Anthony House and Ranch

In 1849 a Mr. Anthony staked out 160 acres on the north side of Deer Creek along the road that would become part of the Marysville-Henness Pass-Virginia City trade route and built a house and out-buildings. Although further details about Mr. Anthony are unknown, the name Anthony House continued through a succession of owners. The property was offered for sale in 1852 and purchased by Mr. S.P. French, and by then it was a flourishing stage stop serving as a hotel, restaurant, livery stable, and post office. The original house burned down in 1876 but was quickly rebuilt. Later owners included William Henry Davey, Nevada County Supervisor from 1908 to 1916, and later his son, Frank Davey. Stage stop and post office operations continued until 1906, when the post office moved to Smartsville. After that, declining traffic on the trade route led to farming and cattle raising as the property's main use. By 1970, when Boise-Cascade began development of this area, the property had fallen into disrepair, and the house was burned down as a training exercise by the Penn Valley Fire Protection District. Construction of Anthony Dam on Deer Creek later submerged any remains of the historic site under Lake Wildwood.

Lake Wildwood, California · United States