For the past 150 years, Yuba and Sutter counties have grown fitfully into a metropolitan area with a culturally diverse population and a rich history.

At one point, this was the second or third most populous region in all of California. Marysville in particular grew rapidly in the first half of the 1850's replacing canvas homes and stores with wood and brick structures. The world's mad rush to the goldfields during the city's first five years caused the equivalent of 50 years of natural growth.

Yuba City, named after a village of Maidu located on the western banks of the Feather River across from the mouth of the Yuba River, was laid out and named in 1849.

Marysville was name on January 18, 1850, following the new city's first election of officers. Marysville took its name from Donner Party survivor Mary Murphy Covillaud, one of 13 members of an Ohio family who signed on to the ill-fated wagon train west. After taking an ill-advised "short cut" that delayed them for several weeks, the party became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada. Half the party died of starvation.

Linda, now an unincorporated area of Yuba County right next to Marysville, was another of the earliest communities here. Linda was named after one of the many steamships that traveled between San Francisco and Marysville, with stops in Sacramento and other communities, now long gone.

In the 1970's, Yuba City finally overtook Marysville in commercial significance and is now the dominant commercial center in the region.

Marysville's first alcalde, Stephen J. Field, went on to become the first United States Supreme Court Justice from west of the Mississippi River.

Marysville's city cemetery is the oldest city cemetery west of the Rockies.

Other online resources:

Yuba Roots is a website privately owned and maintained by Kathy Sedler. a genealogy and history resource organization with the purpose of identifying, collecting and preserving Yuba County historical records and data.

CalArchives4u is also maintained by Kathy Sedler.

copy writing by the a-d agency, Chuck Smith, and Mary Knapp for the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Guide