Ben Soulsby settled here in 1851, and his 12-year-old son, young Ben, accidentally discovered the first gold in the area while walking the family cow home one evening. After the boy told his father what he had seen, Ben Soulsby investigated and found a rich vein of ore near the surface. Because young Ben was too young to stake a claim, his father did so for him, and the mine became known as the Soulsby Mine. People then settled here and created a large camp that later became Soulsbyville. The mine, one of the first hardrock mines in Tuolumne Co., was worked exclusively by Cornish miners, with between 60 and 70 "Cousin Jacks" employed there. Veins of gold-bearing ore ran 12 inches wide to a depth of 650 feet, requiring the use of 2 Ingersoll drills, 2 Darlington drills, and a 15-stamp mill. By May, 1877, the town had 2 general stores, a meat market, school, church, 3 booming saloons, and several boarding houses.