California's Golden Chain Highway 49 of Mother Lode: a case study of historic significance and qualification as a national heritage area corridor

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Content CALIFORNIA’S GOLDEN CHAIN HIGHWAY 49 OF MOTHER LODE:
A CASE STUDY OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE AND
QUALIFICATION AS A NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA CORRIDOR
by
Marla Yvette-Sterling (Griffin) Cowan
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION
May 2007
Copyright 2007 Marla Yvette-Sterling (Griffin) Cowan
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES iv
ABSTRACT vi
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 2. THE STUDY AREA: HIGHWAY 49 5
Chapter 2 Endnotes 22
CHAPTER 3. BRIEF HISTORY 24
The Gold Rush 24
California Bureau of Highways and California Highway Commission,
1895 to 1926 27
Legislation and Construction Timeline 30
Archie Stevenot, “Mr. Mother Lode” 35
The Golden Chain Council of the Mother Lode and Highway 49,
1919 to 1971 37
Scenic Highway and Byway 47
Chapter 3 Endnotes 49
CHAPTER 4. LOCAL ACTIVITY 51
Organizations 51
Activites And Events 57
Chapter 4 Endnotes 59
CHAPTER 5. NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA CONCEPTS AND
CONTROVERSY 60
Overview 60
Brief History 61
Statistics 63
Criteria 64
Legislation 65
Highway 49 Quandary 68
Chapter 5 Endnotes 73
CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 75
iii
Chapter 6 Endnotes 81
BIBLIOGRAPHY 82
APPENDICES 92
Appendix A. Maps 92
California Highway Commission Maps, 1918, 1920, 1924, 1926 92
Insets of California Highway Commission Maps 96
Proposed Scenic Highways Maps 100
Master Plan Map 103
Designated and Eligible Scenic Highways In 11 Counties
Contacting Highway 49 104
Appendix B. Historic Landmarks in 11 Counties Contacting Highway 49 106
State Landmarks 106
National Landmarks 131
Appendix C. List of National Heritage Areas 137
Appendix D. Heritage Bills Introduced 138
Heritage Bills Introduced, 108
th
Congress 138
Heritage Bills Introduced, 109th Congress 139
iv
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Study Area: Map of California's Gold Country illustrating location of
Highway 49. (http://www.sierraheritage.com/gold_country_map.htm) 4
Figure 2: Stone monument commemorating Highway 49--the Golden Chain, at
Oakhurst, California. (Author, June, 2005) 5
Figure 3: Samuel Clements, Mark Twain. (Photograph of Samuel Clements,
famous author, pen name Mark Twain. (www.clements.umich.edu) 10
Figure 4: The Celebrated Jumping Frog (The Celebrated Jumping Frog, by
Mark Twain. Cover of London edition. (www.virginia.edu) 10
Figure 5: Photograph of Charles E. Bolton – alias “Black Bart.”
(www.sfmuseum.org) 12
Figure 6: Ginocchio Store, or Butte Store, built in 1857. (Author, June 2005) 13
Figure 7: Wah Hop Store, Coloma State Historic Park. (Author, June, 2005) 16
Figure 8: Wah Hop Store, interior, Coloma State Historic Park. (Author,
June 2005) 16
Figure 9: John Marshall’s Cabin, Coloma State Historic Park. (Author,
June, 2005) 16
Figure 10: St. John’s Catholic Church, Coloma State Historic Park. (Author,
June, 2005) 16
Figure 11: Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, North Bloomfield, California.
(Author, June, 2005) 21
Figure 12: Messrs. R.C. Irvine and J.L. Maude, with dog "Maje,” 1895-96.
(Blow, 1920, p. 15) 28
Figure 13: State Highway System Map, 1895-96. (Blow, 1920. p. 18-19 insert) 29
Figure 14: Archie Stevenot. The Columbia Gazette, September, 1966.
(Stevenot Collection) 35
Figure 15: California's Golden Chain the Mother Lode Highway; map cover
marked “First Map”. (Stevenot Collection) 53
v
Figure 16: California's Golden Chain The Mother Lode Highway, map.
(Stevenot Collection) 54
Figure 17: Mother Lode Guide Map, Auto Club of Southern California, 2003. 55
Figure 18: California Highway Commission, Road Map of the State of
California, 1918. 92
Figure 19: California Highway Commission, Road Map of the State of
California, 1920. 93
Figure 20: California Highway Commission, Road Map of the State of
California, 1924. 94
Figure 21: California Highway Commission, Road Map of the State of
California, 1926. 95
Figure 22: Inset of 1918 California Highway Commission Map indicating road
progression in the study area. 96
Figure 23: Inset of 1920 California Highway Commission Map indicating road
progression in the study area. 97
Figure 24: Inset of 1924 California Highway Commission Map indicating road
progression in the study area. 98
Figure 25: Inset of 1926 California Highway Commission Map indicating road
progression in the study area. 99
Figure 26: Proposed Scenic Highways, Recreational (1962). 100
Figure 27: Proposed Scenic Highways, Landscape Areas Map (1962). 101
Figure 28: Proposed Scenic Highways, Historical Areas Map (1962). 102
Figure 29: Proposed Scenic Highways, Master Plan Map (1962). 103
Figure 30: Maps of designated and eligible Scenic Highways in 11 counties
contacting Highway 49. 105
vi
ABSTRACT
This case study explores the national significance along the Mother Lode
Golden Chain Highway 49 in California, the history and development of highway,
historic resources and characteristics of the region, and qualification for designation
as a National Heritage Area.
Almost all the towns and communities along California’s Highway 49 retain
much of their Gold Rush era historic resources, culture and traditions. In 2001,
advocates of the region sought through legislation to preserve Gold Rush heritage
and culture and promote its national story and significance through designation as a
National Heritage Area. Although initial legislation was unsuccessful, the Highway
49 “Golden Chain” of the Mother Lode qualifies as a National Heritage area and
further attempts should be made to acquire Congressional authorization and
designation.
1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
This case study explores the national historic significance in the Golden
Chain Highway 49 Mother Lode region of California, the history and development
of highway 49, the historic resources and characteristics of the region, and the basis
for its qualification as a National Heritage Area. Additional exploration is made as
to how earlier efforts to designate this area might be revived.
Of the Gold Rush, author Peter Blodgett wrote in his book Land of Golden
Dreams, “an obscure carpenter and mechanic from New Jersey named John
Marshall launched one of the most astounding series of events in American history.
Marshall’s startling discovery on the morning of January 24, 1848, in the millrace of
an unfinished sawmill on the American River perhaps forty miles east of present day
Sacramento would rapidly transform the isolated Mexican province of Alta
California into “El Dorado,” the land of instant riches and vast fortunes, and propel it
into the center of a furor of global proportions.”
1
Estimates indicate that more than 600,000 men, women, and children joined
in California’s Gold Rush by 1858. The steady influx of population created demand
for good roads and, by 1895, for a statewide highway system. Highway 49 was
added to that system in 1921, although no funds were then provided for its
construction. Efforts by the Mother Lode Highway Association, the Golden Chain
Council, the California Automobile Club, Chambers of Commerce, as well as
support from sympathetic politicians and from many civic and fraternal
2
organizations, succeeded in creating an identity for Highway 49 the Golden Chain of
the Mother Lode as a scenic and historic route through the gold country.
The heritage area concept began in a dozen different places and points in
time. The approach used by some of the successful heritage area campaigns evolved
from a number of separate, but related conservation, historic preservation, land use,
and economic development movements. Since 1984, Congress has designated 37
National Heritage Areas. The Golden Chain Highway 49 of the Mother Lode
qualifies as a National Heritage Area. Since 2001, efforts toward its designation
have been unsuccessful.
In traveling the length of Highway 49, one experiences an environment
steeped in Gold Rush era history, most of which has been well preserved or
stabilized, and becomes aware that the owners and residents care about the history
and heritage of the area. Concerted efforts to be good stewards are evidenced in the
abundance of existing historic structures, sites, and artifacts.
Most cities and towns along California’s Highway 49 retain much of their
extant historic resources, culture and traditions. In 2001, advocates of the region
sought to preserve Gold Rush heritage and promote its national story through
designation as a National Heritage Area. Although proposed legislation did not pass,
the Highway 49 “Golden Chain” of the Mother Lode qualifies as a National Heritage
area and further attempts should be made to acquire Congressional authorization and
designation.
3
Chapter 1 Endnotes

1
Blodgett, Peter J. Land of Golden Dreams: California n the Gold Rush Decade, 1848-1858, Huntington Library
Press, San Marino, California, 1999, p. 11.
4
Figure 1: Study Area: Map of California's Gold Country
illustrating location of Highway 49.
(http://www.sierraheritage.com/gold_country_map.htm)
5
CHAPTER TWO: THE STUDY AREA
The study area is located along California State Highway 49 on the Western
slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range on the northeast flank of California.
Highway 49, also known as the Golden Chain and the Mother Lode Highway, begins
in the town of Oakhurst at the intersection with Highway 41 and terminates at the
intersection of Highway 70 near Vinton, traversing approximately 310 miles through
the heart of Gold Rush country.
Near the southern terminus of Highway 49, appropriately named in honor of
the miner 49ers, stands a stone monument in commemoration of Highway 49 ― The
Golden Chain.
Figure 2: Stone monument commemorating Highway 49--the
Golden Chain, at Oakhurst, California. (Author, June, 2005)
The engraving on the monument plaque reads,
This monument marks the southern terminus of Highway 49 which passes
through fifty-one cities, towns and settlements in eleven counties in its
three hundred and ten mile wandering route through some of the most
scenic and mineral-rich areas in all the land. From the placer and
hydraulic mines of the north to the hard rock southern mines, all may be
seen along this gold-rich lower slope of the Sierra. Stones native to each
of the eleven counties have been selected by the Sierra Historic Sites
Commission and the Golden Chain Council for the construction of this
monument.
6
From Oakhurst the two-lane Highway 49 rambles northwest through the
small communities of Ahwahnee, Nipinnawasee, Bootjack, and Mormon Bar along
the way to Mariposa. Ahwahnee and Nipinnawasee were once famous for the local
tuberculosis sanitarium. Historian and author Elliot Koeppel wrote of the area, “The
hot, dry air of the hill country, in combination with the nearby piney mountains, was
a common prescription for “lungers” of that era. The sanitarium was operated jointly
by the counties of Madera, Merced, and Stanislaus, and many of the buildings still
remain intact.”
2
Five miles northwest of Oakhurst, off Highway 49, is the Wassama
Round House State Historic Park. The Round House was built in 1903 to replace
one which was burned in 1893 and is the last Miwok Indian Round House or
“hangi”.
3
This site is used by local Native Americans as a ceremonial meeting place.
The park features special events and tours. Gathering Day, held the second Saturday
in July, includes demonstrations of dancing, crafts and basket weaving.
4

