B.N. Bugbey House

06/23/2024

An introduction to my book of historical fiction set in early California.

Embark on a journey through the California Gold Rush as you follow the life of a Chinese orphan boy raised by a couple in an isolated mining town.

06/05/2024

My latest book, The Chinese Boy, a work of historical fiction set in the 1860s. Available on Amazon, Kindle, ebook, paperback, search Amazon Author Kevin Knauss.

04/02/2024

Short review of the extraordinary journal of Loring K. Jordan, General Manager of the North Fork Ditch for the years 1946 and 1947. The Gold Rush era water works project was still delivering water to Orangevale, Fair Oaks, and Citrus Heights with regular failures of the main ditch along the North Fork of the American River.

The last years of the North Fork Ditch, as recorded by Loring K. Jordan, General Manager. Jordan records the numerous breaks on the main canal, constant leak...

05/22/2023

1868 map indicating the B.N. Bugbee (sic) wine cellar and vineyard in El Dorado County, next to Brown's Ravine. The image is the approximate location and shows a structure that was exposed when Folsom Lake was very low in 2022. The unconsolidated foundation of the building indicates a 19th century structure. Most likely Bugbey's, outbuilding of some sort.

03/14/2023

In 1866, B.N. Bugbey applied for a trademark for his wine, brandy, and raisins, "Natoma Duroc and Columbia Gem of the Ocean." Natoma was for his vineyard next to Browns Ravine and Duroc was for the vineyard near Shingle Springs. Unclear is if Columbia was a grape varietal, vineyard, or something else.

01/07/2022

I recently found this 1856 map of the Leidesdorff land grant that indicates Bugbey's house on the south side of the American River. This area is now Gold River/Rancho Cordova. The red line would be the approximate location of Sunrise Blvd.

09/17/2020

In 1893, in order to protect his home, B. N. Bugbey petitioned to be recognized as an insolvent debtor, tantamount to bankruptcy. His long time acquaintance Amos P. Catlin, a Superior Court Judge oversaw the petition and granted it. Note that Shasta County is mentioned in the notice as that's where Bugbey's failing hard-rock gold mine was located.

09/13/2020

I came across this ad in the Folsom Telegraph from 1867.

09/12/2020

In 1875, the Sacramento Republican Party had split. Amos P. Catlin had formed the Independent Taxpayers' Party, whose main supporters were Republicans. Catlin was running for District Court Judge under the Independent label and S. C. Denson was running as a Republican. The fear was that they would split the vote and a Democrat would be elected. I was surprised to read that B. N. Bugb[e]y was working with Catlin to find affect a compromise where one of the men would drop out of the race based on the decision by a committee of 24 men. The correspondence between Bugbey and the the Republican Party was published in the Sacramento Bee. No compromise was met, both men ran, Denson won the election over the Democrat. Catlin would be elected a Superior Court Judge in 1890.

06/04/2020

B. N. Bugbey's life intersected with many notable individuals in the Sacramento region. One of those was Amos P. Catlin who mined for gold at Mormon Island and, like Bugbey, owned many lots in the town of Folsom. Bugbey and Catlin also met at Union and Republican Party events and conventions. Catlin represented Francois Lamblett in the sensational murder case of Francois' wife. Bugbey was a Deputy Sheriff charged with investigating and watching Francois in 1879. Catlin, as a Superior Court Judge, would declare Bugbey an insolvent debtor in 1893. Catlin founded the Natoma Water and Mining Company that gave rise to the property dispute at Bugbey's Natoma Vineyard that helped drive Bugbey into bankruptcy. The page below gives a timeline of Catlin's life in Sacramento and his numerous accomplishments. It is part of a larger body of research on Catlin's life for a biography about him.

A. P. Catlin, California Gold Rush pioneer of 1849, put Sacramento on the map. He was a distiguished lawyer, judge, and built important water canals on the American River.

03/19/2020

I was recently doing some research on Amos Parmerlee Catlin and came across a receipt for property taxes paid on the Catlin estate in November 1900, when B. N. Bugbey was the elected Tax Collector for Sacramento County. Catlin, a Pioneer '49er, helped create the Natoma Water and Mining Company on the South Fork of the American River. The Natoma Company refused to pay Bugbey $19,000 for property they took from him for a flume across his Natoma Vineyard. The refusal to pay helped push Bugbey into bankruptcy in 1878. Catlin, as Superior Court Judge, declared Bugbey and insolvent debtor in the early 1890s. Catlin died on November 5th, 1900. Bugbey and Catlin knew each other very well.

01/27/2020

In 1863, as Sheriff of Sacramento County, Bugbey sold the entire block of Sacramento City between O and P, 25th and 26th Streets to Jane Scroggs for $20.77 as a result of unpaid taxes by the former owners. I found this Sheriff's Sale Certificate recently at a history show and snatched it up.