[Susanne Oakley]
THE TALE OF THE MYSTERY SIGN
Some of you who go down Bucks Bar Road most likely have noticed the dwelling that's been being remodeled for the past few years. My husband purchased this property over 35 years ago and remodeled it back then and opened up a bar/saloon where he had live music on weekends. It's a 2 1/2 acre parcel with the front acre zoned as commercial. He had the bar open for a couple of years and then some other businesses were in there for short times and then it was used as a residence. Back when my husband opened the bar he had a sign made that said Bucks Bar, not only for the street name but for the history of how it came to be named Bucks Bar.
Bucks Bar referred to a specific gravel bar in the north fork of the Consumnes river east of Diamond Springs which allowed for a relatively easy river crossing to and from Somerset, FairPlay, Mt Aukum, Uno and other towns in the Southern part of El Dorado county. The original mining community of Bucks Bar was located upstream of today's bridge. Although in time, most of the businesses moved to the main road. Bucks Bar was named by some gold seekers who stumbled upon a group of male Indians (often referred to by the miners as Bucks) working the gravel bar for gold, which was generally considered worthless by the Indians, but turned out to be very valuable to the immigrant farmers. The location in this canyon was chosen because it was remote and chances of being discovered were slim. Plus it was rich in fish and acorns, which were staples in Indians diet.
Once the immigrant farmers discovered this route was some 2 hours shorter and safer than the one they were using, most of the traffic moved to it. And because of that fact and that there was gold, the Indians were eventually driven out.
There's quite a bit more regarding the history of Bucks Bar but just wanted to share regarding how the name came about and why he chose an Indian buck for the sign he had made.
And now back to the reason I'm posting this. The sign my husband had made was double sided, carved from heart redwood and I've attached a photo of it below. At some point it was stolen and we have reason to believe it is still around as some time back a realtor who was selling a home in Showcase Ranch posted photos of the home for sale showing inside and out, and in one photo was our sign hanging on their wall inside the residence . Since we soon will be putting this property on the market, my husband would very much like to see the sign be returned to its original home. A reward would be given for the return of this sign and no questions asked. My husband is aware of who originally stole the sign and the person he sold it to. Both of those individuals are now deceased. Then the person who ended up with it after that, is also deceased. After that the only lead was when it showed in the home for sale in Showcase Ranch. So this sign may not be very good luck for anyone who has it in their possession. If anyone could just help us locate it, or any leads regarding the sign would be greatly appreciated.
You can call or text me at 530-906-9690 or my husband Ted at 530-320-7981. My husband has put in many long hours trying to bring this dwelling back to its original glory. I would love to have the sign he had made many years ago, be back where it belongs, in its original home! Thanks for listening.
Susanne Oakley
