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San Bernardino County,CA - March 18, 1863 - Madison Slate Range Mining Company Stock :

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Documents Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
San Bernardino County,CA - March 18, 1863 - Madison Slate Range Mining Company Stock :
Incorporated in 1863. Cert. #44, issued to W.R. Morey for 25 shares. Signed by W.R. Morey, president, and G.J. Turner, secretary. Vignette at center of Indian kneeling above a waterfall. Small vignette at bottom of a lyre atop an open book. Black border on pale pink paper. 5.5 x 10.” Uncancelled. Printer: Buswell & Co. 2650 Feet “Mount Vernon,” and 2640 Feet “Leopard” are printed to either side of the vignette. Also “Each Share Two Feet.” Datelined San Francisco. San Bernardino County can boast a long a colorful history—beginning as early as 10,000 BC with paleo-Indian habitation, and perhaps even earlier. In historic times, the area was inhabited by the Gabrielenos, Serranos, Vanyumes and Chemehuevi Indian tribes. During the 18th century the Spanish military and Franciscans entered the area, the latter giving the locale its name in observance of the feast day of St. Bernardine of Siena. The entire San Bernardino valley became Rancho San Bernardino when the Lugo family was awarded the property in a Spanish land grant; however, in 1851 the Mormon Colony, led by Captain Jefferson Hunt of the Mormon Battalion, purchased the property, but by 1857 the colony was called back to Utah. Gold was discovered in 1860 in Holcomb and Bear Valleys in the San Bernardino Mountains and men at Lytle Creek began placer mining and prospects mines' in the Slate Range were developed concurrent with 1863 Inyo locations but none took off in production. Little is known of the area's pre 1868 mining history. Lingenfelter (Death Valley and the Amargosa) has some history from the 1849 Jayhawker period. By 1870 silver was being mined at Ivanpah, to be followed within a decade by the riches of the Calico district. During the same thirty years from the 1850s to the 1880s, citrus, grapes and wines were being produced in the rich valley [www.sbgov/history.htm]. This is an extra rare certificate, given its early date.