Julia Cathrine Monnin Ducray. Born Julia Monnin, her family was from Switzerland and they had emigrated to Pennsylvania. Living next to them in Pennsylvania, was the Ducray family. The Ducray’s had boarded a steamship in France in 1839.

The journey was almost fatal for 15 year old Jean-Baptiste Ducray, his parents and eight brothers and sisters. Southeast of Nova Scotia, the steamship began taking on water. The passengers and crew feared they would sink and began to throw all of their possessions overboard. The Ducray family threw overboard their wooden chest containing $2,000 in gold and everything else they had brought with them. Jean-Baptiste’s mother kept only a wooden cross bearing an ivory carving of Jesus.

The ship sank, and everyone from the ship was left shipwrecked on what is now known as Sable Island. They went days without food. They were starving, crazed. A passenger from the ship overheard the ship's crew planning to kill and eat Jean-Baptiste and his father. He hid them by burying them in sand. Luckily, only a day later, a passing ship rescued them. They arrived safely, settling in Pennsylvania, next to The Monnin family. Julia and Jean-Baptiste Ducray fell in love and were married.

When Jean-Baptiste and his brother Jean Claude went West to mine gold in California, it was barely a year into the gold rush. He was 25 and Jean Claude was 16. They took the Isthmus of Panama route.

This is the same trip made by Belle Cora, detailed in my book. The route saved thousands of miles and avoided the trip around the southern tip of South America’s Cape Horn. Starting in New York, they made a 2,000 mile voyage by ship to the Port of Chagres on the eastern Caribbean coast of Panama at the mouth of the Chagres river. They took a bungo, a type of Panamanian canoe for $5 (just under 200 bucks today) for a 4 day river journey through the crocodile and jaguar bearing jungle. That was the easy part. The men rode a 50-mile trail on mules through the steaming malaria, yellow fever, and cholera ridden jungle to the small outpost in Panama City. They waited there and caught a ship to San Francisco. Many forty-niners did not make this journey. The brothers had now survived two deadly passages together.

Upon arrival, like many immigrants of the time, the brothers Americanized their names. John B, and John C. Ducray. The brothers traveled to Nevada City and set up camp along the Oregon Ravine on Oregon Hill. Julia arrived soon, making the journey by wagon. The couple invested in mining and bought properties. In the spring of 1866 on a claim bought for $36 (almost $1300 today) and while cleaning up an old mudslide on the property, Julia’s husband found 265 ounces of gold. Equalling over $5000, equivalent to almost $179k in 2023.

Julia’s husband Jean Baptiste, or John B, was a descendent of one of the Ducray Nine brothers, known for saving the life of the French King "Henry the Great" in the late 1590’s. These nine brothers were knighted and awarded with villages besides the Jura Mountains in France. Their new villages contained hills, forests, orchards and beautiful meadows with flocks. John B was born in a medieval chateau at one of these family villages. It had a fountain, a Roman aqueduct and a mill, powered by the creek that ran through the village.

He lived there until he was fifteen and learned about engineering the water flow and studied the geology of the nearby caves and quarry. His knowledge helped him later design wing dams and sluices for gold mining and irrigation on his own property. And his interest in geology and hydrology led to consulting on the first reservoir built for Nevada City's municipal water system.

On 35 acres of mining-stripped bedrock in Nevada City, the couple built a fourteen room, two-story home with five bedrooms and large parlors upstairs and downstairs on Orchard and upper broad streets and re-created the nearly self-sufficient French farm that John B had grown up on. They planted vineyards and orchards of walnut, apple, pear, and almond trees. They had a single milk cow for providing milk, butter, and cheese. They kept honey bees and maintained four acres planted in clover for the cow and bees. They had a huge basement beneath the house that was useful for storing their produce and John B.'s wines and brandies. Julie planted large "cabbage roses" around the home. It is said that the 150-year-old pear tree John B. planted there continues to bear delicious, giant Bartlett pears. John B. and Julia's home and orchards on Orchard Street are included in the first map of Nevada City, which was hand-drawn in 1869. Orchard Street was in fact named for John B.'s orchards.

For decades the couple would exhibit wines, brandies, honey in comb, peaches, pears, grapes, walnuts, almonds, buckwheat, string beans and potatoes at the local and State Fairs. They bartered or paid in gold for everything that they could not produce themselves.

Julia and John B. were fast friends with the French pioneer nurseryman, horticulturist Felix Gillet upon his arrival in town. Felix had opened the town's first barber shop which sold French fineries including pens, stationery, and toys on Commercial Street, just below Pine Street. The couple inspired Felix to plant orchards, and he eventually established a world-renowned 20 acre nursery on Aristocracy Hill. (Barren Hill Nursery) Nursery Street in Nevada City was named for Felix's nursery there.

Julia and John B. adopted niece Theresa and raised her as their own. The three of them led a happy life. They attended Saint Canice Catholic Church that was recently built and often went to the state fairs, often accompanied by Felix Gillet, who wrote about the events. Gillet often wrote magazine articles glorifying the Ducray’s farm, orchards and produce. So did many newspapers of the time.

John B passed away after a battle with pneumonia. Penicillin had not yet been developed. Julia was so heartbroken by his loss, she passed away four months later. They were laid to rest in Pioneer Cemetery, across Orchard Street from their home. They left all their properties to 21 year old adopted daughter Theresa Julia.

Felix Gillet and Theresa Julia grew a bond through grief and sorrow and were married. The couple did not mind their difference in age, Felix was 32 years older than Julia Theresa, or height, Theresa Julia was taller. Theresa Julia took her middle name, perhaps in homage to her beloved Aunt. After they married, Felix added the second-story addition to his established Barren Hill Nursery on Nursery Street (named for his nursery) on Aristocracy Hill. Felix and Julia Theresa remained married for 17 years until Felix passed away in 1908. He also left his properties to Julia Theresa. She ran his Barren Hill Nursery (also known as Felix Gillet Nursery), with the help of head nurseryman George Dulac. Dulac was the son of the Ducrays' and Felix's good friends, Nevada City pioneers Louis and Manuela Dulac. She and George grew up in school together. They had been childhood friends since her arrival in Nevada City. They were married a year after Gillet’s death. Theresa are laid to rest in Pioneer Cemetery, beside Jean-Baptiste, Julia Catherine and Felix.

Get the future of podcasts.