Friday, November 15, 2013

For Sale: Ghost Town w/ Liquor License

Are in the market an entire gold mining ghost town in northern California?

$225000 Seneca -- ghost-town with liquor license (Seneca)

Want to buy a ghost town with a bar and liquor license? Expand it into a unique getaway! Perhaps the most remote "restaurant" in Northern California. 9.8 acres. The property includes the "town" -- which is just the bar, 3 rundown cabins and the acreage.

We will consider offers.

Here's the location in longitude and latitude: 40.112083,-121.0848. You should be able to see the bar when you get there!

Here's a link to a blog article I posted at my homepage which includes another handful of photos of the property and cabins. Scroll to bottom of article to see photos: http://outyourbackdoor.com/article.php?id=2077. (My website is http://OutYourBackdoor.com, a big little resource for indie outdoor culture & adventure.)

And here's a link to a 20-sec video of the drive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6WZHVofNcc

Here's the Parcel Number: 002-100-008-000. You can get all the public plat/boundaries info from the Plumas County seat in Quincy or from their website, http://www.countyofplumas.com/index.aspx?nid=102.

The Feather River runs right through this beautiful and remote property. We own on both sides of the river, plus an island...with a swimming hole (shown in a pic). It comes with all rights (mineral, timber, etc). There are no known environmental hazards. We have owned since the mid-1970's.

The deal will include the bar, land, license, and 3 cabins in states of (dis)repair.

We will provide a Deed plus a Title Search and Title Insurance. (A pre-liminary title report is being prepared right now.)

Annual property taxes are about $700. The annual seasonal (April>Dec) liquor license fee is about $400.

The liquor license alone is a valuable asset, as there aren't many liquor licenses in this county. There is no "distillery." The bar is called "the Gin Mill," but that is just its name. There was no business activity at the bar this past season. But the bar can be opened whenever one likes.

The new owner of a liquor license has to be eligible and that there is a county approval process in such a transfer.

There are no outside utilities. A generator is required to provide power. A water pipe is connected to a spring up the hill a bit. A propane tank can be filled for cooling for a refrigerator. The 2 bathrooms have a septic system.

Due to internet/media/radio reports, this ad is getting some interest. I note that the town is extremely remote and access is weather dependent. The property is on Seneca Road, a public road. Drive down the road to the bottom of the gorge and you'll see the bar. Just use Google Maps to search for "Seneca, CA." (The Craigslist map isn't very good.) So, find the bar (shack) then look around the immediate vicinity to see most of the property. The bar is at the north end of the 9.8 acres. (The link to county property info shows the boundaries.) It is located a 1/2-mile south of the bridge at the bottom of the canyon on Seneca Road. I note that it is always possible to get "turned around" when driving in a remote area, so navigate carefully.

Note: the white cabin, barn and other modern structures nearby (which are in good condition) are NOT part of the property. Do not trespass.

The bar itself is empty. None of the properties contain any objects of value.

If you visit the area at this time of year be sure to travel with winter weather equipment. It is on a dirt road that is often unplowed. A local resident has occasionally done some plowing. There are extreme drop-offs and it is one of the most extreme roads in the region. Be very careful!

Seneca is the real McCoy. Historic. It was a Gold Rush mining town with hotel, stores, houses, a population of maybe a thousand. Very close to historic Chinese-built gold mines -- with 500 Chinese miners and an opium den. Old mining equipment is laying around. (There is active small-scale gold mining today in the nearby region.) A miner once showed us his week's fines (on the side, after others had left): a jelly-jar of gold -- did you know gold weighs almost twice as much as lead? It was impressive to pick it up!

The previous bartender was tiny Marie Sabin, who lived up there and tended for about 50 years, into her 80's ...from the 1930's to the 80's! A famous gal of the area!

It was home to the "Woodstock of the West" in the 1970's -- thousands attended (we have a clipping somewhere). Riverfront footage on both sides of the Feather River. Includes an island. A big tree is growing up through the porch of the bar.

The bar is still popular with the adventurous. Motorcyclists seem to love to "make it" to the bar. To me it seems like "just enough" challenge to get there. It has to be the remotest bar possible. ...And even though it is a ghost-town, when the bar is open it still seems like the social center for miles around.

We are interested in selling for health reasons. (The area, and travel in the area, isn't suitable for anyone in shaky health.)

The dirt road from both north and south is one of the most scenic in the USA. (The northern access is scary and features maybe 1000-foot drops into a gorge.)

Other points: The North Fork of the Feather River is famously beautiful. And the Feather River Canyon 18 miles to the south is home to the "7 Wonders of the Railroad World Tour," with famous trestles, tunnels and bridges along 100 miles of I-70. Ishi the famous Indian might even have wandered around these parts. Other interesting details are easily googleable about this ol' town. (Some of the photos I've provided I took during visits and others are gleaned from ghost town and historic reports of Seneca online. All photos are of Seneca and the Feather River.)

Using Google Map you have enough info to drive out and take a look and see the 4 total buildings and river and surrounding acres. After you have taken a look, if you're still serious it's likely that one guided tour can likely be arranged this fall to see the boundary markers, etc., depending on weather. (The Plumas County seat also has the public info about the property and its boundaries.) So we suggest a self-guided visit first. The owner is on good terms with the neighbors, but respect their privacy. This is serious country as regards trespassing and pilfering, as well as for getting lost.

You should be acquainted with this type of region before visiting. The southern access is easier in bad weather or wintery seasons, but it includes more forks in the road.

Seneca is a couple miles NE from Butt Lake and is accessible from I-70 via Caribou to the south. It is about 5 miles from Lake Almanor and Hwy 89 to the north.

Save Our History - Gold Rush Ghost Towns (History Channel)

Death Valley to Yosemite: Frontier Mining Camps & Ghost Towns--The Men, The Women, Their Mines and Stories

Ghost Towns of Northern California

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