A river.
A little valley.
Five stories.
The Sugar Bowl, on the Trinity near Willow Creek. Families, water, gold, and the work of making a home.
Begin with the first story
The Sugar Bowl
The Loveliest Spot in California
The Kidds and the Douglases. A valley made into a home, and water brought over a mountain.
A Pan and a Shovel
The giant runs, the creek goes dry, and a birthday party comes down the trail with gold pans.
Every Winter
The ditch breaks and is mended. Families come and go, and the gravel waits for another winter.
Money in Beans
Snow on the summit, beans on the bottom land, and a farmer where there used to be a miner.
Through the Ranch
The river road cuts through the bowl. Fire crosses the hills, and the river rises over the bridges.
A voice imagined.
A record preserved.
Judson Thursby is a fictional witness. His friendships, his conversations, and his place at the table are imagined. The newspaper record is something else: a ditch measured to the inch, a marriage notice, a flood, a deed, a price paid for beans.
Each story has a companion that tells you which is which. Read the story, then follow the names and dates back to the source.
Explore the sources and editorial approach