Once the southern gateway to the Mother Lode along Highway 49 the town
of Mariposa lies along the sides and bottom of a narrow valley cradling Mariposa
Creek. The cross streets are steep and the buildings are a mixture of the old and the
new. Though some of the early-day buildings have been partially modernized, the
overall effect is that of Gold Rush era heritage. Today, Mariposa busily engages in
supplying the needs of thousands of tourists traveling to Yosemite National Park
through this important gateway. Mariposa takes its heritage very seriously and
displays many well-kept Gold Rush era memorabilia. The Mariposa County History
Center, on the north edge of town on Jesse Street, contains an exceptional display of
7
Gold Rush artifacts, including a five-stamp mill, monitor nozzles, an Indian village,
and several rooms depicting gold-town life in the 1850’s and 1860’s. Tourism is a
large section of the economy in the region and Mariposa offers many comfortable
tourist facilities, clean pine-scented air, and a nostalgic and historic glimpse into the
past.
5
Some of the most historic structures in Mariposa include: the Mariposa
County Courthouse, constructed in 1854, which is the oldest county courthouse in
continuous use west of the Rockies; St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and Cemetery built
in 1862; Mariposa County Jail, built of massive block of granite, and which has not
held a prisoner since 1963; Schlageter Hotel, originally built in 1859, then rebuilt
after a large fire in 1866 that destroyed most of the town; John Fremont’s Office
Building, an adobe building dating back to 1850 or 1851; and also, the Trabuco
Warehouse, the I.O.O.F. Hall, and the Masonic Lodge. (See Appendix B, Historic
Landmarks, Mariposa County)
From Mariposa, the road gently winds through rolling, fenced grazing lands
dotted with pine and oak. North of Mariposa along the Golden Chain highway 49 is
Mt. Bullion and Bear Valley. In the early 1850’s, Bear Valley was a booming
mining town and the home and business headquarters for John C. Fremont. But
when the mines declined, so did the town, leaving today a small hamlet with a
scattering of old buildings and ruins along the highway.
From Bear Valley to Coulterville, approximately 17 miles, Highway 49
makes long twisting curves with up and down grades before descending deeply into
Hell’s Hollow where it crosses the Merced River and climbs slowly out of the gorge
8
on the other side. The grass and rock covered slopes allow scenic views of the river.
The former mining town of Bagby, now covered by waters of the Merced River, is
now Bagby Recreational Area. At Coulterville, the impressive Jeffery Hotel
dominates the small main street. Across the highway, in front of the Northern
Mariposa County History Center in the old Coulter Hotel, under the old hangin’ tree,
stands “Whistling Billy”. “Billy” is the eight-ton, short wheel base, wood-burning
locomotive used from 1898 to 1904 to haul gold-bearing quartz ore from the Mary
Harrison Mine to the Potosi Stamp Mill, a distance of about four miles. The Sun
Sun Wo Store is an adobe building built in 1851, still standing as testament to one of
the Mother Lode’s largest Chinatowns.
From Coulterville to Sonora, about 31 miles, the Golden Chain Highway
passes through the tiny village of Chinese Camp and Jamestown. At its height,
Chinese Camp, with a population of about 5,000, was the hub of a large network of
stage, freight and Pony Express routes. It is best known for the Chinese War, where
a minor incident set off a battle involving over 2,100 Chinese of two opposing tongs.
Jamestown is an oasis of antiquity located a few blocks off the main highway. The
historic downtown accents several brightly painted structures dating from the 1870’s
through the 1890’s. Also located in Jamestown is the Railtown 1897 State Historic
Park.
6
Jamestown is a short 4 miles, or five minutes, east on Highway 49 toward
Sonora.
Settled in 1848 by miners from Sonora, Mexico, Sonora was the biggest,
richest, and wildest town deserving of the title “Queen of the Southern Mines”.
Sonora became the county seat in 1850 and had a permanent population of over
9
14,000. Today, with a population of about 5,000, Sonora is a picturesque, bustling
city, with prominent relics from its colorful past, including many Victorian homes.
In the center of town, Highway 49 turns north to become Washington Street, the
main thoroughfare, where several buildings date from the 1850’s.
One of the historic buildings in Sonora is the Tuolumne County Museum and
History Center, which is housed in the original county jail, and was originally built
in 1857 and reconstructed in 1866. Other Sonoran historic sites include the St.
James Episcopal Church, often referred to as the “Red Church”, which was built in
1859-60 and is the second oldest wood frame Episcopal Church in California,
7
and
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, originally built in 1862 then rebuilt after a fire in
1874. The tall, white steeple of St. Patrick’s can be seen from nearly anywhere in
Sonora. (See Appendix B, Historic Landmarks, Tuolumne County)
Just north of Sonora, the historic town of Columbia is located two miles
off Highway 49 via Parrots Ferry Road. Of all the towns in the Mother Lode,
Columbia is the best representation of the days of the Gold Rush. In 1945, the
State of California began a program to restore and preserve most of the town as a
State Historic Park. After two severe fires in the 1850’s, the town was almost
completely rebuilt of brick. In his book, The California Gold Country: Highway
49 Revisited, photographer and author Elliot H. Koeppel wrote, “Today,
Columbia is a living museum of the past. Though only a small fraction of what it
once was, the town contains the best collection of Gold Rush architecture
anywhere in the world.”
8
10
Some of the historic structures and sites in Columbia State Historic Park
include the City Hotel, Fallon Hotel and Fallon House Theater, the Wells Fargo
Express Building, St. Anne’s Catholic Church, the Knapp Building, and two
firehouses.
Returning to the highway from Columbia, the Golden Chain Highway 49
turns west to Tuttletown, then north across the Stevenot Bridge over the Stanislaus
River and New Melones Reservoir, on through Carson Hill and Angels Camp. One
mile northwest of Tuttletown, off State Hwy 49, on Jackass Hill, stands a
reconstruction of famous author, Mark Twain's cabin, with original chimney and
fireplace. Here on Jackass Hill young Mark Twain, while a guest of the Gillis
Brothers in 1864-65, gathered material for The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,
which first brought him fame, and for Roughing It.
9
Figure 3: Samuel Clements,
Mark Twain. (Photograph of
Samuel Clements, famous
author, pen name Mark
Twain.
(www.clements.umich.edu)
Figure 4: The Celebrated Jumping Frog
(The Celebrated Jumping Frog, by Mark
Twain. Cover of London edition.
(www.virginia.edu)
11
The beautiful foothill town of Angels Camp was founded in 1848 and two
years later Placer gold was discovered. Angels Camp's greatest prosperity came with
the digging of the deep gold mines between 1880 and 1920. Angels is a quiet
mountain town now, but at one time the city vibrated to the roar of the stamp mills
and danced to the music of many saloons and dance halls. Many of the original
buildings still line Main Street, buildings from the mid-1800’s bearing thick stone
walls and iron shutters.
10
These include the Angels Hotel, originally built in 1855,
the second story added in 1857; Angels Camp Mercantile, established in 1860; the
Stickle Building, erected in 1856; and Stickle Brothers Warehouse, constructed in
the 1860’s. The City Jail, also of the 1860’s is in the city’s old Chinatown. Utica
Park is the site of Utica Mine and Lightner Mine. (See Appendix B, Historic
Landmarks, Calaveras County)
About twelve miles north of Angels Camp along State Route (SR) 49 is
another gold-rush town, San Andreas. Mexican miners settled the town in 1848, but
when large quantities of gold were found a year later, Americans moved in quickly
and forced the “foreigners” out. Notorious bandit, Black Bart came to his end in San
Andreas. For over eight years the mysterious and very polite Charles Boles (alias
Black Bart) plagued Wells Fargo & Co. with a string of at least 28 stagecoach
robberies. During this time, Bart, who operated on foot with an unloaded shotgun
and never robbed stagecoach passengers or drivers, soon became something of a folk
legend. Between robberies Bart would live the life of a boulevardier in San
Francisco, hobnobbing with the city's best.
11
After his conviction, the town lost its
roughness, leaving San Andreas a respectable, businesslike, peaceful community.
12
Figure 5: Photograph of Charles E.
Bolton – alias “Black Bart.”
(www.sfmuseum.org)
San Andreas is the county seat of Calaveras County, and thus maintains the
Calaveras County Museum and Archives located on Main Street. The museum
comprises three historic buildings; the I.O.O.F. Hall of 1856, the old Courthouse,
built in1867, and the Hall of Records of 1893.
The I.O.O.F Hall contains photographs and household and farming objects
that reveal the life of the pioneer days. Of historic interest in the old Courthouse are
the courtroom where Black Bart was tried in 1883, and the old jail where he awaited
trial. One portion of the second floor of the courthouse is devoted to displays of
Miwok Indian history and artifacts.
12

Mokelumne Hill, founded in 1848, or “Mok Hill” as the locals call it, was
among the richest of the gold digs. Claims in some areas were confined to sixteen
square feet and many fortunes were made. It was the county seat in the early days,
and, although it held no exclusive rights, it was known as one of the most violent,
bawdy towns in the Mother Lode.
13
As the gold played out, Mokelumne Hill shrunk from a wild and woolly
15,000 to the much less populated, quiet historic village it is today. Main Street
Mokelumne Hill is directly adjacent to Highway 49, between Jackson and San
Andreas. Many of the original buildings are still in place, and an air of Gold Rush
authenticity exists.
13
Historic structures in Mokelumne Hill include an I.O.O.F.
building of 1854; the Leger Hotel, built in 1852 and restored in 1879; a Courthouse;
the Well Fargo Building, the Congregational Church, and more, dating from the
1850’s.
Just North of Mok Hill the road descends the gorge of the Mokelumne River,
where panoramic vistas present the valley below. Alongside the highway, south of
Jackson, stand remains of the Ginocchio Store, also known as Butte Store. The
lonely, two-story stone shell with massive iron shutters was built in 1856—all that is
left of a town that once enjoyed a boisterous life and rivaled Jackson in size.
Figure 6: Ginocchio Store, or Butte Store, built in 1857. (Author, June 2005)
The largest city in Amador County, Jackson, was founded as a gold mining
camp in 1848. Prior to its founding, Jackson was an important way station for
14
travelers due to the natural spring as a source for water. Most of Jackson was
destroyed by fire in 1862 and rebuilt, and many of the historic buildings are from
that era. Historic buildings and sites in Jackson include the National Hotel, in
continuous operation since 1863; the Masonic Building built in 1854 and which
survived the 1862 fire; the Wells Fargo Club and Restaurant, 1854 to 1903; and the
I.O.O.F. Building of 1863. Jackson’s” Hanging Tree”, known for lynchings of ten
men between 1851 and 1855, is now marked by a plaque in the sidewalk at 26 Main
Street. Additional Jackson historic sites include the Levy Brothers Dry Goods Store,
1854; the Republic House Hotel, 1858; the Miners Saloon Building, 1863; and the
Sanguinetti Building, of 1869.
14
(See Appendix B, Historic Landmarks, Amador
County) Jackson became the county seat when Amador County was established in
1854 and is easily located on Highway 49 at the junction of highway 88, south of
Sutter Creek.
15
Continuing North from Jackson on the Mother Lode Highway 49, the Golden
Chain continues linking Gold Rush towns such as Sutter Creek, Amador City,
Drytown, Plymouth, El Dorado and Diamond Springs.
The city of Placerville is located at the intersection of State Route (SR)
highway 49 and Interstate (US) highway 50. Originally called “Hangtown”,
Placerville is where several famous people got their start. Railroad magnate, Mark
Hopkins, sold vegetables; Philip Armour, of meat-packing fame, had a butcher shop;
John Studebaker, who worked in a wheelbarrow shop, later graduated to
automobiles; and future Southern Pacific Railroad tycoon, Collis P. Huntington,
operated a store. By 1854 Hangtown was wealthy. Prospectors had mined 25
15
million dollars in placer gold alone. The camp became an important supply point for
overland travelers to the California mines and thus grew into the biggest mining
community in the Mother Lode. Having several fine hotels and restaurants, a
temperance society, a theater, and a church, around 1854 the name was changed
from “Hangtown” to the more dignified “Placerville”.
16

Among the many historic sites, residences, and structures in Placerville, some
of the more prominent are the Placerville City Hall constructed in 1860, the
Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1851 and restored in 1961, the Pioneer’s
Building of 1852, the Masonic Temple erected in 1893, and the Gold Bug Mine.
(See Appendix B, Historic Landmarks, El Dorado County)
The town of Coloma lies nine miles North of Placerville on Highway 49.
The destiny of California was deeply affected by what occurred here on January 24,
1848. On that date, James W. Marshall, while inspecting the tailrace of the sawmill,
that he and his crew were building for Captain John Sutter on the American River,
spotted some yellow flecks glistening in the water. The shiny metal was gold!
Sutter and Marshall tried to keep the discovery a secret, but the word soon leaked
out. About two months later San Francisco newspapers published the story and the
great California Gold Rush was on.
17
Today Coloma is a tiny village with an abundance of significant historic
landmarks. Most of the original town site is within the boundaries of the 275-acre
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. Included among the several historic
buildings and sites in Coloma is an exact reconstruction of the 1848 Sutter’s Mill.
Also existing is St. John’s Catholic Church (Image 11) and Cemetery established in
16
1856, and the James W. Marshall Monument, which is a statue of Marshall on a hill
overlooking Coloma and the river that points to the spot where he made his gold
discovery. Marshall’s grave is near the monument. Also in Coloma are ruins of the
Old Stone Jail; Marshall’s Cabin (Image 10) near the Catholic Church; and the Wah
Hop Store and Bank (Images 8 and 9), which was built of stone and replicates the
way it looked in the 1860’s.
Figure 7: Wah Hop Store, Coloma State Historic Park.
(Author, June, 2005)
Figure 8: Wah Hop Store, interior, Coloma State
Historic Park. (Author, June 2005)
Figure 9: John Marshall’s Cabin, Coloma State
Historic Park. (Author, June, 2005)
Figure 10: St. John’s Catholic Church, Coloma
State Historic Park. (Author, June, 2005)
17
Driving from Coloma to Auburn covers 18 miles, but requires almost 40
minutes. The first section is fast, but the last part is slow due to sharp, narrow curves
and steep grades. The road crosses the river and gradually climbs, passes through
the area of Pilot Hill, traverses a level area, then descends by numerous switchback
curves into the gorge formed by the North fork of the American River and climbs
steeply out the other side to Auburn.
Auburn is said to have been built in three stages. The first stage began in
1848 when a group of Frenchmen and several Indians led by Claude Chana camped
in Auburn Ravine on their way to Coloma. It was a tent city, the buildings made
from brush, wood, cloth and canvas. By 1849, the camp grew to 1500. However,
the first fire to strike the camp destroyed it. By 1852, the first Auburn site was
abandoned for higher ground farther up the ravine. This second stage of
development took place in what is now Old Town, with stone and brick structures
replacing the log cabins and frame buildings in 1855. By 1865, although the gold
supply declined, the town’s future as a transportation center was assured with the
arrival of the Central Pacific Railroad. The town’s third stage is the modern city of
Auburn, which consists of buildings and homes built after the Gold Rush.
Today, Auburn is the largest of the Mother Lode towns and the seat of Placer
County. It is a busy transportation center situated on a transcontinental railroad and
a major interstate highway, I-80. The town takes pride in the remnants of its Gold
Rush past as evidenced in the preservation of buildings in Old Town.
18
Some
historic highlights of Auburn include Lawyers Row, Placer County Bank Building,
the Masonic Hall, the Wells Fargo Office, and Chinese Stores dating from 1849.
18
Also extant is the old Post Office of 1851, the American Hotel which was originally
constructed in 1852 and rebuilt in 1855 and 1905, the Pioneer Methodist Church
established in 1858, Auburn Hood & Ladder Company Firehouse built in 1891, and
the Placer County Courthouse of 1894. (See Appendix B, Historic Landmarks,
Placer County)
Twenty-four miles north of Auburn on the Mother Lode Highway 49 is the
city of Grass Valley. Local history claims that in October of 1850, miner George
McKnight was out one night looking for a lost cow near the top of a hill when he
stubbed his toe on a rock. McKnight picked up the rock and saw part of it shine in
the moonlight. Quickly he forgot the cow, went back to his cabin and saw the rock
was laced with gold. After pounding the rock with his hammer, crushing it into
sand, and panning out the gold, McKnight recovered more gold in a few minutes
than he had the entire week prior. McKnight discovered gold-bearing quartz on
Gold Hill. It was not the first discovery of quartz gold in the Gold Country,
19
however, McKnight stumbled onto one of the richest gold veins ever opened. For the
next 91 years, some of the richest and deepest mines in the world produced a total of
$415 million in gold in Grass Valley. The Empire Mine alone produced almost a
million dollars each year of those 91 years from its 200 miles of underground
workings, creating the second deepest mine in the world.
20

