History of the Old Cabin

In 1942, Vernon and Jessie Taylor bought a small wood-frame cabin on Mountain House Road in Goodyears Bar. Most likely it had been built in the late 1800s or early 1900s to house gold miners, who panned in nearby streams and rivers.

Vernon and Jessie had just moved to Northern California from Long Beach, where they’d met and married. Vernon worked in the oil industry, and the young couple settled in company housing in Contra Costa County.

Finally, Vernon lived close enough to his beloved Sierra County to buy vacation property there. He’d been born in Downieville and had enjoyed many happy years in the county during his youth, and he longed to spend time there again, this time with Jessie and their young daughters, Phyllis and Nancy. After finding the place on Mountain House Road, the couple took out a mortgage and paid $15 a month for their little slice of paradise.

Gradually, Vernon and Jessie fixed up the cabin, adding indoor plumbing, re-orienting the entryway and taking down a wall between the kitchen and living room. They had a long-term goal: living on the site year-round during their retirement years.