▁of ▁the ▁sail ors ▁who ▁had ▁found ▁the ▁gold . ▁By ▁the ▁next ▁year , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Forest ▁had ▁sw elled ▁to ▁over ▁a ▁thousand ▁during ▁the ▁California ▁Gold ▁R ush . ▁A ▁vote ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁and ▁the ▁town ' s ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁" For est ▁City ". ▁The ▁Bald ▁Mountain ▁dr ift ▁mine ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁of ▁its ▁kind ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Lar ge ▁fires ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁dev ast ated ▁the ▁town , ▁after ▁which ▁little ▁was ▁re built . ▁ ▁Today , ▁Forest ▁is ▁primarily ▁a ▁historic ▁g host ▁town , ▁though ▁there ▁are ▁a ▁few ▁year - round ▁residents . ▁Old ▁buildings ▁still ▁line ▁its ▁Main ▁Street , ▁including ▁a ▁former ▁general ▁store , ▁sal oon ▁and ▁dance ▁hall . ▁A ▁one – room ▁school house ▁crow ns ▁the ▁hill ▁above ▁town , ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁scattered ▁resid ences . ▁ ▁The ▁National ▁Social ist ▁Kind red ▁was ▁originally ▁located ▁in ▁Forest ▁before ▁it ▁moved ▁to ▁a ▁nearby ▁property ▁on ▁Al leg h any ▁R idge ▁Road ▁between ▁Cam pton ville ▁and ▁North ▁San ▁Juan ; ▁afterwards , ▁several ▁associ ates ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Alliance ▁remained ▁in ▁Forest ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁Notable ▁residents ▁Rich ▁Bro oks , ▁former ▁Oregon ▁D uck s ▁Football ▁and ▁Kentucky ▁Wild c