Kerbyville - Local Legend

Kerbyville replaced Waldo as our local country seat. It still exists today, although little remains. —a great old town with much gold history and a fascinating museum. Like Waldo, Kerbyville was a rough place during its heyday. Miners often doled out 'justice' at the old hanging tree! 

Legend says the town was founded when a packer called ‘Tig’ Martinez transported a pool table from Crescent City, California, to Jake Cohen’s saloon at Althouse on the back of Tig's favorite mule, called Anita.

Suddenly, Anita collapsed from the strain and died. He believed no other mule could carry the table, so he left it on Anita and went to see Cohen. He told him the table was near James Kerby’s farm and that Cohen would have to transport it the rest of the way. Tig asked for payment, and Cohen refused for lack of delivery. 

This meant that Tig was now the proud owner of the pool table lying on top of his favorite mule!

Not wanting to lose his investment, Tig had an idea. After removing his mule, he put up a tent around the table, set up a bar, and advertised the opening of a brand-new saloon. With the only pool table in the area, there was soon a roaring trade and a boon town grew up around it. 

At its height, about 500 people lived in Kerby, mostly miners who worked the creeks and gulches. 

A lot of gold can still be found in the hills around Kerby.