In 1975, the State of California purchased the Empire properties and created
the Empire Mine State Historic Park. The park encompasses 784 acres, most of
which is forested backcountry. The mine buildings, offices, and workshops have
been restored, which in effect transports visitors back to the Mine’s heyday. The
19
grounds, gardens, fountains, and pools are impeccably maintained just as millionaire
William Bourn, Jr. would have known them.
21
Grass Valley’s Gold Rush history and modern lifestyle are today reflected in
interesting contrasts. Narrow winding streets lead onto a freeway, a shopping center
sits near a pile of old mine tailings, graceful Victorian residences overlook suburban
tract homes, and 19
th
-century buildings contain contemporary stores.
22
Other Grass
Valley historic sites and structures include the Holbrooke Hotel, originally built in
1852 and reconstructed in 1855 and 1862. Among the names on the old ledgers are
that of Mark Twain, actor Gilbert Barry, and Presidents Grant, Garfield, Harrison,
and Cleveland. Also in Grass Valley is Lotta Crabtree’s home which was
constructed in the early 1850’s, and the Lola Montez House of 1851. Emmanuel
Episcopal Church, built in 1856, is the oldest Episcopal Church in California. It is
joined by Mount Saint Mary’s Convent and Orphan Asylum, built 1865, the North
Star Sixty-Stamp Mill Foundations, and the Gold Quartz Discovery site monument.
(See Appendix B, Historic Landmarks, Nevada County)
Along the four miles between Grass Valley and Nevada City to the north,
Highways 49 and 20 interconnect forming a nice stretch of road with excellent
driving conditions through hilly, tree-dotted terrain. Highway 49 departs from SR 20
at Nevada City in a northwest direction. Once in Nevada City, going from one point
to another in a straight line is almost impossible. The streets, which are said to
follow the old miner’s trails, twist and jog in all directions up and down the hilly
terrain, while the highway practically bisects the town.
20
Nevada City was once a boom town of nearly 12,000 in 1856, making it the
third largest city in California. Today is a small town of approximately 3,000. The
Victorian gingerbread houses, curving streets lined with sugar maples that flame in
the fall, delicate white church spires, punctuating the green pines in the distance, and
massive old brick buildings, provide an excursion into Nevada City’s quaint and
picturesque past.
23

Not the least of Nevada City’s historic sites are the National Hotel, opened in
1856, the I.O.O.F. Hall, also of 1856, the Nevada Theater of 1865, the Nevada Hose
Company No. 1 Firehouse and Pennsylvania Engine Company No. 2 Firehouse, both
built in 1861. Pioneer Cemetery dates back to the town’s early days, as do the South
Yuba Canal Building of 1855 and the Ott’s Assay Office of 1859.
24

North of Nevada City, Highway 49 winds past steep, heavily timbered slopes
covered with dense, fragrant pine forests. Wildflowers and a variety of vegetation
add color to the landscape. Elevations range from about 2,000 feet to more than
6,000 feet at Yuba Pass (elev. 6,701 ft). For approximately 70 miles, from the town
of North San Juan almost to the town of Sattley, Highway 49 traverses the Sierra-
Nevada Mountains through the Tahoe National Forest. Along this section, Highway
49 offers generally good driving conditions, although some stretches are steep and
winding. Fast, smooth sections of two-lane road alternate with slow, narrow,
curving sections, often with grades climbing up and down the sides of dramatic river
gorges, and passing through a few small communities. A side trip off Highway 49,
east on Tyler-Foote Road to Malakoff Diggins in North Bloomfield, presents a
challenging route of narrow unpaved road.
21
Figure 11: Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park,
North Bloomfield, California. (Author, June, 2005)
Descending through the pines from Yuba Pass, Highway 49 levels off and the
general look of the area changes rapidly. At the base of the hills, the view opens to a
broad green valley of expansive fields with grazing cattle. Just outside of Sattley,
Highway 49 intersects Highway 89 and continues beyond Sattley, twisting through
the towns of Sierraville, Loyalton, ultimately ending near Vinton. The northern
terminus of the Golden Chain Highway 49 of the Mother Lode is at the junction of
Highway 49 and State Route 70.
22
Chapter 2 Endnotes

2
Koeppel, Elliot H. The California Gold Country : Highway 49 Revisited. La Habra, CA: Malakoff & Co.
Publishing, 1999, p. 7.
3
Madera County California Gen Web. (Last updated December 29, 2000) Website hosted by Ken Doig, Madera,
California: http://www.cagenweb.com/madera/RoundHouseCemetery.htm .
4
California State Parks. Wassama Round House SHP webpage:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=586 , California Department of Parks & Recreation, 2004.
5
Auto Club of Southern California. The Mother Lode. Los Angeles, CA: Auto Club of Southern California,
1976, p. 8.
6
Auto Club of Southern California, map. California’s Mother Lode Guide Map. Auto Club of Southern
California, 2003.
7
Koeppel, Elliot H. The California Gold Country : Highway 49 Revisited. La Habra, CA: Malakoff & Co.
Publishing, 1999, p. 56.
8
Koeppel. The California Gold Country. p. 66.
9
CERES : State Historic Landmarks of Tuolumne County, website:
http://ceres.ca.gov/geo_area/counties/Tuolumne/landmarks.html , Office of Historic Preservation, California
Department of Parks and Recreation. Last updated October 15, 2004.
10
Angels, City of. Website: www.cityofangels.org , 2005.
11
Bart, Black. Website: www.BlackBart.com, World Wide Web Foundry, LLC, 2002.
12
Auto Club of Southern California, map. California’s Mother Lode Guide Map. Auto Club of Southern
California, 2003.
13
Calaveras County Visitors Bureau, (CCVB) website, www.gocalaveras.com , 2003, viewed 01/02/06.
14
Koeppel, Elliot H. The California Gold Country : Highway 49 Revisited. La Habra, CA: Malakoff & Co.
Publishing, 1999, p. 120-121.
15
Historic Highway 49.com website, www.historichwy49.com, 2004.
16
Auto Club of Southern California, map. California’s Mother Lode Guide Map. Auto Club of Southern
California, 2003.
17
Auto Club of Southern California. The Mother Lode. Los Angeles, Ca. Auto Club of Southern California,
1976, p. 40.
18
Auto Club of Southern California, map. California’s Mother Lode Guide Map. Auto Club of Southern
California, 2003.
19
Koeppel, Elliot H. The California Gold Country : Highway 49 Revisited. La Habra, CA: Malakoff & Co.
Publishing, 1999, p. 179.
20
Auto Club of Southern California. The Mother Lode. Los Angeles, Ca. Auto Club of Southern California,
1976, p. 46.
23

21
Koeppel, Elliot H. The California Gold Country : Highway 49 Revisited. La Habra, CA: Malakoff & Co.
Publishing, 1999, p. 185.
22
Auto Club of Southern California, map. California’s Mother Lode Guide Map. Auto Club of Southern
California, 2003.
23
Auto Club of Southern California. The Mother Lode. Los Angeles, Ca. Auto Club of Southern California,
1976, p. 48.
24
Koeppel, Elliot H. The California Gold Country : Highway 49 Revisited. La Habra, CA: Malakoff & Co.
Publishing, 1999, p. 190-195.
24
CHAPTER THREE: BRIEF HISTORY
The Gold Rush
The movement west from the eastern United States to California began as a
trickle in 1841. Thirty-two members of the Bidwell-Bartleson Party, led by John
Bidwell, completed the first migration of pioneers whose purpose was to settle in
California. At that time, as author historian Josiah Royce wrote, “California was an
outlying and neglected Mexican province. Its Missions, once prosperous, had had
their estates in large part secularized during the later years of which had fallen into
decay, were now helpless and sometimes in ruins. The Indians had left the Missions
and seemed to have disappeared. The church was no longer a power. The white
population was made up principally of Spanish and Mexican colonists, whose chief
industry was raising cattle for the hides and tallow, and whose private lives were
free, careless, and on the whole… moderately charming and innocent.”
25
John Sutter was a merchant, farmer, rancher, and entrepreneur who moved to
California in 1839. Convincing the Mexican governor after long negotiations, John
Sutter was granted 50,000 acres of land. John Sutter settled in a central valley east
of San Francisco close to the Sacramento and American rivers. From here John
Sutter developed New Helvetia or what became better known as Sutter's Fort. John
Sutter joined in partnership with James W. Marshall in 1847 and believed he was
well on the way to being a rich man.
26
The Bear Flag Rebellion of 1846 led to control of California by General
Stephen W. Kearny, the American military governor. After two years of war, the
25
United States and Mexico signed a treaty at Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico on February
2, 1848, which ceded to the victor a vast expanse of land, west from Texas and north
to Oregon. With this territorial acquisition, President Polk achieved for his country
its Manifest Destiny—one nation from Atlantic to Pacific.
27

On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold in the tailrace of a
mill he was building for Captain John Sutter on the American River near Coloma.
Although he and the Captain tried to keep the discovery a secret, word got out and
the Gold Rush was on. Gold was discovered in what they called “Calēē-for-nī-āy”
and gold fever became pandemic. The discovery of gold led to the absolute demise
of John Sutter's emerging empire. Gold mining squatters overwhelmed his lands.
The Mexican war ended and the grants proved worthless as any claim to gold
producing properties.
It was only after news reached the east coast that gold was discovered at
Sutter’s Mill that migration west to California began in earnest.
28
Parties of
immigrants took to the westward trails in the spring and early summer of 1849.
Migration had begun as early as March of that year in the southern reaches of Texas.
The majority of migrants, however, set out on the northern route along the Platte
River by the end of May. Especially on the California Trail, long trains of wagons
grouped together in thoroughly organized bodies, …ground across the prairies,
covering ten or fifteen miles on a good day.”
29
In 1849, thousands of would-be
miners came from all over to California; from the east, the mid-west, and from all
over the world. The French, British, Irish, Chinese, Mexicans, Chileans, and
26
Australians came in search of fortune. Many deserted their homes, farms and
families to make a 3,000 mile trek across the plains, or, a 15,000 mile trip aboard
ship.
By September 9, 1850, when California achieved statehood, gold-hungry
men were streaming in from every continent. Even though Marshall’s gold
discovery was not the first, his started a mass migration into California that changed
the entire course of American history.
Thousands of towns and camps sprang up overnight, rough plank buildings,
canvas tents, and makeshift shelters without form or plan.
Wherever the miners moved to build again, a retinue followed. Saloon
keepers came first, often opening with nothing more elaborate than a plank
spanning two barrels and hastily rigged canvas walls ― or no walls at all.
…The ladies of the gold field came next, filling the dance halls, gambling
dives and the inevitable bawdy houses with the soft smell of perfume and
cigar smoke. Then the merchants came, with stores to provide the necessities
that were only a little less expensive than the luxuries. …Few miners
became rich; it was those who supplied the miners’ needs that grew
wealthy.
30
Estimates indicate that more than 600,000 men, women, and children joined
in California’s Gold Rush by 1858. Most came for the gold and returned home,
some with and some without. Others stayed and helped develop California into the
powerful economic force that eluded John Augustus Sutter.
31
As J.S. Holliday wrote
in his book The World Rushed In,
Everything about California would change. In one astonishing year the place
would be transformed from obscurity to world prominence, from an
agricultural frontier that attracted 400 settlers in 1848 to a mining frontier that
lured 90,000 impatient men in 1849; from a society of neighbors and families
to one of strangers and transients; from an ox-cart economy based on hides
and tallow to a complex economy based on gold mining; from Catholic to
27
Protestant, from Latin to Anglo-Saxon. The impact of that new California
would be profound on the nation it had so recently joined.
32
California Bureau of Highways and California Highway Commission,
1895 to 1926
In 1895, the most common modes of overland transportation in California
were via horseback, wagon, stagecoach, train, bicycle, or on foot. While
automobiles were becoming popular in cities, they were a rare sight on remote
country roads. As numbers of immigrants migrating to California increased, demand
for good roads was inevitable.
In response to a growing movement toward a statewide system of good roads,
on March 27, 1895, the California Legislature passed an act that created the Bureau
of Highways. This act made provisions for creation of three positions for individuals
who would comprise the Bureau and hold office for two years, as well as a $5,000
bond for each appointee to assure proper performance of their duties. The first three
appointees were R.C. Irvine, a member of the Sacramento County Highway
Commission, Marsden Manson of San Francisco, a well known engineer, and J.L.
Maude of Riverside. The fundamental duty of these members of the Bureau of
Highways was to conduct a thorough survey of the entire state to evaluate where
state highways were needed or should be located.
The majority of the work was conducted by Irvine and Maude because
Manson passed away before they began their work. Traveling by buckboard and
28
accompanied by a Gordon setter named “Māje”, the men drove seven thousand miles
along the coast, through the valleys, over mountains, and traversed the deserts.
33
Figure 12: Messrs. R.C. Irvine and J.L. Maude, with dog
"Maje,” 1895-96. (Blow, 1920, p. 15)
The commission inventoried the existing road system, logging in excess of
16,500 miles. When they completed their survey, they issued a report to the
Governor. This report, submitted November 25, 1896, recommended a system of
state highways made up of 28 proposed routes with the following content:
It will be observed by consulting any good map of the State, or the relief map
of the State in the office of the Bureau, that the system of highways herein
presented follows four fundamental principles:
First.—They are laid out along those lines which the physical features of the
State forever fix as the easiest lines of communication.
Second.—The great belts of natural wealth which our State possesses are
each traversed by one or more highways.
Third.—The system connects all the large centers of population within the
limits of the state.
Fourth.—The system reaches the county seat of every county, and taps the
line of county roads so as to utilize them to the fullest extent.
34
29
Figure 13: State Highway System Map, 1895-96. (Blow, 1920. p. 18-19 insert)
The original proposal argued that the state should construct the routes, as the
counties were too cash-strapped to construct and maintain the roads on their own.
However, this mandate was modified by the legislature, which feared the increasing
power of the state politicians. They inserted provisions that permitted the counties
greater control over the system, including the ability to add an unlimited number of
new routes.
30
Legislation and Construction Timeline
In 1897, the Legislature dissolved the Bureau of Highways, and established
the Department of Highways, consisting of three commissioners appointed for two
year terms, and a civil engineer appointed for a four year term.
35
In 1902, the state
constitution was amended to give the Legislature the power to establish a system of
state highways, and to pass the laws necessary for highway construction. It also
permitted state aid to be provided to counties for road construction.
By 1907, the Legislature dissolved the Department of Highways and created
the Department of Engineering, the forerunner of the Department of Public Works.
Highway funding was provided by the Legislature through "special appropriations".
This was at a minimum funding level, and most funds were devoted to maintenance,
such as clearing storm debris and the construction of retaining walls and culverts.
Approximately two years later, the people of the State of California adopted the
“State Highways Act of 1909” providing for the issuance of bonds to the amount of
$18,000,000 for the construction and acquisition of a system of state highways.
36

