One of the once richest gold mining communities in California founded by two German brothers

Dutch Flat school painting in  Museum

Dutch Flat was founded during the Gold Rush era in 1851 by Joseph and Charles Dornbach [1]. Also referred to as Dutchman's Flat and Dutch's Flat, this community is located about 30 miles northeast of Auburn in the Sierra Nevada. The Dornbach brothers were not Dutch but German immigrants.Yet the attribute “Dutch” stuck since local miners addressed the brothers this way. A handout provided in the Golden Drift Museum, next to the Dutch Flat Hotel on Dutch Flat's Main Street, in explains [2]:

The community derived its name from the Dornbachs, who emigrated to this country from Prussia but were tagged with the nickname “Dutch” by miners. Their business establishment was referred to as “Dutch's Flat” and as development in the area occurred as far east as Crystal Springs, the entire section became known as  “Dutch Flat”.
< The Dutch Flat Community Club, Dutch Flat, Placer County, California >

Golden Drift Museum

Dutch Flat started as a mining town. Before it was connected to “the outside word” by railroad,  it was an important stagecoach stop, “making it one of the largest and most important towns in Placer County from about 1864 to 1866” [3].

Dutch Flat Hotel

According to an informative panel at the Golden Drift Museum, Dutch Flat, in 1861, had 7 grocery stores, 8 clothing stores, 2 hardware stores, 1 drug store, 2 butcher stalls, 1 bakery, 17 saloons, 2 breweries. 3 blacksmith shops, 2 tin shops, 1 carpenter shop, 2 hotels, 1 restaurant, 1 school and 3 churches. Sounds like a fully functional & fun 19th century town. 

Dutch Flat is easily accessible via Interstate 80 (exit 145).


Keywords: place name; name confusion; Dutch; German; Californian; heritage.

References and more to explore

[1] Office of Historic Preservation: Town of Dutch Flat - Historical Landmark. Link: ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/397.
[2] Handout published by The Dutch Flat Community Club, Dutch Flat, Placer County, California.
[3] Western Mining History. westernmininghistory.com/towns/california/dutch-flat-ca/.