Hirschman‘s Pond was registered as Nevada County‘s newest landmark by the Board of Supervisors at its July 13 meeting, upon the application of the Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission. Hirschman‘s Pond is what remains of the hydraulic mine operated by Nevada County pioneer Leb Hirschman. A plaque honoring Hirschman and the Jewish Gold Rush community has been commissioned by the Greater Cement Hill Neighborhood Association, and it is anticipated that there will be a public installation and dedication ceremony later this summer. The Pond is located near the intersection of Cement Hill Rd. and Highway 49.
The text of the proposed plaque is as follows:
“Nevada County’s diverse Gold Rush population included a large Jewish community. Most were immigrants from Europe, attracted by the opportunity to make their fortunes and by the County’s relative freedom and absence of discrimination against Jews. Many were merchants and many were miners. One of the more successful miners was Leb Hirschman (1823-1893), a native of Bavaria, who arrived here in the early 1850s, and mined around Oustamah Hill. In 1866, Hirschman, Grover & Co. purchased the American Hill Diggins, one of the the principal hydraulic mines in Nevada City, and operated it for many years. This pond, on the site of the mine, bears his name.”
Hirschman’s Pond will be featured in the next edition of the Commission’s interactive map and of Exploring Nevada County, which catalogues all the over 200 historical landmarks in the County, and is available for any smartphone, tablet and many computers from Apple or Amazon. Go to You Bet Press (youbetpress.com) to find clickable links.
Prefer paper? There are still copies of the last edition available from Comstock Bonanza Press (https://bit.ly/2IUHYi0