This act established a State Highway system and authorized construction of 3,052
miles of highways. It required that the Department of Engineering acquire the
necessary land, and construct a continuous and connected highway system. The
funding allowed a significant number of highways to start construction. For
example, with funds from the “State Highway Bond Act of 1910,” construction
began on California State Highway Contract No. 1 with the paving of a segment of
31
El Camino Real in Burlingame and South San Francisco, in San Mateo County. The
highway was eventually designated US highway 101.
The Chandler Act, passed by the Legislature in 1911, authorized the
appointment of a three member board to advise the Department of Engineering. This
board was to become the first Highway Commission. This Act also created the
position of State Highway Engineer, who would serve at the pleasure of the
Governor. The first State Highway Engineer was Austin B. Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher
and the highway commissioners took a 6,800 mile tour of the state highways in
1911. As a result of the recommendations from that tour, it adopted the state
highway system. Mr. Fletcher also recommended dividing the state into seven
divisions, each in the charge of an experienced engineer. The Highway Commission
also recommended that roads be "permanent in character" and provide a "continuous
and connected state highway system".
The function of maintenance was added to the Division of Engineering in
1914, supported by funds made available by a 1913 legislative act requiring motor
vehicle registration. Revenue generated by these fees was slated for division
between the states and counties, making it possible to develop a systematic
maintenance program. The state authorized an additional $15,000,000 bond act in
1915, which authorized 702 additional miles of highway. The year 1915 also saw
the passage of the "Convict Labor Law", which permitted the Department of
Engineering to use prison labor for the construction of state highways. In 1916,
Congress passed the Bankhead Act, which created the Federal Aid Program.
32
Under this program, federal funds were provided for roads that would improve rural
mail delivery, also known as "post roads." This program required the state to
appropriate one half the cost of the road. California received $151,063.92 in Federal
Aid funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917.
By 1918, several important highway projects had been completed, including
the Ridge Route, the Yolo Causeway, the Kings River Canyon, Alturas-Cedarville,
Emigrant Gap, and the Imperial County Plank Road. The 1918 California Highway
Commission Road Map of the State of California indicates construction progress on
a section of road from Auburn to Downieville, with two portions being graded or
under contract, and two portions proposed. The beginning of a road connecting
Mariposa and Sonora to Yosemite National Park is shown as “Proposed” and
“Special appropriation road” respectively. (See Appendix A, Maps, California
Highway Commission, Inserts)
In 1919, the state legislature amended the Motor Vehicle Act of 1913 by
requiring that the county supervisors submit an annual report detailing the
expenditures of road funds derived from the state Motor Vehicle Fund. This helped
to ensure that these funds were expended in accordance with the original intent of the
legislation. More significantly, in the special election of July 1, 1919, the voters
approved a third highway bond issue for $40,000,000. This act authorized creation
or extension of 1,853 miles of highways. This act extended the funds for the
completion of the highways contemplated under the two preceding acts by the
33
addition of $20,000,000 to the highway funds for this purpose, and an additional
$20,000,000 for the construction of some additional routes.
The 1919-1920 Biennial Report of the State Highway Commission explains
how the Commission began to identify problems with funding highway construction
through bond acts. They also recommended a tax on gasoline sales, which was not
enacted until 1923. The Commission’s 1920 Road Map illustrates road grading
completed or under contract in a section north of Auburn through to Downieville,
and several special appropriation roads crossing the Sierras in the Gold region,
however, no indication of construction is shown for the Mother Lode route between
Sonora and Placerville. The road from Sonora to Yosemite progressed from “Special
appropriation road” to “Authorized by special acts and now maintained by State”,
and the road from Mariposa to Yosemite changed from “Proposed” to “Authorized
but not constructed”.
The California Legislature created the Department of Public Works (DPW) in
1921. The new department included the State Highway Commission, the State
Water Commission, and the newly created Division of Highways. Also in 1921,
Assemblymen Ralph McGee, J.C. Webster, Fred G. Stevenot, and Ivan Parker,
introduced Assembly Bill No. 259 asking for a route from Auburn to Sonora. With
the help of many civic and fraternal organizations, Chambers of Commerce and the
California Highway Commission, the bill passed and the road was called the “Gold
Route,” which was later changed to the “Mother Lode Highway.”
37
Although
34
declared a State Highway in 1921, no appropriation was made at that time for its
construction.
38

The State Highway Commission was removed from the Department of Public
Works in 1923 and made a separate state agency largely responsible for the highway
matters previously handled by the DPW. The Highway Commission also created
three new divisions with offices in Stockton, Bishop, and San Bernardino, bringing
the total number of divisions, or districts, to ten. Funding was also aided in 1923
when the California's legislature passed California's first gasoline tax. Revenue from
the two cents per gallon tax was divided between the state and the counties for
highway building and improvement. The idea for such a tax dates back to
recommendations from the Automobile Club in 1921 and from the State Board of
Equalization and the Highway Commission in 1922. The Motor Vehicle Act of 1923
strengthened the states' highway finances, and gave additional resources to counties.
The Sonora to Auburn route appears on the California Highway Commission
1924 “Map Showing State Highway System” in the Biennial report. (See Appendix
A, Maps, California Highway Commission, Inserts) The route from Sonora to
Auburn is shown with a solid green line indicating “Authorized by special acts—
maintained by the State, unpaved”. The number for the route from Sonora to Auburn
is listed in the legend as number 65, and number 49 as the route from Calistoga to
Lower Lake. The road from Auburn to Nevada City is indicated as “Paved or under
contract,” and the road from Nevada City to Downieville as shown as “Grading
35
completed or under contract.” The two roads to Yosemite National Park showed
progress as well.
There was significant progress in the California State Highway system
between 1918 and 1926. By 1926, a number of unimproved, unpaved, and proposed
roads changed to paved and improved. There were completed highways connecting
the major metropolitan cities, and a highway “spine” down the center of the state
from Oregon to Mexico. Also, by 1926 there were significantly more East-West
roads up and down the state.
Figure 14: Archie Stevenot. The Columbia Gazette,
September, 1966. (Stevenot Collection)
Archie Stevenot, “Mr. Mother Lode”
Driving north from Sonora on Highway 49, after crossing the Stanislaus
River into Calaveras County there is a historical monument in honor of Archie
Stevenot. The bronze plaque affixed to an ore car has these words for coming
generations:
ARCHIE STEVENOT. Mr. Mother Lode. … Student, salesman, miner,
rancher, postmaster, school board member and general superintendent of the
nearby Carson Hill Mine, he has spent a productive lifetime in this region.
He established the Mother Lode Highway Association in 1919, serving as
36
president or director until 1950 when it joined into the Golden Chain
Council. One of the organizers of the California State Chamber of
Commerce, one of the organizers of the Mother Lode Baseball League, a
native son and one of the state’s favorites, there is hardly an activity for the
benefit of California and the Mother Lode with which he has not been
identified.
39

Archie was born September 25, 1882, on the old Stevenot homestead one half
mile west of the marker, the sixth of nine children born to Emile K. and Sarah E.
Stevenot, and the grandson of Jean Gabriel K. Stevenot, who founded the Stevenot
homestead near Carson Hill in 1850.
40

In 1870, Emile Stevenot left Carson Hill and started a borax metallurgical
refinery in San Francisco―the largest in the country. After selling the borax
enterprise in 1879, Emile Stevenot moved his wife and family back to Carson Hill
where they founded a school for all the local children.
41
Archie Stevenot graduated from St. Ignacius College in 1902 and went on to
the Wilmerding School of Mechanical Arts in San Francisco. His formal education
completed, he returned to the Mother Lode as a traveling salesman representing
business firms of San Francisco in the mining districts. Archie built his own home in
Carson Hill, was clerk of the School board, and was Postmaster of Carson Hill. He
also had a wood and milk business and did mining at the same time.
42

In 1915, Archie Stevenot was hired by W. J. Loring, president of the
Calaveras Consolidated Mines Company and mining associate of Herbert Hoover.
Archie worked as foreman in the Calaveras and Carson Hill operation, the same
mine worked by both his father and grandfather. The very next year, the ambitious
37
Stevenot was named superintendent and later general manager. He earned
impressive mining records as Calaveras Consolidated became the largest mining
operation in California.
43
However, one problem that plagued efficiency of the
mining operations was the poor road system. The roads, mostly trails, in summer
were very hot and dusty, and plagued in winter with muddy pits and soggy bogs,
creating extremely difficult, time-consuming travel.
At that time, one major problem was travel between Auburn and Sonora.
From Auburn, one had to travel southwest to Sacramento, south to Stockton, then
northeast to Sonora, or, take the rougher route along the foothills. W.J. Loring
became so disgusted with the poor road system, or lack of one, that he jumped all
over one of his mining engineers to do something. The engineer, Archie Stevenot,
responded by telling Mr. Loring that he would start an organization which would
improve the road conditions if Loring would head the organization. That discussion
led to the beginning of the Mother Lode Highway Association in 1919.
44

The Golden Chain Council of the Mother Lode and Highway 49, 1919 to 1971
In 1919, Archie Stevenot, aided by W.J. Loring and a small group of
businessmen, founded the Mother Lode State Highway Association for the purpose
of improving a trail between the mines along the southern slope of the Sierras.
45
The
Mother Lode State Highway Association launched a grassroots campaign to secure
an improved road to facilitate travel and increase commerce between the county
38
seats and principal towns of the mining districts. They lobbied successfully for an
improved highway to the five central gold mining counties; Placer, El Dorado,
Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties.
As noted earlier, Assemblymen Ralph McGee, J.C. Webster, Fred G.
Stevenot, and Ivan Parker introduced Assembly Bill No. 259 in 1921, asking for a
route from Auburn to Sonora. The bill passed and the road was called the “Gold
Route” but was later changed to the “Mother Lode Highway”.
46
No funds were
provided for its construction at that time.
47
The members of the Mother Lode State Highway Association met at Jackson,
California on January 12, 1922, with the goal to select officers and an executive
committee. Printed on association letterhead, the officers and executive committee
members were:
Caminetti, Chairman
Harold Tallon, Secretary
Executive Committee:
J.B. Curtin, Chairman, and Chas. H. Segerstrom, Tuolumne County,
Ralph McGee and C.E. Richards, Amador County,
Dr. H.C. Turner and George H. Treat, Calaveras County,
H.E. Dillinger and W.S. Biggs, El Dorado County,
Ivan H. Parker and P.B. Goss, Placer County,
W.J. Loring, Member-at-large, the Chairman and Secretary of the
Association, Ex-Officio Member
The initial resolutions of the Mother Lode State Highway Association
contained in a letter to the California Highway Commission, dated July 22, 1922,
demonstrated determination of purpose on the part of the group. Highlights of these
39
resolutions included “empowering the executive committee of the association to take
immediate action to secure from all available sources, funds necessary to begin
construction of the Mother Lode Highway” and appointing a publicity committee to
“educate public opinion in California in favor of the Mother Lode Highway.” They
also included a request for contributions from the Board of Supervisors of the initial
five counties in the amount of $500 each and formally thanked the Governor,
Chambers of Commerce, Native Sons of the Golden West, California Highway
Commission, the Press of California and all other civic and fraternal organizations
who had shown interest in building the Mother Lode Highway. The executive
committee was to report back to the Association at the next meeting in Sonora.
One pamphlet, published by the Mother Lode State Highway Association,
entitled “The Highway of Romance : Through the Historic California Mother Lode”,
extolled the historic significance, economic benefits, and scenic romance of the
Mother Lode State Highway. Included was a map illustrating the proposed route
from Sonora to Auburn. In another similarly titled pamphlet, the Association
published a collection of editorials and statements from the press endorsing the
construction of a highway through the Mother Lode country. As word got out and
people read about the efforts to obtain a good road for the region, enthusiasm spread
and membership in the Mother Lode State Highway Association grew quickly.
Frequent communication and meetings with the California Highway
Commission, Legislators, and the Governor, kept the construction of the Mother
40
Lode Highway on track. The Growler, published by the Native Sons of the Golden
West, announced in 1923 that two separate measures were being pushed forward to
secure funds for its construction. The first, Senate Bill 118, or the Boggs Bill, asked
for an appropriation of $2,000,000 to provide for the immediate building of the road.
The second bill, introduced by Stevenot, provided for a bond issue of $2,000,000 to
be submitted by the Legislature to the people in the 1924 election. The second
measure would be dropped if the first received the Governor’s signature, otherwise it
would go to the people for consideration, and, the bond issue would mean two years
delay. The Native Sons of the Golden West urged all “friends of the Mother Lode”
to rally support of the Boggs Bill by wire, phone, or in writing to the Governor to
sign it, because it meant “the passage of such measure represents a tardy discharge of
an ancient obligation to the Mother Lode pioneers.”
48

