Seldom is a town named for a man whose name no one could remember. Such is the case with Pony. He wasn’t even five feet tall. He had done nothing for which others should remember him or his name. He would pan enough gold to survive and move from camp to camp in the hope of finding his bonanza. He did at a site in a small creek bed just below Old Hollow Top Mountain sometime during the late 1860s. He found a partner and together they worked their claim. Apparently not given to steady work, he moved on. But nobody knew his name. All anyone remembered was that he responded to the name “Pony” given his small size. Although vanished to other parts, he left his nickname attached to what would become a booming mining town. It lasted until 1922 when all the mines were closed. If you’re in the neighborhood, take time to visit Pony. Submitted by Henry Chenowith.

The mines were not all shut down after 1922...the old stamp mill above the old purdy residence was constructed by the japanese shortly before world war 2..it was torn down and used for the war effort shortly after completion...... tecumsa smith was pony's real name.....legend has it that he was very frustrated with the lack of gold that he was finding ..so he threw his pick and it landed in a patch of wild strawberries..upon retrieval of the pick he discovered gold where the pick landed..thats how the strawbery mine got it's name..there are numerous mine sites above town...
Submitted by: Jack green