In the 60 plus years of the authors combined research of western mining towns this one stands out for many reasons
- 1. From inception it was set up to last properly incorporated, plotted, formal property survey, structured deed formalities
- 2 attracted a civilized eastern population as core leaders
- 3 formal education practices ,including private academy
- 4 functional church’s
- 5 no outside speculators
- 6 heavy legal environment, many lawyers
- 7 newspapers with advertising, national news and reporters
- 8 many functional clubs, fraternal organizations, respect for civil war veterans, honor of celebration of independence day
- 9 road repair function
- 10 few bars, no red light section
- 11 a western copy of the established, civilized towns back east where the merchants and business owners came from
- 12 done without a railroad , electricity, telephones, running water, sewer or paved streets
- 13 continued on long after main economic Engine had ceased operating
- 14 banking , home mortgages (in 1900!)Business loans
- 15 produced the states first governor
- 16 politically active outside the city
- 17 population came together to pay the railroad subscription fee
- 18 touted alternative resources when gold mines were played out
- 19 white, Mexican. Chinese and black people all rose to positions of respect
- 20 large effort on postal service and post office
- 21 many of the core leaders stayed there long after there was no economy and chose to be buried there
- 22 functional stock certificates trading operation
- 23 photographer, dress maker, shoe maker as well as the full access to food. Clothing ever wallpaper and rugs
- 24 sawmill
- 25 not a company town
- 26 Galas. Lavish balls. Picnics ,parties were of great joy and interest and occurred often
- 27 opera house.
Most western mining towns were slap up, feast , run wild, move on to the next strike Places with no sense of permanence or civility. All the accruements of a much larger ,Metropolitan City
These are reasons why white oaks is different and in part why this site is being built