Seven prospectors camped in this area of northern Lassen County located north of Eagle Lake in the fall of 1869. One of the group, Rev. H.D. Haskins, found gold as he cleared out a spring for the benefit of future travelers. They named their discovery "The Providence." Word got out and by summer of 1870, over 500 men lived in the area prospecting for gold. In December, 1870, the mining district was created and named Hayden Hill instead of Providence. It was named after Joseph Hayden, 56, supposedly to honor the oldest miner there. At one time, there were twenty mining companies with four ore crushers and four quartz mills. Miners took out more than a million dollars in gold. Some of the gold was below 300 feet deep, too far to tunnel. 

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