Further up the hill are rich oak habitats abounding in acorns, which were used for food. Wild greens grow throughout the year, and grasses which hold high nutrient value also grow profusely. In fact, these same grasses held many grasshoppers which could be harvested at the right time of year for a rich feast. Imagine, fresh fish, shellfish, grasshoppers and wild greens, along with acorn soup.
The people carried everything they owned with them, ranging from place to place finding fresh riches wherever they went..
The area became far more sparsely inhabited in the later years. Most of the native inhabitants were already gone by the tie the Europeans came. The reason for this is not yet known.
Spanish travelers along the coast held the Big Sur mountains in dread, believing they were home to malevolent spirits, and avoided them except for landfall in dire need.
Where they did land, they planted eucalyptus tress to be cut later for masts, and planted mustard. The yellow colors of the mustard flower let them know that they had been to that location before, serving as a beacon, visible even far out to sea.
Later, Mill Creek was populated by homesteaders and loggers. In the early twentieth century, there was a working sawmill in the bottom of the creek. Redwood trees were felled using six-or-eight foot long hand saws, and then cut into sections. Teams of mules pulled the sections to the sawmill, or in some cases the section was used to make hand-split lumber. Trees that had fallen in difficult positions were simply left where they had fallen.
The cabins and gardens of the homesteaders have vanished over time. The last traces of the sawmill were destroyed in the fire of 2008.
Some of the names of the pioneers are known.
The name of William Dempsey name lives on in the name of the place where I live, Dempsey Flat. He came to Mill Creek in the 1860s or so, and had been here for quite a while before he filed his homestead claim in 1896. His claim was witnessed by the Gomez brothers, who had a homestead on Chalk Peak.
Mr. Dempsey had over 500 fruit trees and 150 goats when he filed. That's why I know he had been here a while! Some of the trees he planted are still living and bearing fruit.
He would have been growing hay and also letting the goats out to range in the rich forest. he probably also kept pigs, and no doubt had a lot of wild game to eat.
There are wild turkeys, deer and pigeons abounding in the forest. It is unlikely that he left home very much, though, since the trip to King City was long and arduous. Perhaps he went down to the Mill Creek landing for the once-a-year delivery of flour and goods from San Francisco. In rough weather, the goods would simply be pitched overboard, and the people had to swim out to get the barrels, or wait for them to land.
The ways of the pioneers are inspiring. I live here in the mountain spirit, having seen the changes from having no telephone or paved roads, to these days of being on the Internet. Amazing! Yet some things are the same. The wind and rain, the cycles of the seasons, reminding one of the small nature of a human mind, and inviting further curiosity about what nature has to say, cause deep reflection to be a natural way of life..
Come and visit!
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http://www.bettyofbigsur.com, my web site, where you will find information about retreats and ways to experience the wildest part of Big Sur in comfort. Plan your ideal getaway!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bettyofbigsur, my online shop featuring items made by hand here in my home studio
http://www.retreatcampchecklist.com, a fun and fast checklist to learn more about Big Sur Retreat Camp, and get in touch with me to plan your time in paradise
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