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Sutter Buttes |
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This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (February 2008) |
| Sutter Buttes | |
|---|---|
 The Sutter Buttes rise over the town of Sutter, California. |
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| Elevation | 2,130 feet (650 m) 1 |
| Location | Sacramento Valley, California, USA |
| Prominence | 2,060 ft (630 m) 2 |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Topo map | USGS Sutter Buttes |
| Type | Lava domes |
| Age of rock | 1.5–2.5 million years |
| Last eruption | 1.5 million years ago |
The Sutter Buttes, also known as the Marysville Buttes or Histum Yani (Maidu), are a small circular complex of eroded volcanic lava domes which rise above the flat plains of the Central Valley of California in the United States. The highest peak, South Butte, reaches about 2,130 feet (650 m) above sea level. The Buttes are located just outside of Yuba City, California in the Sacramento Valley, the northern part of Central Valley. They are named for John Sutter, who received a large land grant from the Mexican government. The Sutter Buttes also hold the title of being the world's smallest mountain range.3
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The mountains are about 10 miles (16 km) across from north to south and east to west, and are the smallest mountain range in the world. The valley formed in the middle of the Buttes is called the Peace Valley.
The Sutter Buttes were formed over 1.5 million years ago by a now-extinct volcano. Some geological references suggested that it represents the southernmost of the Cascade Volcanoes 4, but there are significant differences in age and form compared to the other volcanoes in that range. The questions about their origin and connection to other regional volcanic activity are the subject of ongoing research.
The Sutter Buttes figure prominently in the creation stories and other traditions of the indigenous Maidu and Wintun peoples. The Maidu (or Nisinan) lived to the east of the Buttes and the Wintun (Patwin) to the mountain's west. No tribe claimed ownership of the Buttes and there are only season encampments in the mountain. Indians did visit the mountain regularly to gather acorns and other foodstuffs or to hunt game. The Buttes were also a center of regional Native American religion. According to anthropologist Alfred Kroeber, the Patwin village where the city of Colusa now stands was the “hotbed” where the Kuksu Cult was established. This religion spread through much of northern California. Ceremonies were performed in earthen dance lodges where spirit impersonators would re-enact ancient mythological events. The Maidu, who lived in their shadow for thousands of years, called them Esto Yamani, which means "the Middle Mountain", the Wintun called the Sutter Buttes Onolai.
Public access to the Sutter Buttes is limited. Much of the land is privately held by cattle and sheep ranchers, but a number of naturalists and local organizations, including the Middle Mountain Foundation and the Yuba Historical Society5 , lead hikes through most areas. Since 1929, the State of California had considered purchasing the land for protection and public use.
In 1963, a missile silo complex containing three separate Titan I ICBM missiles was constructed near the base of the Buttes. The site was only active from 1963 to 1965, and it was decommissioned and mostly dismantled in 1965. The site has been host to many vandals and trespassers since the early 1980s to the present.
In 2003, the California Department of Parks and Recreation purchased a 1,785 acre (7.2 km²) tract in Peace Valley toward the north side of the Buttes with the intent of developing it for public access. Power lines connecting to Path 15 and Path 66 run on the eastern edge of the Sutter Buttes.
 A monument at the base of the mountains indicating that John C. Frémont camped near here |
 A close up of the inscription on the memorial |
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