Lot(x4) of paid checks related to the town of LaPorte and famous bank John Conly. Includes: 1) Wells Fargo & Co. bank check No. 242938, dated February 17, 1862, issued to John Conly & Co. (in blue, stamped), black on grey, with red 8-cent California State second exchange revenue stamp, signed "Wells Fargo Co." 2nd (large letters). 2) Wells Fargo & Co. bank check No. 253602, dated December 25, 1862, issued to John Conly & Co. (in blue, stamped), black on grey, with red revenue stamp, signed "Wells Fargo Co.". Piece has 2 significant chips at upper center. 8-cent red California State second exchnage revenue stamp. 3) Wells Fargo & Co. bank check No. 292340, dated April 25, 1863, issued to John Conly & Co. (in blue, stamped), black on grey, with red revenue stamp, signed "Wells Fargo Co." Very Fine. All three Wells Fargo & Co. checks with city of origin (La Porte, Cal) written in the upper right corner. All rare. 4) Bank of La Porte check No. 394, issued to California Powder Works on March 23, 1876. Black on creme, detailed vignette of miners and ore cart (left), blue "paid" stamp (right bottom). La Porte had the key "Blue Lead" gold producing mining camp. From WesternMiningHistory.com: La Porte was settled under the name Rabbit Creek in 1850 after gold was discovered by Hamilton Ward and James Murry. The initial settlement remained small and likely seasonal until ditches were built to facilitate hydraulic mining by 1852. The first permanent structure in the camp, the Rabbit Creek Hotel, was built in 1852. The town was renamed to La Porte in 1857, the year the post office opened. The post office would serve the community for 100 years, closing in 1957. The La Porte District would be one of California's most important gold districts, with an estimated three million ounces of gold produced. The town of La Porte would grow to be an important mining community with thousands of residents. A disastrous fire struck the town in 1868. Newspapers at the time reported on the fire with optimism that the town would be quickly rebuilt: "The flourishing and important mining town of La Porte was destroyed by fire on the evening of the 10th instant, between eight and nine o'clock. The fire originated in the banking house of John Conly & Co., who were engaged in smelting gold bars." From hmdb.org: The John Conly banking office built in 1858 and incorporated as the Bank of La Porte in 1871. Between 1868 and 1888, Wells Fargo & Company conducted business from this office. During this period, an estimated 10 tons of gold dust and bullion were shipped to the San Francisco Wells Fargo and Company headquarters for exchange and safe keeping. On three occasions, between 1878 and 1882, Charles E. Boles, a.k.a., Black Bart, robbed the La Porte to Oroville Wells Fargo and Company stagecoach. Located inside the Rabbit Creek Deli building are old pictures of La Porte, and the safe once used by the Wells Fargo Office. Franklin Collection. La Porte California