Yuba Historical Society
 
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Introduction

To the Maidu and Wintun Indians of the Sacramento Valley region, this is a sacred mountain, where the first man and woman were made and where one visits upon death.  In the 1830s fur trappers used them for annual rendezvous, gathering far-flung mountain men for a winter encampment. The following decade, explorer John Fremont assembled American settlers in these mountains in an attempt to overthrow Mexican rule and establish California as an independent country.  But whether they are called Estomian or Onolai, the Prairie Buttes or Butte Mountains, the Marysville Buttes or the Sutter Buttes--they always remain a place of inspiration, beauty and mystery for the people of the Sacramento Valley and beyond.

The allure of the Buttes is as powerful today as in decades past.  Their striking relief rising above the flat valley beckons visitors from throughout northern California.  An isolated island rising above the Sacramento Valley's vegetative sea;  a circular cluster of peaks and hills ten miles in diameter and barely surpassing 2,000 feet in elevation.


The Yuba Historical Society formed in 1997 to offer opportunities for the public to visit locations where the region's rich history took place.  Over the years we organized scores of tours to local  historical sites, many on private lands.  Our focus  at that time was on Yuba County history.  However, we became increasingly concerned about the region's most significant historical feature--the Sutter Buttes.  We watched in dismay as over 2,000 acres  were carved into 20 and 80-acre lot subdivisions within the Sutter Buttes. Some of these parcels now sprout "McMansions", destroying the scenic grandeur of the surrounding landscape.  The Yuba Historical Society could no longer sit back and watch the spoiling of this sacred religious site of the Maidu and Wintu Indians.  So in 2006 we decided to take action and launched our Sutter Buttes Preservation Campaign.

Soon we began offering hikes within the Sutter Buttes.  Some of our excursions visit places never before trekked by groups.  We also reintroduced youth excursions back into the Buttes.

In December 2007 yet another subdivision within the Buttes came before Sutter County Supervisors for approval.  This time it was thirteen lots on 900-acres surrounding Southridge Golf Course, about a mile west of the community of Sutter.  As occurred with previous subdivisions within the Buttes, the County didn’t even bother to have the developer draft an Environmental Impact Report, even though the County’s General Plan states that: The Sutter Buttes shall be preserved.  When anthropologist surveyed the property in 1988 they considered the historic and prehistoric sites near the golf course eligible for the prestigious National Register of Historic Places designation.   This is only one example why an EIR is needed.

Never-the-less, Sutter County approved the controversial  project.  YHS took the bold step of suing Sutter County for violating various State and County regulations.  Over the intervening months the lawsuit has progressed through the legal system.  Currently our efforts are focused on settling the litigation out of court.  This looks like a  possibility.  However, we need to keep up the pressure as we are still on track to go to trial.  And of course lawyers are expensive.  Therefore  your financial assistance is essential for a successful outcome. To learn how you can help, click the Preservation Campaign link below.