In March of 1929, Archie Stevenot, president of the Mother Lode Highway
Association, planned with John Dexter, president of the Mariposa County Chamber
of Commerce, a joint meeting to be held in Coulterville, with the order of business
being to propose the extension of the “Gold Route” from Sonora to Mariposa.
Approximately 300 members and interested persons were present. Governor C.C.
Young, then up for re-election, stated, “I favor the extension.” After at least three
more public meetings and a tour of the proposed route by Assemblymen and
Supervisors, Senate Bill 104 was submitted by Senator Dan Williams in January 13,
1931. By March the bill was being delayed, but Senator Williams tried again, only
41
to lose the fight, with a caveat that the bill would be considered at the 1933 session
of the legislature.
In February of 1933, Senator Dan Williams and Assemblyman Jesse Mayo
again introduced a bill to extend the Mother Lode Highway. A special session of the
Board of Supervisors was called at the request of the California Highway
Commission, to study Resolution No. 7, a bill which related to the orderly addition
of new roads to the State Highway System. The Board of Supervisors recommended
6,600 miles of roads, including those needed for the extension from Sonora to
Mariposa. The Bill passed the Assembly, and on June 5, 1933, Governor Rolph June
signed the bill, adding the Mother Lode highway extension to the Secondary State
Highway System.
The genius of the final extension of the Mother Lode Highway, from
Mariposa to Oakhurst was revealed in a letter from Archie Stevenot to Wm. A. Del
Conrad, dated March 5, 1964. Stevenot wrote,
In 1942 we met in Auburn. Judge MacIntosh of Sierra County asked us to
extend it on to Sierra County. I named Senator Cassidy the chairman of the
committee to work on this in the legislature. The reason we got it through
was because it was through and into the northern mines, which is part of the
gold mining country. I know because I traveled with horse and buggy sixty
years ago selling supplies to the mines….To make a connection to the
highway, they later extended it to Vinton, and at Vinton you will see on the
sign ‘end of Highway 49.’” This formed “the extension from the county seat
of Mariposa to Oakhurst.
49

Where the Mother Lode Highway Association was dedicated to the
development of the highway through the Gold country, another group, the Golden
42
Chain Council functioned as a promotional group. It is unknown at exactly what
point the Golden Chain Council was unofficially organized. The two groups, which
had been working side-by-side promoting the Mother Lode, merged this same year,
although the minutes from a meeting held on November 16, 1950 document the new
group being officially formed as The Golden Chain Council of the Mother Lode at
this date.
The 1950’s saw continued legislation for additional roads and funding. In
1953, when a proposed one billion dollar road fund was pending in the State
Legislature and was earmarked entirely for “mainline” roads, a fight to gain a portion
of this outlay for “secondary” roads was launched, with the Golden Chain Council of
the Mother Lode at the forefront vying for Highway 49. The drive to prevent the
Mother Lode from being “left out in the cold” was headed by Lloyd Raffetto of
Placerville and Archie Stevenot of Sonora. Senator Randolph Collier (R-Yreka)
introduced a bill, also called the Collier Bill, proposing a continuance of the Mayo
Formula, authored by Senator Jesse M. Mayo of Angels Camp, which allowed all
California counties to share in the State road funds on a percentage basis. In
addition, the Collier Bill included a proposed increase of one and one-half (1 ½)
cents per gallon state gasoline tax.
The Mother Lode Highway was extended to its northern terminus in Vinton,
Plumas County in 1957. On Saturday, October 31
st
, 1959, a large dedication
ceremony was held in celebration of the southern extension of Highway 49 from
43
Mariposa to Oakhurst, the final and still current southern terminus. At the luncheon
meeting, honored guest speaker Assemblyman Paul Lunardi, spoke about “Assembly
Concurrent Resolution 128 – Relative to planning in the Mother Lode and adjacent
areas”. This Bill requested that the State Division of Beaches and Parks administer a
survey of the Mother Lode and adjacent areas leading to its preservation for the
enjoyment and use of the general public. The resolution called for creation of a
survey of the historical values of the Mother Lode and adjacent areas to be
conducted in cooperation with state agencies, local governments and civic
organizations. This was to form the basis for recommendations for the preservation
and interpretation of historically significant resources in the area and to create
guidelines to integrate them into the future planning for the California State Highway
System, water resources development, and programs of county planning
commissions. Finally, this resolution called for the initiation of a continuous route of
historical interest to tourists, including an analysis of potential travel, tourist interest,
and tourist accommodations.
50
The resolution was adopted as Resolution Chapter
226, Statutes of 1959.
S. James Barrick, a consultant, produced a report and survey, entitled “The
Golden Chain of the Mother Lode”, for the Division of Beaches and Parks in
December, 1959. In his report, Mr. Barrick describes principal characteristics and
advantages of the historic highway proposed for the Mother Lode area. Barrick
wrote:
44
The fundamental purpose of a major historic highway would be the
preservation and interpretation of the historic values of the area. This would
be an expansion of the original purpose of the Mother Lode Highway to link
some of the historic communities in a continuous route. The aim of such
historic highways would be to provide access to historically important sites
in a given area. This would provide an opportunity to establish alternative
routes to include such sites not now on the main highway. Enjoyment of
scenic aspects of historical settings and opportunity to explore interesting by-
ways would be a prime objective. The shortest or most direct route between
two points, therefore, is not a prime consideration. The highway design
would include provision for roadside rests, picnic grounds, and recreation
areas in scenic and historic locations. Accomplishment of the primary
purposes of a historic highway would require the installation of adequate
directional signs, area landmarks visible from a passenger car, and roadside
exhibits and tourist information centers with informative guide strips and
adequate parking space…. The advantage of a major historic highway
enables the contemporary visitor to discover such historic locations and re-
pioneer this “Promised Land”. Historic buildings and sites to be included in
such routes and alternates, however, require careful research and
investigation. The planning and design of the Highway also require the
cooperation of the Division of Highway Engineers. Considerable study and
analysis, therefore, is required to determine the feasibility of developing the
Mother Lode Highway as a major historic highway of this type.
51

The 1960’s witnessed a different type of progress for the Mother Lode
Highway 49, its appreciation and designation as a Scenic Highway. In January,
1960, at the First Extraordinary Session, Governor Edmund G. Brown directed a
collaborative, interdepartmental study for scenic highways. Following that action,
Senate Resolution 26 was adopted, authorizing the Departments of Public Works,
Natural Resources, and Water Resources, and the State Office of Planning to conduct
a comprehensive investigation of the subject.
At the 1961 General Session, the Senate passed a resolution
52
directing the
participating agencies “to prepare a report on, and recommendations for, a state-wide
series of scenic highways” and “to submit a report… no later than March 15,
45
1962”.
53
The authors of this resolution made strong points concerning the
significance of scenic highways, particularly in pointing out California’s scenic and
historical resources as a continuing source of education, inspiration, and enjoyment
for her own citizens and visitors alike. They identified California’s resources as an
important factor in the economic development of the State, and noted that the
cultural and economic benefits had increased in direct proportion to travelers visiting
our scenic areas. The authors also noted that, with increasing population and per
capita income, available leisure, mobility and accessibility, increased travel to and
through areas of scenic beauty and historical significance.
54

The report “A Preliminary Plan for Scenic Highways in California”, entailed
nineteen recommendations on four major elements concerning the development of a
state-wide scenic highway system, outlined the criteria to use in selection of
proposed scenic highways, and included multiple maps illustrating regions of
landscape, recreation, water features, and historical areas of California.
55
(See
Appendix A, Maps, Proposed Scenic Highway Maps) The Golden Chain Highway
49 of the Mother Lode was indicated on all the maps as a proposed scenic highway.
Criteria used in evaluating the proposed state-wide system developed from five basic
considerations: 1) intrinsic scenic values and experiences the route would provide; 2)
diversity of experiences, such as the transition between different landscape regions
or climatic areas; 3) the degree to which the route would link specific scenic,
historical and recreational points or areas of interest; 4) the relationship of routes to
46
urban areas, taking into account opportunities for weekend and one-day sightseeing
trips by large numbers of people; and, 5) the opportunities for bypassing, or leaving
periodically, major trans-state or inter-regional routes.
The four major elements, or categories, of the recommendations outlined in
the report were: highway design and location; highway right-of-way acquisition;
roadside facilities; and control of development in scenic corridors.
A differentiation was made between a scenic highway and a scenic corridor.
56

…a scenic highway is one which traverses an area of outstanding scenic
quality the location and design of which will receive special analysis for the
purpose of enhancing the motorist’s scenic experience. …A scenic corridor
is that part of the landscape abutting a State highway route which contains
outstanding views, flora, fauna, geology, and other unique natural attributes
and historical and cultural resources affording pleasure and instruction to the
highway traveler. The whole purpose of the scenic highway program is to
preserve and enhance these attributes and resources through appropriate
conservation measures.
57

On March 17, 1962, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Senator Fred
S. Farr (D-Carmel) presented a proposal for a 5,000 mile network of scenic highways
in California to Governor Edmund G. Brown, which the Governor promptly
endorsed. The enabling legislation was expected to be highly controversial since it
involved restrictions on outdoor advertising, and other commercialization along the
proposed scenic routes. Thus, it was presumed that marketing firms and other
special interest groups would fight certain provisions of the program. The Governor
argued, however, that California must move now “to preserve for future generations
of motorists and tourists the beauty of our Golden State.”
58
47
Scenic Highway and Byway
The California State Scenic Highway Program was established in 1963 by the
State Legislature through Senate Bill No. 1467 presented by Senator Farr. The Bill
established the Scenic Highway Advisory Committee (then called the Advisory
Committee on A Master Plan for Scenic Highways) as the primary policy body for
recommending program criteria reviewing local applications for, and recommending
approval of, official Scenic Highway designations.
59

Although the entire length of Highway 49 was included as a proposed scenic
route in the preliminary report in 1962 and the 1970 Master Plan, only portions of
the highway have been officially designated. Route 49 from the Yuba County line
to Yuba Summit, 41.2 miles, was officially designated a Scenic Highway on July 14,
1971. According to the Department of Transportation, inclusions to Scenic Route 49
extend from Route 41 near Oakhurst to Route 120 near Moccasin, Route 120 to
Route 20 near Grass Valley, and, Route 20 near Nevada City to Route 89 near
Sattley.
60
With exception of the northern most portion of Highway 49 from
Sierraville to Vinton, the remainder of the route has been identified as eligible for
official designation as a Scenic Highway. (See Appendix A, Maps, Designated and
Eligible Scenic Highways…)
In 1992, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway
Administration established the National Scenic Byways Program to help recognize,
preserve, and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. The U.S.
48
Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or
National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic,
natural, recreational and scenic qualities. Approximately 77.6 miles of Highway 49,
from Nevada City, north of Grass Valley, to Sierraville, is designated as part of the
Yuba Donner Scenic Byway. Circling 170 miles of California State Highways 89,
49, and 20 and Interstate 80, the Yuba Donner Scenic Byway weaves through the
Tahoe National Forest and travels through history commemorating the ill-fated
Donner Party, miners, and others who braved mountainous wilderness in search of
gold, land, and other treasures.
61

In addition to the Yuba Donner National Scenic Byway, other designated or
eligible scenic highways, roads, and byways intersect with Highway 49 (See
Appendix: Maps; Eleven Counties Traversed by Highway 49 and Other Scenic
Highways), making the Gold Country region of California one of the most beautiful
and historic areas in the United States and the world.
49
Chapter 3 Endnotes

25
Royce, Josiah. CALIFORNIA: A Study of American Character, From the Conquest in 1846 to the Second
Vigiliance Committee in San Francisco, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara and Heyday Books, Berkeley,
California, 2002 (Originally published: Boston : Houghton, Mifflin, 1886), p. 25.
26
American Western History Museums, website:
http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_names/sutter_john/sutter_john.html .
27
Holliday, J.S. The World Rushed In : The California Gold Rush Experience, Simon and Schuster, New York,
New York, 1981, p. 25.
28
Kelly, Leslie A. Traveling California’s Gold Rush Country. Guilford, Connecticut: The Globe Pequot Press,
1997, p. 7.
29
Blodgett, Peter J. Land of Golden Dreams: California n the Gold Rush Decade, 1848-1858, Huntington Library
Press, San Marino, California, 1999, p. 52.
30
Auto Club of Southern California. The Mother Lode. Los Angeles, Ca. Auto Club of Southern California,
1976, p. 2-4.
31
Kelly, Leslie A. Traveling California’s Gold Rush Country. Guilford, Connecticut: The Globe Pequot Press,
1997, p. 8.
32
Holliday, J.S. The World Rushed In : The California Gold Rush Experience, Simon and Schuster, New York,
New York, 1981, p. 26.
33
Blow, Ben. California Highways : a descriptive record of road development by the state and by such counties
as have paved highways, Pub. Unknown, San Francisco, 1920, p. 14.
34
Blow, Ben. California Highways : a descriptive record of road development by the state and by such counties
as have paved highways, Pub. Unknown, San Francisco, 1920, p. 15.
35
Daniel Faigin documents a concise history of the establishment of California highways on his website
www.cahighways.org .
36
California State Highway Commission, First Biennial Report of the California Highway Commission
(December 31, 1918), California State Printing Office, Sacramento, 1919.
37
Mariposa Gazette. Newspaper. A Review of the History of the Mother Lode Highway ‘49’, October 29, 1959,
Mariposa, California.
38
Native Sons of the Golden West (NSGW), Stockton Parlor, No. 7. The Growler, article: Mother Lode
Highway, 1923.
39
Bixler, W.K. A Dozen Sierra Success Stories : Twelve Individualists of Our Time, Sierra Publication, Tahoe
Valley, California, 1964, p. 139-140.
40
Columbia Gazette. Newspaper. “Archie Stevenot Man of the Mountains.” Columbia, California, September,
1966.
41
Bixler, W.K. A Dozen Sierra Success Stories : Twelve Individualists of Our Time, Sierra Publication, Tahoe
Valley, California, 1964, p. 142-143.
50

