On July 2, 1857 Plumas County opened its first school house here, in Quincy. During its lifetime, the Pioneer School House became a kindergarten and later a library. The school house held 19 children during its first lessons. The school house was relocated to the Plumas County Fairgrounds in 1974.
The fairgrounds host special events on several weekends throughout the year that bring this small community together and attract the attention of visitors. Look for the annual county picnic in the spring, featuring the Sierra Cascade Street Rodders Show and Shine, a quilt raffle, a Lion’s Club breakfast and a local dance performance. The annual High Sierra Music Festival started in 1990, is held in early July and draws as many as 10,000 music lovers. To cap off the summer, the Plumas-Sierra County Fair with all its rides, attractions, art, food and animal exhibits begins in early August every year.
Quincy was established by H.J. Bradley in 1854. He named the town after his hometown of Quincy, Illinois. The town started out as a gold rush town that surrounded his ranch. The Plumas County Museum in Quincy introduces more of the town’s history. Plumas Eureka State Park features historical information, exhibits and other California historical landmarks within the park.
The historical marker is located off of Lee Road and Bell Lane in downtown Quincy.
Plumas County
El Rio de las Plumas, “The river of feathers,” lends its name to Plumas County. Captain Luis Arguello named the river, having been impressed by the many floating feathers on the water. Plumas County also contains Beckwourth Pass, the lowest summit of the High Sierra, which quickly became a favorite route of wagon trains.
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