place of repose in a quartz ledge. But in large proportion of old brood of placer miners were not the men to follow up such indications. With them it had become a habit, which gradually assumed that the character of second nature, that they could not wait longer than a week to "clean up" and realize the result of their labor. Rather than follow the indications that led to a quartz ledge, though close at hand, they would wander off to Frazier river, Kern river, Skagitt, or some other distant field in which rich placer mines were reported. And so it happened that with the exhaustion of the placer mines about Kelsey district there was observable a similar exhaustion in energy, spirit and enterprise of the mining and business community, until lately the old town has dwindled and is comprising but one boarding-house, one saloon, and three or four residences.
The place was named after a man by the name of Kelsey who also lent his name to the town of Kelseyville, Lake county. Samuel Smith, of Baltimore, who came to California in 1843, kept the first store, and Mr. Paul the first hotel. The first school in the district was taught by Mr. Pease, and Miss Slater, not Mrs. Shankland succeeding; the school house was located east of Jno. Poor's place. A Post Office was established here in 1856 or 1857, Jno. White, first Post Master, and an Express office was opened by Thos. McManus, which connected either way to Georgetown and Placerville, as the pioneer stage line run through town.
The town was destroyed by fire in 1853, and in 1856 Kelsey introduced the run of destructive fires of that year that visited Placerville, Diamond Springs, Georgetown, etc.; a big blaze originated in n old deserted shanty, unoccupied for weeks, and destroyed a large part of the town on New Years day 1856.
Of all other mining places of early days in Kelsey township; Louisville, Columbia, Irish Creek, American Flat, Spanish Flat, Fleatown, Elizaville, Yankee Flat, Chicken Flat, Stag Flat, Barley Flat and Union Flat.
Has always been the most important; and while most all those above named are entirely gone or shrunk into one single settlement, Spanish Flat has preserved quite some townlike appearance. The town is located on the stage road from Placerville to Georgetown, about six miles south of the latter place. The richest diggings here were near the site of the village, first worked by the Spaniards, from whom the name was derived. This same claim was known afterwards as the "Frazier Claim" or "Deep Hole," worked by M. S. Frazier & Co., consisting of Jno. Kennedy, Geo. Hunsucker, Amos Blundell and John Hunsucker, over $100,000 have been taken out of this claim. The first store in town was opened by Frank Johnson, from Missouri, in 1849, in a small log cabin. The first hotel of any note was built by one Parker, on the site of Mr. Roelke's present building; the house was kept by Parker and Perrins, Mrs. Parker being the first white woman in town. Of the prominent business men we give the names of : James Muncy, Jacoby, Capt. Henry Tucker, Glassman & Forrester, Lausbaugh & Tobener, Stearn & Levy, C. S. Wattles and others. The first saloon was kept by Johnson in connection with his store ; the round tent was a gambling establishment kept by Aleck. Alexandria.
There were two or three bakeries, two blacksmith shops, one kept by Worthen, besides a butcher shop, etc., in town, representing quite a nice and lively mining place. Dr. E. M. Alderman was the town physician ; and school was first taught here by Miss Sarah Tully. An order of Sons of Temperance was established in 1854. The Masons and Odd Fellows both had lodges here which were in a flourishing condition. Morning Light Lodge, No. 89, I. O. O. F. is still in possession of a two-story building located in the village.
No murder or lynching occurred here in early days; the resolute miners kept the Spaniards down, and other rogues away. M. S. Frazier, J. N. Lumann, H. Wldeck, Wm. Selby, Wm. F. Coe, G. H. Roelke and some others constitute the present population ; Roelke and Frazier are the oldest settlers.