42
Stevenot, Archibald. “Biographical Data for History of Merced County,” Courtesy of Holt-Atherton Special
Collection, University of the Pacific Library, Stockton, California, year unknown.
43
Bixler, W.K. A Dozen Sierra Success Stories : Twelve Individualists of Our Time, Sierra Publication, Tahoe
Valley, California, 1964, p. 145.
44
Golden Chain Council. Promotional material. Courtesy of Bill Maasberg, President, Golden Chain Council of
the Mother Lode, 1999.
45
Golden Chain, The, Volume 1, Issue 1. The Golden Chain Council of the Mother Lode, 1983, p. 1.
46
Mariposa Gazette. Newspaper. “A Review of the History of the Mother Lode Highway ‘49’,” October 29,
1959, Mariposa, California..
47
Native Sons of the Golden West (NSGW), Stockton Parlor, No. 7. The Growler, article: “Mother Lode
Highway,” 1923.
48
Native Sons of the Golden West (NSGW), Stockton Parlor, No. 7. The Growler, article: : “Mother Lode
Highway,” 1923.
49
Stevenot Collection. Courtesy of Holt-Atherton Special Collection, University of the Pacific Library, Stockton,
California.
50
Lunardi, Paul J. Statement by Assemblyman Paul J. Lunardi in reference to Assembly Concurrent Resolution
129 to the California State Chamber of Commerce, Regional Travel and Recreation Committee, 1959.
(Stevenot Collection)
51
Barrick, S. James. “The Golden Chain of the Mother Lode : historic survey and report for the Division of Parks
and Beaches” Department of Natural Resources, State of California. December, 1959. p.53-55.
52
Senate Concurrent Resolution 39.
53
Report on a Preliminary Plan for Scenic Highways: State of California, March 15, 1962, p. 3.
54
Ibid and Concurrent Resolution 39, 1961.
55
Prepared by the Interdepartmental Committee and an Advisory Committee.
56
Report on a Preliminary Plan for Scenic Highways: State of California, March 15, 1962, p. 41-42.
57
Report on a Preliminary Plan for Scenic Highways: State of California, March 15, 1962, p. 13-14.
58
San Francisco Chronicle. “Brown Endorses Scenic Highway,” by Jackson Doyle, Sacramento, California,
March 17, 1962.
59
Department of Public Works. The Scenic Route : A Guide for the Official Designation of Eligible Scenic
Highways, State of California, Department of Public Works, Business and Transportation Agency, 1970.
60
National Scenic Byways Program. The National Scenic Byways Program, US Department of Transportation,
Federal Highway Administration, website: www.byways.org , 2006.
61
Ibid.
51
CHAPTER FOUR: LOCAL ACTIVITY
The Golden Chain Highway 49 of the Mother Lode provides access to an
assemblage of natural, historic, and cultural resources unique to the region. The
entire length of Highway 49 is a scenic, historic, and recreational experience
celebrated by every community. From County Fairs to jumping frogs, gold pans to
wagon trains, most citizens and many tourists of the Mother Lode commemorate the
history of the land and cherish the beauty of their environment.
Most people living in the Gold Country along Highway 49 do so because
they share a bond with or an interest in the area. Their productive efforts and
activities portrayed by preservation of structures and traditions are evidence of
dedication to the rich heritage of the area.
Organizations
There are numerous groups and individuals on the national, state, and local
levels who actively participate in activities that preserve, protect, and promote the
local history, tradition, culture, economy, and environment of the Mother Lode
region and Highway 49. A partial list includes:
 U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
 National Trust for Historic Preservation
 California Department of Parks and Recreation, Office of Historic
Preservation
 California Preservation Foundation
 Local and regional Chambers of Commerce, Visitor’s Bureaus, Historical
Societies, and Museums
 Civic, fraternal, and business organizations, including the Native Sons
52
(and Daughters) of the Golden West, Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Elks
Clubs and Moose Lodges, E Clampus Vitus, The Golden Chain Council
of the Mother Lode, the Sierra Business Council, and the California
Automobile Association
 Small local groups, such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, school PTAs,
sports teams, women’s clubs, etc.
 As well as many political figures, stakeholders, and private citizens
The Golden Chain Council of the Mother Lode was, in itself, a historical
organization. Originally the Mother Lode Highway Association, the Golden Chain
Council, which was dissolved in 2000, was a very active and productive civic
organization. Founded by Archie Stevenot, W.J. Loring and a small group of
businessmen, the original Council consisted of five members. The Council grew to
encompass nine counties, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras,
Tuolumne, Mariposa, and Madera, with five representatives from each county on the
board totaling forty-five. The representatives were selected from the Board of
Supervisors, historical societies, chambers of commerce, the local highway district,
and a member from the general public. For many years the group was active in the
highway program, which, after the State took over maintenance of Highway 49, then
turned its aims and purpose to the preservation of many historical artifacts along the
route and the promotion of tourism in the region.
One of the most significant contributions to the popularization of Highway 49
is the printing and distribution of the “California’s Golden Chain, The Mother Lode
Highway” map by the Golden Chain Council of the Mother Lode. Since originally
drawn by William Wintle in 1935, over 500,000 copies of the map have been
distributed. The map continues in production, and is still a popular and educational
53
item. Since 2000, Golden Chain Council President, Bill Maasberg, along with his
wife, Fritzi, the Council’s secretary-treasurer, have taken over stewardship of the
historical Golden Chain organization by continuing publication and sale of the
historic map.
62
Figure 15: California's Golden Chain the Mother Lode Highway; map cover marked “First
Map”. (Stevenot Collection)
54
Figure 16: California's Golden Chain The Mother Lode Highway, map. (Stevenot Collection)
55
The California State Automobile Association, formerly called the California
Automobile Club, has also been a successful promoter of the Mother Lode region
and Highway 49. Since its inception in 1900, when there were more automobiles
than roads to drive them, a major part of the Auto Club’s mission was to promote
“good roads and just legislation.” They joined in the study and promotion of
Highway 49 when, “Seeing the Yosemite Valley by car in the 1920’s was not too
much of a challenge — getting into and out of the Valley was.”
63
Highway 49
intersects with the three main access routes on the western side of Yosemite
National Park, routes 120, 140, and 41. Through the publication and distribution of
many maps, booklets, and articles focused on the Mother Lode and Highway 49,
the California State Automobile Association has been influential in obtaining
legislation and instrumental in educating their membership and the public about the
special resources located along the Golden Chain Highway of the Mother Lode.
Figure 17: Mother Lode Guide
Map, Auto Club of Southern
California, 2003.
56
A more recent organization is the Sierra Business Council, which was
founded in 1994 and is based in Truckee, California. The Sierra Business Council
(SBC) is a nonprofit association of more than five hundred businesses, agencies,
and individuals working to secure the social, environmental and financial health of
the Sierra Nevada region for this and future generations. Their work includes
research, policy analysis, public education, leadership development, and
collaborative initiatives with local partners.
64
Although the SBC’s service area
encompasses the entire Sierra-Nevada region, the Mother Lode Highway area
encompasses a majority of that region and the similarities and the efforts exerted by
the SBC to benefit the area work in common with that of the Golden Chain Council
and other grassroots organizations.
One of Sierra Business Council’s Principles for Sound Development is to
“Preserve historic assets”. In their publication, Planning for Prosperity: Building
Successful Communities in the Sierra Nevada, the council states,
Historic buildings and sites are irreplaceable assets that distinguish our
region from all others. One of the most critical steps communities can take
to maintain the Sierra region’s distinct identity and economic vitality is to
preserve our historic assets.
65
As is so often the case, history offers guidance. The Sierra Nevada is dotted
with vibrant small towns that have been the social, economic and cultural
centers of our region for over a hundred years. The beauty and charm of
these historic towns has been recorded by artists, writers, and tourists since
the early days of the Gold Rush. With their western facades, wooden
sidewalks, historic street lamps, pocket parks, charming Victorian houses and
gardens, winding streets, and surrounding farms and ranches, the historic
towns of the Sierra Nevada provide a model for future growth that is both
unique to our region and of proven and enduring value. Yet many counties
57
in the Sierra Nevada appear not to understand the value of respecting the past
as they build the new. Throughout our region, towns have allowed
themselves to be degraded by new construction which bears little
resemblance to the character or scale of existing communities. In community
after community, dozens of individual and seemingly innocuous decisions
have together begun to undermine the unique character of our towns and their
economic value as prized places to live and do business.
66
Activities and Events
The organizations and citizens of the Mother Lode – Highway 49 corridor
region of California contribute to its significance through many community efforts
aimed at the preservation and conservation of its unique historical and environmental
characteristics. Activities celebrating the history, tradition, and beauty of the Mother
Lode region abound. Few events illustrate the gold rush era as well as the Calaveras
County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee celebrated by Mark Twain. Every May the
entire community celebrates its history and its future. Since 1928, the tradition of
county residents showing off their best still holds true. In 2002, the Calaveras
County Fair had more than 7000 exhibits. The junior livestock auction generated
over $350,000 for the county’s youth. The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog
Jubilee has grown to an event with more than 35,000 attendees. It is estimated that
the Calaveras County Fair generates approximately 25.5 million dollars in revenues
through hotels, restaurants, retail, payroll and other related revenues.
67
An added
highlight of the 2006 celebration was “Heritage Day” May 17
th
.
There are many other year-round recreational and entertainment activities
along the Highway 49 corridor region, too numerous to list here. In addition, special
annual events have become a tradition for the local communities and tourists as well.
58
For example: Gold Rush Days at Columbia State Historic Park, Humbug Days at
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, Mi-Wuk Indian Acorn Festival, Logger’s
Jubilee, Wild West round-ups, rodeos, and old west re-enactments, as well as
mining, geology, and archeology associated events.
The activities and events, both occurring and recurring, in communities along
Highway 49 are preserving historical memory and myth, injecting the present, and
maintaining a continuum for posterity.
59
Chapter 4 Endnotes

62
Maasberg, Bill. E-mail from Bill Maasberg to Marla Griffin, October 27, 2005, recounting some history of The
Golden Chain Council of the Mother Lode.
63
California State Automobile Association (CSAA). CSAA History – A Century of Service, website
www.csaa.com , Jan. 15, 2006.
64
Sierra Business Council (SBC). Planning for Prosperity: Building Successful Communities in the Sierra
Nevada, 1997, and website www.sbcouncil.org .
65
Ibid, p. 16.
66
Ibid, p. 8.
67
Calaveras County Fair (CCF), website, www.frogtown.org , viewed 01/15/06.
60
CHAPTER FIVE: NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA CONCEPTS AND
CONTROVERSY
A National Heritage Area is a place where natural, cultural, historic, and
scenic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive
landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography.
These patterns make National Heritage Areas representative of the
national experience through the physical features that remain and the
traditions that have evolved in them. These regions are acknowledged by
Congress for their capacity to describe nationally important stories about
the evolution of our nation. Continued use of the National Heritage
Areas by people whose traditions helped to shape the landscapes
enhances their significance.
68

Overview
A National Heritage Area (NHA) is a region that has been recognized by the
United States Congress for its unique qualities and resources. It is a place where
natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources have shaped a cohesive,
nationally distinctive landscape. In heritage areas, local communities and leaders
cooperate in efforts to preserve the resources that are important to them. The
partnership approach to heritage development involves collaborative planning
around a theme, industry and/ or geographical feature that influenced the region's
culture and history. This planning strategy encourages residents, government
agencies, non-profit groups and private partners to agree on and prioritize programs
and projects that recognize, preserve and celebrate many of America's defining
landscapes.
The heritage areas seek short and long-term solutions to their conservation
and development challenges by fostering relationships among regional stakeholders
61
and encouraging them to work collaboratively to achieve shared goals. Preserving
the resources and activities in heritage areas in ways that recall the traditions that
helped to shape these landscapes enhances their significance.
69

According to Brenda Barrett, National Coordinator for Heritage Areas for the
National Park Service,
Heritage areas and corridors designate cultural landscapes in regions that
reflect the ongoing interrelationship between people and the land. They are
living places where people of today live with the past, sometimes continuing
traditional use of the land, but more often adapting the landscape to the needs
of a new economy. While many of our landscapes are distinctive and
valuable, they only become heritage areas when the local community joins
together to recognize the past and develop a plan for its conservation.
70
Brief History
The heritage area movement began in a dozen different places and points in
time. The approach being used in hundreds of places evolved from a number of
separate, but related conservation, historic preservation, land use, and economic
development movements.
The world’s first national park, Yellowstone, was created by an act of
Congress in 1872 as a “pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the
people in order to protect for all time this outstanding natural area.” As Congress
created more parks, the need for an agency to administer the park system became
clear, yielding the National Park Service in 1916. The National Park System Organic
Act, which created the Park Service, also set out the purpose of the park system:
62
“The fundamental purpose of the parks is to conserve the scenery and the
natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the
enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them
unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
71

