 The 1850 discovery of gold during the California Gold Rush by pioneer John W. Scott at Scott Bar, downriver from Scott Valley, brought many prospectors into the area; Scott's discovery led to the naming of the valley and the river in his honor.The town of Fort Jones started in the 1850s first as trading post for the Forty-Niners who came in search of gold, and later took the name Fort Jones from a U.S. Army post which was established nearby.Scott Valley's weekly newspaper the "Pioneer Press", located at 12021 Main Street in Fort Jones, was established on November 16, 1972, by Gary Mortenson.