Butte County is located approximately 80 miles north of Sacramento with a population of 201,000 per the 1990 U.S. Census. Cities and towns in Butte County are: Oroville (Ophir), Chico, Paradise, Magalia (Dogtown), Gridley, Biggs, Dayton, Durham, and Nelson.
The Butte County seat is at Oroville, and was created February 18, 1850. The county name was derived from the Marysville or Sutter Buttes, which lay within the boundaries when it was created. The word butte is derived from the Teutonic word meaning "a blunt extension or elevation." In the French language, it signifies "a small hill or mound of earth detached from any mountain range."
Other towns that are very small or don't exist anymore are : Helltown, Coutolenc, Lovelock, Nimshew, Stirling City, Powellton, Inskip, Cherokee, Yankee Hill, Hamilton, Evansville, Swede's Flat, Feather Falls (Mooretown), Forbestown and Bidwell Bar.
Chico was founded in 1860 by General John Bidwell, a member of the first overland wagon train to reach California. Following are some links for information about General John Bidwell and his contributions to Chico, Butte County and our nation:
Coutolenc
About 1 mile southeast of Lovelock, on Coutolenc Road is the site of Coutolenc which was Old Lovelock, a beautiful, secluded area in the pines. A hotel and stores were located here. The origin of the Couttolenc name comes from Barcelonnette in France.
Dayton
First settled by Joseph Wiggins and Samuel Van Ness in 1859 (the Dayton cemetery dates from 1862, but more on that later). The rich agricultural land required a trading point there. A landing was established on the Sacramento River for trade and commerce. In 1868 a listing of the businesses in Dayton was (in order of importance according to one researcher): 1 brothel, 1 hotel, 2 bars, smithy, school, church. Its importance as a trading center, however, was eclipsed by Durham when the California and Oregon Railway was completed through Butte County.
Durham
7 miles south of Chico, on the "Midway" (formerly Hwy 99), named for W.W. Durham, whose "Durham's Stop" was so named by the California and Oregon Railroad, 1871. The site of the first California State sponsored Land Colony (1918-1931) it was largely a grain growing area until the Colony's arrival when dairy, beef and swine production became a major commodity. Various row crops and nut crops were also introduced in this time period. Today, the latter are still the major agricultural commodities, and while Durham has a grammar, middle, and high school, (total of 1200 students) the majority of its trade and shopping is done in Chico.
Lovelock
Established by George Lovelock in 1855, quartz and placer mining attracted miners here. The Lovelock Inn here is near the site of the old Lovelock Hotel, Store and Dance Hall which were operated by the Kitchen family.
Nimshew
Just north of Paradise Pines is the area of the mining community of Nimshew dating back to the 1860's with several gold producing mines. The best was the Emma Mine. The Nimshew Pioneer Cemetery is a left turn off the Skyway on Nimshew Road for about 1 mile to the cemetery road. Watch for a white sign on the tree. Follow this narrow dirt road 1/2 mile to the cemetery on a ridge overlooking Butte Creek Canyon.
Inskip
Inskip was developed along a heavily traveled route used by miners and which eventually became a stage coach route in 1857. P.M. Kelly took interest and began to develop Inskip with a store and hotel. Inskip attracted so many miners and businesses that within a year many more stores, hotels, saloons, and other businesss flourished. Only the Inskip Hotel and a few smaller buildings remain of this properous mining community. It was the Kelly & Company Hotel in 1866 when it was purchased by John Stokes who and renamed it Stokes Hotel.
Nelson
5 miles south of Durham was surveyed as a town by the California and Oregon Railroad in 1873. It was situated on railroad land, and named after Captain A.D. Nelson, b. NY 1812, who came to CA in 1859 engaging in the raising of wheat.