GOLD POINT GLEAMINGS #2 PART 7 August 18th, 2000

Having mentioned everyone and what they did in the previous parts of this newsletter I will not go through the list again so as to keep this part down to a minimum, he he.

I will mention again, the most important person in this endeavor, to whom without his expertise and I could not have done this project so smoothly and quickly. He is Kenny Gates. I have known him and his wife Connie for over 10 years now. They have recently retired and now travel a lot during the winter months. He also helps me out at other times throughout the year, when he is not busy, on other projects, big and small, around Gold Point. I had him come to center stage for a well deserved rousing standing ovation.

Had it not been for one other person, Kenny would have definitely been the person to break the bottle.

It’s now time to mention and bring that other person on stage.

If it hadn’t been for this other person, I would not have gotten interested in mining and ultimately in ghost towns. 33 years ago this person took me and my friend Gus gold mining with his buddy into the foothills of the Sierra to an old hydraulic mine called the You Bet and Red Dog area. It lies between Colfax and Grass Valley. This was fun. After getting my drivers license, my friend and I were always going gold mining when possible.

During the times we weren’t mining I would explore on my own, the old mines and ghost towns. Eventually coming across Gold Point in 1978, and 3 months later buying 3 lots. The rest is history as they say. If you want more details, you’re going to have to come and visit me in person and I'll fill you with so much information, your brain will not be able to handle it all.

Anyway, a long story, too late, to be short. Without this person, my life story would probably be very different and most likely nobody would be in Gold Point today at the party. That is why he takes the honor of breaking the bottle of champagne and christening the new saloon extension.

That person is my dad, Herb Robbins Sr. You should have seen the look on his face when I surprised him with that announcement. He came up to the stage where I shook his hand and gave him a big hug as the crowd roared and cheered and gave him a large standing ovation.

As the camcorders were rolling and the cameras shuttering we walked over to the 2 barrel wood stove, and with a mighty swing he struck the edge and champagne flew into the air and all over
the new floor. The saloon was officially christened.

Part 8