The Antiquities Act of 1906 granted the president of the United States the
authority to create national monuments. The Historic Sites Act of 1935 “declared
that it is a national policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and
objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the
United States.”
72
The Federal Work Projects during the Great Depression of the 1930’s
provided funding and workers to not only complete construction projects like roads,
dams, and government buildings, but also to survey, document, rehabilitate,
reconstruct, preserve and maintain sites, structures, and objects of significance. A
project created in 1935 as part of the New Deal was a “government-sponsored
national self portraiture.” The Federal Writer’s Project state and place guides
provided motivating fodder for organization of a multitude of fraternal and civic
societies, associations, clubs, foundations and other organizations dedicated to
causes related to conservation and preservation. The guides presented an enormous
amount of research on an array of heritage topics and turned the untapped wealth of
local history into a lasting treasure. The Federal Highway Act of 1944 and the New
Federal Highway Act of 1956 propelled creation of a transportation system that
provided easy access to the places in the guides.
73

63
The 1949 creation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 added to the evolution of heritage areas.
Supplemental factors in creation of first generation heritage areas included inductive
journalism, increased mobility of the automobile and the highway system, cultural
resource conservation, innovations in park protection, and advancement of historic
preservation and economic development.
74
In 1984, Congress designated the Illinois and Michigan Canal as the
country’s first National Heritage Area. In 1996, the NHA movement exploded with
the designation of 11 areas. Since that time, development based on the heritage of an
area has proven to be a successful method of uniting stakeholders and resources to
preserve and revitalize a region.
75
However, many proposals for heritage areas
remain unfulfilled due to insufficient local support and misunderstanding of private
property rights.
Statistics
There are 37 National Heritage Areas to date. (See Appendix C, List of
National Heritage Areas) National Heritage Areas cover 6 percent of the Continental
United States (187,000 square miles), and include 18 percent of the population (49
million), 21 percent of all U.S. Congressional districts (91), in 19 states (~40%).
National Heritage Areas contain approximately 500 National Historic Landmarks, or
21 percent of these resources. Growth of the heritage area movement shows
64
designation for at least 12 areas and study bills for at least 6 areas in Congress, state
programs functioning in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New York, Utah, and Maryland,
as well as over 200 local/self-designated areas.
76

Criteria
Before a region can obtain congressional designation as a National Heritage
Area, the National Park Service recommends that residents, officials, and property
owners of the region meet and determine whether or not a heritage area is suitable or
feasible. The National Park Service criteria for designation are:
1. The area is an assemblage of natural, historic, or cultural resources that
together represent distinct aspects of American heritage worthy of
recognition, conservation, interpretation, and continuing use, and are best
managed as such an assemblage through partnerships among public and
private entities, and by combining diverse and sometimes noncontiguous
resources and active communities.
2. It reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and folk-life that are a valuable part
of the national story.
3. It provides outstanding opportunities to conserve natural, cultural, historic,
and/or scenic features.
4. It provides outstanding recreational and educational opportunities.
5. The resources important to the identified theme or themes or the area
retain a degree of integrity capable of supporting interpretation.
6. Residents, business interests, non-profit organizations, and governments
within the proposed area are involved in the planning, have developed a
conceptual financial plan that outlines the roles for all participants
including the federal government, and have demonstrated support for
designation of the area.
65
7. The proposed management entity and units of government supporting the
designation are willing to commit to working in partnership to develop the
heritage area.
8. The proposal is consistent with continued economic activity in the area.
9. A conceptual boundary map is supported by the public.
10. The management entity proposed to plan and implement the project is
described.
77
Legislation
On December 6, 2001, during the second session of the 107
th
Congress,
Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA) introduced H.R. 3425, a Bill that would
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
establishing Highway 49 in California, known as the "Golden Chain Highway", as a
National Heritage Corridor. The bill was referred to the Committee on Resources,
and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and
Public Lands. On December 13, 2001, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill.
At that hearing, Mr. David Mihalic, Superintendent, Yosemite National Park,
National Park Service, presented the Department of the Interior’s views on H.R.
3425. In his testimony, Mr. Mihalic presented the Department of the Interior’s
position. He explained,
The Department supports this legislation, but will not consider requesting
funding for the study in this or the next fiscal year so as to focus available
time and resources on completing previously authorized studies. H. R. 3425
requires the National Park Service to complete a special resource study on
the national significance, suitability, and feasibility of establishing Highway
66
49 in California as a National Heritage Corridor. The study would be done in
consultation with affected local governments, the State of California, state
and local historic preservation offices, community organizations, and the
Golden Chain Council.
The bill would require the study to include an analysis of the significance of
Highway 49 in California from the city of Oakhurst in Madera County to the
city of Vinton in Plumas County. The study would examine the lands,
structures, and cultural resources within the immediate vicinity of the
highway, options for preservation and use of the highway, and options for
interpretation of significant features associated with the highway. The bill
would also require the study to examine alternatives for preservation of these
resources by the private sector.
Mihalic continued, explaining the next steps:
…there are several steps we believe should be taken prior to Congress
designating a national heritage area to help ensure that the heritage area is
successful. Those steps are:
1. completion of a suitability/feasibility study;
2. public involvement in the suitability/feasibility study;
3. demonstration of widespread public support among heritage area
residents for the proposed designation; and
4. commitment to the proposal from the appropriate players which
may include governments, industry, and private, non-profit
organizations, in addition to the local citizenry.
… A study of the area would allow a determination of the level of support
that might exist in the area and would help identify further protection and
preservation options. A critical element of the study will be to evaluate the
integrity of the resources and the nationally distinctive character of the region
before recommending national heritage area designation.
78

On March 7, 2002, the Subcommittee met to mark up the bill. Mr.
Radanovich offered an amendment to clarify that the city of Vinton, California, is in
Plumas County, not Sierra County, California. It was adopted by voice vote and the
67
bill was then favorably reported to the Full Committee. On March 20, 2002, the Full
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The House Committee ordered a cost
estimate for a suitability and feasibility study from the Congressional Business
Office, which was completed a week later with the estimate coming in at $200,000.
79

No amendments were offered and the bill, as amended, was ordered favorably
reported by unanimous consent to the House of Representatives.
80

Congressman Radanovich reintroduced the Bill in the first session of the
108
th
Congress as H.R. 907 in February 2003 (See Appendix D, Heritage Area Bills
Introduced, 108
th
Congress). The following month, H.R. 907 was referred to the
House Subcommittee, where it was later referred to the Subcommittee on National
Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.
81
Apparently, H.R. 907 did not get the vote in
subcommittee and was not reintroduced in a later session.
A news brief released February 21, 2004, stated the bill “Hit ATraffic Jam In
Congress”, meeting “opposition from private property advocates and other
lawmakers, including Representatives John Doolittle and Richard Pombo.
Radanovich then introduced a scaled-down bill, but that proposal has been put on
hold while the General Accounting Office examines the overall national heritage
program.”
82

The General Accounting Office (GAO) studied the process for designating
National Heritage Areas and on March 30, 2004 a hearing was held to discuss and
review the GAO findings. Barry T. Hill, Director, Natural Resources and
Environment, General Accounting Office, along with eight experts and private
68
property advocates, testified that the National Heritage Area program had some
serious shortcomings, centered primarily around the lack of clear definition and
criteria, the apparent inability for the sunset of the Federal role for heritage areas,
and the potential threat of infringement on private property rights due to undue
influence of the Federal government, namely the National Park Service.
83
Although
there was no discourse about Highway 49 “Golden Chain” during the hearing, it
seems no further legislative action has been taken to further Highway 49 as a
National Heritage Area.
Highway 49 Quandary
According to conversations with two supporters of the Highway 49 Golden
Chain National Heritage Area Corridor efforts, John Poimiroo, former California
Division of Tourism Director, and Steve Frisch, Vice President of Programs for the
Sierra Business Council
84
, the Highway 49 Golden Chain legislation lost support due
community misunderstanding of the heritage area program, the level of involvement
of the Federal government, and the effects of designation on rights of private
property owners.
What are commonly referred to as “property rights” are based on the Just
Compensation Clause, or Takings Clause, of the Fifth Amendment to the
Constitution, which provides that private property shall not “be taken for public use
without just compensation.” A “taking” is said to occur when an owner of real
property is called upon to sacrifice all economically beneficial uses in the name of
69
the common good, i.e., is forced by government action to leave his property
economically idle.
85

Several court cases involving property rights and takings set precedents or
were influential, at least, in the legal arena. One such case is Penn Central v. New
York City (1978), where the primary question was whether the city’s new Landmark
Law discriminated against a property owner who owned a historic structure
designated as an individual landmark. This case became a cause célèbre, with many
notables, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and architect Philip Johnson,
marching in the streets to “Save Grand Central.”
86
Ultimately, with a six-to-three
decision, the Supreme Court ruled that New York’s preservation law was valid. The
preservation community was ecstatic, and property rights advocates were furious.
But Judge William Rehnquist, in his dissenting opinion, observed poignantly, “The
theoretical right to use your land as you wish, provided only that you do not harm
others, has given way in practice to a recognition that the public itself has rights, in
its cultural heritage as well as in the protection of its landscape and natural
resources.”
87

Property rights have been the focus of a long-standing debate between
advocates and law makers. Many property rights proceedings have given rise to
philosophies that include those of advocacy groups such as the Property Rights
Foundation of America and the American Policy Center. At the Congressional
hearing on the oversight of National Heritage Areas in 2004, Property Rights
Foundation President, Carol W. LaGrasse, gave testimony stating,
70
The auspices of the National Park Service is effectively diffused, so that the
public eye would have to be excruciatingly trained to follow the relationships
and the flow of authority, instigation, and especially cash flow. In addition,
local government is subverted and coopted, becoming a tool of the skilled
Park Service, non-profit, and consultant manipulators. … I know first-hand
how these programs hurt the local culture and economy. The National
Heritage Area program is not just pork-barrel. It certainly is not economic
development. It is pure preservationism, and should be drastically
curtailed.
88

After the hearing, Ms. LaGrasse was asked to respond to additional
questions. Interestingly, her response included some valid comments and
recommendations that, if incorporated into the heritage area process, would instill
greater merit to the program, some of which included respect for and promotion of
living historic heritage, establishing a fair granting process, establishing procedures
for public scrutiny of budget at the local level, eliminating geographic delineation of
heritage areas, and conducting environmental impact analysis.
89

Other witnesses at the hearing testified that, although there were flaws in the
heritage area program, most of the designated National Heritage Areas (24 at that
time) were successful, and the program, with improvement, could be a good one.
And also, National Heritage Areas have become an established part of the nation’s
efforts to preserve its history and culture in local areas. In addition to the GAO
report on the National Heritage Areas, testimony by Barry T. Hill stated there was no
apparent affect on property rights associated with heritage areas. The report
recognized that “Property rights advocates are concerned that such provisions give
heritage areas an opportunity to indirectly influence zoning and land use planning,
which could restrict owner’s use of their property.” Yet, “… officials at the 24
71
heritage areas, Park Service headquarters and regional staff working on these areas,
and representatives of six national property rights groups that we contacted were
unable to provide us with a single example of a heritage area directly affecting–
positively or negatively–private property values or use.”
90

In Southwestern Ohio, the National Aviation Heritage Area is an eight-
county region that builds upon the Wright brothers' legacy and the aviation history
that followed them in the Dayton, Ohio region. Resources within the heritage area's
boundaries incorporate 10 historic sites including Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. This is managed by the non-
profit organization Aviation Heritage Foundation, Inc., in cooperation with two other
member organizations.
91
In 2003, supporters and authors of the heritage area plan,
as well as legislators, were faced with contentious private property provisions
imposed for adoption of the authorizing Bill H.R. 280, which included three other
measures seeking establishment of National Heritage Areas. The “private property”
language in H.R. 280 contained provisions to address private property rights. It
provides that property shall not be “preserved, conserved, or promoted by the
management plan for the Heritage Area” until the owner receives written notification
and gives written consent. Owners of the land that has been included within the
boundary of the heritage area “shall have their property immediately removed”, also
referred to as “opting-out”, upon written request. The Bill also provides that
property owners cannot be compelled to allow public access to their property or to
participate in, or be associated with the National Heritage Area. Further, the Bill
72
states that the establishment of a heritage area is not to be construed as providing
new regulatory authority on land use within the National Heritage Area or its
viewshed.
Such private property provisions were advocated as necessary to prevent
federally-influenced restrictive zoning, to protect land-use options of property
owners, and to prevent possible future Federal ownership of heritage lands.
Opponents have criticized such provisions as impractical, expensive, and
burdensome for the local management entities.
92
Based on lessons learned from the National Aviation Heritage Area, as well
as from other heritage areas, the possibility exists that a model plan and legislation
can be formulated for a Highway 49 Golden Chain National Heritage Area corridor
that will reflect, insure, and provide for the needs and desires of all those potentially
affected, as well as others who support, or at least hope for, the Golden Chain
Highway 49 of the Mother Lode National Heritage Area corridor to become a reality.
The Golden Chain Highway 49 of the Mother Lode National Heritage Area
corridor would be the first national heritage area designated by Congress in the state
of California.
93
However, contentious views similar to those surrounding the
National Aviation Heritage Area have been communicated both by supporters of
historic and cultural preservation and National Heritage Areas, and those opposed
and undecided, leave the potential designation of the Golden Chain Highway 49 of
the Mother Lode National Heritage Area corridor in an unfortunate idle quandary.
73
Chapter 5 Endnotes

