It took more tries to settle on where the seat of local government would be established in Sutter County than any other county in the state.

It took Sutter County politicians and voters eight tries to decide, finally, on Yuba City as the County Seat. One community was the County Seat three times.

When Sutter County was established as one of the original 27 counties in California in 1850, smooth talking Senator Thomas J. Green convinced the State Legislature to establish the County Seat at Oro, some two miles from Nicolaus. He promised the Legislature that the community of Oro was “a noble city of broad streets, imposing buildings, and splendid public squares. And it was—on paper. Green had purchased the land for Oro from John Sutter, and was trying to create a town on his land.

The first time elected county officials gathered to conduct business in Oro, however, they discovered that the town consisted of only one, stifling hot prefabricated 20 foot by 20 foot building made of zinc. No broad streets, imposing buildings, or splendid public squares were anywhere to be seen, so the County Seat was moved to Nicolaus, where Nicolaus Allgeier had established a ferry to cross the Feather River in 1843.

All county and court business was held in the American Hotel in Nicolaus. Prisoners had to be transported  back and forth from the Yuba County Jail in Marysville because Sutter County did not have a courtroom or jail at the time.

The County Seat remained in Nicolaus until the populated region of the gold mining activity at Auburn became the County Seat in 1851. In just a matter of weeks after the switch, however, Placer County, was formed out of land previously in Sutter and Yuba counties, and later in 1851 Sutter County’s seat of government switched to Vernon, which was in southern Sutter County near the community of Vernon.

In 1852, the County Seat was returned to Nicolaus, which it held until Yuba City became the County Seat for two short months in 1854. The County Seat then returned to Nicolaus until 1856 when, for the last time, by a vote of the people, the County Seat was moved again: back to Yuba City where it remains today. 

According to the California State Association of Counties, three counties have five times picked a County Seat and one, Alameda, took six tries before settling on Oakland. You can see the list yourself here: https://www.counties.org/general-information/california-county-seats-1850-present-county-county

You can also read a short history on the Sutter County Sheriff’s website at https://www.suttersheriff.org/community/special-interests-and-info/did-you-know

One of the markers in historical trail on the sidewalk of downtown Auburn notes that it is the only town to be the County Seat of two counties and incorporated twice.