How Marysville Grew from a Gold Rush Town to California's Oldest Little City

Marysville, California, gained its name from Mary Murphy Covillaud, who was a Donner Party survivor. The city is located in Yuba County and is 40 miles north of the state capitol, Sacramento. The town was put on the map in the 19th century during the Gold Rush days when tens of thousands of people flooded into northern California hoping to make their fortune.

Rapid Population Growth

Interestingly, the Kennebec Company, who were a group of investors, wanted to turn Marysville into the "New York of the Pacific." During the early 1850's it seemed as if the Kennebec Company's dreams would become a reality, as Marysville grew to such proportions that by 1852 it had become the third largest city in California, after San Francisco and Sacramento.

Incorporated into California

California became a state in 1850 and soon after this, Marysville was incorporated into California. It was the eighth city to incorporate into California. The reason why California has earned the nickname as "California's oldest little city" is because the seven cities that were incorporated prior to Marysville now have much larger populations than Marysville.

Why the Sudden Lack of Growth?

Plans to turn Marysville into a bustling metropolis in northern California collapsed, due in part to the yearly flooding that damaged investments and properties in the city. The levees that were erected to help combat the problem of flooding did not help much until the flood of 1875 when the levee system that was erected finally put an end to flood damage around the city. Even though surrounding cities continued to suffer flood damage, Marysville strengthened its position as a centre for commerce in the Sacramento Valley. This influence carried on down to the first half of the 20^th century. However, the levees that were erected to protect Marysville have held the city back from any further growth. The dream of turning Marysville into the "New York of the Pacific" did not pan out as expected.

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