68
National Heritage Areas, map. National Park Service, Department of the Interior, National Heritage Areas
Program, Washington, DC, ca.2003.
69
National Park Service (NPS). “Heritage Areas: Linking People and Places Through Shared Heritage”
International Conference of National Trusts, October 16, 2005.
http://www.nationaltrust.org/international/nhas_intro_ihpc.pdf
70
Barrett, Brenda. “The National Register and Heritage Areas,” 2002.
71
National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). “About National Parks”, website,
http://www.npca.org/explore_the_parks/park_system
72
National Park Service (NPS). “Statement of David Mihalic, Superintendent, Yosemite National Park, National
Park Service, before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands, of the House
Resources Committee, concerning H. R. 3425, 12-13-01” [Statement of David Mihalic, Superintendent,
Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Available from National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/
legal/testimony/107th/goldchan.htm
73
Eugster, J. Glenn. “Evolution of the Heritage Area Movement” Forum Journal, 17: 13-21, 2003.
74
Ibid.
75
Heritage Development Institute (HDI). “Spotlight on National Heritage Areas” HDI Newsletter, January, 2005.
http://www.sitemason.com/files/g4cssE/Jan%2005%20Newsletter.PDF .
76
National Park Service (NPS). “Heritage Areas: Linking People and Places Through Shared Heritage”
International Conference of National Trusts, October 16, 2005.
http://www.nationaltrust.org/international/nhas_intro_ihpc.pdf .
77
Barrett, Brenda and Van West, Carroll. Getting Started With Heritage Areas, National Trust for Historic
Preservation, Washington, D.C., 2005, p. 6.
78
Department of the Interior. “Statement of David Mihalic, Superintendent, Yosemite National Park, National
Park Service, before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands, of the House
Resources Committee, concerning H. R. 3425, 12-13-01.” Viewed 01/02/05.
http://www.doi.gov/ocl/2001/hr3425.htm
79
Congressional Business Office, Cost Estimate, H.R. 3425, March 28, 2002, website:
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/33xx/doc3335/hr3425.pdf .
80
Library of Congress (LOC). 107th Congress Report House Of Representatives, H.R. 3425, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing Highway 49 in California, known
as the `Golden Chain Highway', as a National Heritage Corridor, 4/9/2002. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-
bin/cpquery/T?&report=hr391&dbname=107& , 1/16/06.
81
Library of Congress (LOC). 108th Congress Report House Of Representatives, H.R. 907, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing Highway 49 in California, known
as the `Golden Chain Highway', as a National Heritage Corridor, 02/25/2003. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-
bin/bdquery/d?d108:100:./temp/~bdk9FZ:[[o]]&items=100& , 6/23/06.
82
Mercury News. “California’s Gold Rush Country Has Hit A Traffic Jam In Congress”
www.MercuryNews.com , posted February 21, 2004 (Associated Press).
74

83
General Accounting Office, U.S. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: A More Systematic Process for Establishing
National Heritage Areas and Actions to Improve Their Accountability Are Needed, Statement of Barry T. Hill,
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, General Accounting Office, Testimony Before th Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, March 30, 2004. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04593t.pdf
84
Conversations with John Poimiroo and Steve Frisch during the California Preservation Conference, May, 2006.
85
Curtin, Daniel J., Jr. and Talbert, Cecily T. Curtin’s California Land Use and Planning Law, 2001 (Twenty-first
edition), Solano Press Books, Point Arena, CA, 2001, p. 201.
86
Tyler, Norman. Historic Preservation: An Introduction to Its History, Principles, and Practice, W.W. Norton &
Company, Inc., New York, 2000.
87
Sax, Joseph L. “Property Rights And Public Benefits.” Lee, Antoinette J., editor, National Trust for Historic
Preservation. PAST MEETS FUTURE: Saving America’s Historic Environments, Preservation Press,
Archetype Press, Washington, DC, 1992, p. 138.
88
LaGrasse, Carol W. Testimony by Carol LaGrasse, President, Property Rights Foundation of America, U.S.
Senate, 108
th
Congress, Hearing on National Heritage Areas, March 30, 2004.
89
United States Senate. 108
th
Congress, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources, Washington: GPO, 2004.
90
General Accounting Office, U.S. National Park Service : A More Systematic Process for Establishing National
Heritage Areas and Actions to Improve Their Accountability Are Needed, Statement of Barry T. Hill, Director,
Natural Resources and Environment, General Accounting Office, Testimony Before th Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, March 30, 2004. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04593t.pdf.
91
National Aviation Heritage Area, website, www.aviationheritagearea.org .
92
Congressional Research Service (CRS), The Library of Congress. CRS Issue Brief for Congress, Heritage
Areas: Background, Proposals, and Current Issues, October 1, 2004.
93
Only six of the current thirty-four NHA’s are located in western states..
75
CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The simple fact that Highway 49 is the main road through California’s gold
country barely hints at the important role Highway 49 played in the development of
California and the United States. The value of the Highway 49 as a significant
historic and cultural artifact is two-fold and related to: 1) its meaning as the spine of
California’s gold country, and 2) its wealth of extant historic resources and cultural
landscapes from the pre-auto past to the age of the interstate.
The Highway 49 landscape represents the origins and early evolution of a
landscape that came to be dominated by the automobile and tourism. Highway 49 is
a structural link between the horse-drawn and steam-powered past, and a gasoline-
powered future. Largely intact and retaining a good degree of integrity, today’s
Highway 49 landscape is a veritable outdoor museum linked to a critical period of
highway development, roughly extending from the late 1890s into the 1950s.
This single transportation corridor contains remnant examples of artifacts that
include nineteenth century mines, twentieth century bridges, postwar commercial
strips, and modern highway designs. Moreover, these landscape elements are
assembled in relatively close proximity to each other for the highway’s entire 317-
mile length, making the resource an invaluable asset for public education, historic
preservation, and economic development through heritage tourism initiatives.
Just as important as its tangible qualities is the meaning Highway 49 has to
the communities through which it was routed. In part due to the promotion, publicity
and propaganda of the Mother Lode Highway and Golden Chain associations, the
76
road helped break the sense of isolation throughout the region. The idea of being the
premier thoroughfare for California’s gold country became the cornerstone of a
cultural identity for Highway 49 that lasted long after the associations’ demise. In
fact, Highway 49’s cultural identity is still strong among the residents of its reaches
and has resulted in dozens of grass roots interpretation and preservation projects up
and down the highway.
94
This study has documented that the area of the Mother Lode Golden Chain
Highway 49, with its rich and vibrant history, has historical, archeological, natural
and scenic resources evident in the environment. Those resources have powerfully
affected preservation of the historic built environment as well as traditional cultural
values and activities. The majority of the cities and towns adjacent to Highway 49
possess and conserve their Gold Rush era history. Many of the families who live in
the area are descendents of miners and settlers who came to California during the
Gold Rush and the early years of statehood.
The Golden Chain Highway 49 of the Mother Lode was originally conceived
through the efforts of a few men determined to get a good road for their region when
the state had not yet recognized the need. After 1919, those men, members of the
Mother Lode State Highway Association, and the Golden Chain Council of the
Mother Lode, diligently promoted commerce, community activism, tourism and
preservation along Highway 49 and the entire Mother Lode region.
The corridor along Highway 49 is rich in historic architecture, archeological,
and geological resources. Nearly every town has a local museum, historic society,
77
and/or other community organization engaged in activities to maintain local history
and culture. Native American sites have been preserved in the form of State Historic
Parks, such as the Wassama Round House State Historic Park in Ahwahnee and
Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park in Pine Grove, where members of the
Native American community gather for celebrations. Many gold mines have been
preserved as well. The Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park near North Bloomfield
and Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley are preserved on the state level.
Others, like the Mary Harrison Mine near Coulterville, the Mariposa Mine, the
Morgan Mine at Carson Hill, and many more, have been preserved mostly as
stabilized ruins.
As described in the preceding chapters, the conditions of the Golden Chain
Highway 49 of the Mother Lode environment, characteristics, and activities, comply
with the criteria necessary for designation as a National Heritage Area Corridor.
Although a detailed Feasibility Study and a Management Master Plan will require
further research and formulation, key issues to be addressed are; increasing public
and private support, determination of boundaries of the heritage area, form and
development of a management entity, and interpretative and preservation plans.
In the text of the original legislative effort, H.R. 3425, boundaries of the
study area were noted as,
Highway 49 in California extending from the city of Oakhurst in Madera
County to the city of Vinton in Plumas County, and lands, structures, and
cultural resources within the immediate vicinity of the highway.
95
78
The length of the highway is described accurately however “lands, structures,
and cultural resources within the immediate vicinity of the highway” is indeterminate
and potentially restrictive. Many significant resources are located a mile or more
away from Highway 49, so the term “immediate vicinity” needs definition. There
are multiple ways to determine which resources gain inclusion into the heritage area
boundary and which do not. Primary consideration for inclusion should go to the
numerous state parks, designated national, state, or local landmarks and designated
historic districts in the region.
96
Also, using the example of a successful heritage
area such as the National Aviation Heritage Area, through communication in public
forums and a notification process, property owners are invited, through
communication in public forums and a notification process, to “opt-in” or “opt-out”
of the heritage area. The owners of eligible resources would ultimately determine
the breadth of the new heritage area. Logically, this should quell most objections
centering on private property rights. The choice of various property owners to
accept or reject the proposed heritage area could be noted as part of the heritage area
resource survey to be included in the management plan.
Management of the proposed Highway 49 heritage area should be undertaken
by a nonprofit group and function in alliance with other relevant organizations and
government agencies. Board members of the nonprofit entity should have academic
and professional expertise applicable to the needs of the heritage area, i.e. historic
architecture, natural resource conservation, educational programs, cultural
interpretation, fundraising, public relations, etc. The nonprofit management group
79
would originate and administer an action plan for achieving heritage area goals and
objectives. Resurrection of the Golden Chain Council as a nonprofit corporation
could provide the organizational structure, mission, and leadership for management
of the heritage area.
Many interpretive programs already exist in the multitude of historic parks
and sites along Highway 49. These individual interpretive programs could be
developed as “parts” of a coordinated program of interpretation for the “whole” of
the heritage area. Such a program would communicate the story of the area, take
advantage of key extant resources, and propose specific interpretive improvements
and responsibilities. Ethnographic research should be included in the interpretive
plan in an effort to emphasize the diversity of the historic area’s inhabitants, and
highlight the impact of the many racial and ethnic communities on the development
of the region.
97

With technical assistance from the National Park Service and the Alliance of
National Heritage Areas, the management group should develop a preservation plan
to sustain the heritage area from inception past the end of federal funding to the
proposed national heritage area. This plan should specify existing and potential
sources of funding for the conservation, management, and development of the area.
98
Since efforts supporting designation of a national heritage area corridor along
Highway 49 began in 2001, action has been initiated to study and document the
feasibility of a National Heritage Area Corridor along Highway 49. Those efforts
were unsuccessful, most likely due to lack of vision, lack of cooperation, and lack of
80
community support. As a logical next step, further efforts should be pursued to
document levels of public support and economic and management feasibility, to
prepare a feasibility study, and to increase public and private support, leading to
Congressional authorization of the Golden Chain Highway 49 of the California
Mother Lode National Heritage Area.
Brenda Barrett of the National Park Service said,
National Heritage areas are places where culture and history shape the
landscape. It is a landscape in which the land and the local environment,
over time, have shaped traditions and cultural values in the people who live
there, and where the residents’ use of the land has, in turn, created and
sustained a landscape that reflects their cultures. They are about the shared
heritage of a region and building partnerships beyond political boundaries.
99
This is truly the case with Highway 49, the Golden Chain Highway of the
Mother Lode.
81
Chapter 6 Endnotes

94
Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The Lincoln Highway Resource Guide. Geography and Regional
Planning Department, Spatial Sciences Research Center, Robert E. Wilson, Consultant, August, 2002, p. 9-11.
95
United States Senate. 107
th
Congress, “Hearing Before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and
Public Lands of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,” H.R. 3425, December 13, 2001.
Washington: GPO, 2002.
96
There are 359 national and state designated historic landmarks in the eleven counties adjacent to Highway 49.
January, 2006. See appendix B.
97
ICON Architecture, Inc. Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area : feasibility study, Arabia Mountain
Heritage Area Alliance, Lithonia, GA, 2001, p. 41.
98
Designation as a national heritage area would generate national recognition which would boost heritage
tourism in the region as well as provide National Park Service grants ranging from $200,000 to $1 million per
year over 15 years.
99
America’s Byways Resource Center, speakers Brenda Barrett and Daniel M. Rice. National Heritage Areas
Program and How It Affects Byways, Tele-Workshop Fact Sheet, April 2, 2003.
82
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APPENDICES
Appendix A. Maps
California Highway Commission Maps, 1918, 1920, 1924, 1926
Figure 18: California Highway Commission, Road Map of the State of California, 1918.
93
Figure 19: California Highway Commission, Road Map of the State of California, 1920.
94
Figure 20: California Highway Commission, Road Map of the State of California, 1924.
95
Figure 21: California Highway Commission, Road Map of the State of California, 1926.
96
Insets of California Highway Commission Maps
Figure 22: Inset of 1918 California Highway Commission Map
indicating road progression in the study area.
97
Figure 23: Inset of 1920 California Highway Commission Map
indicating road progression in the study area.
98
Figure 24: Inset of 1924 California Highway Commission Map
indicating road progression in the study area.
99
Figure 25: Inset of 1926 California Highway Commission Map
indicating road progression in the study area.
100
Proposed Scenic Highways Maps
Figure 26: Proposed Scenic Highways, Recreational (1962).
101
Figure 27: Proposed Scenic Highways, Landscape Areas Map (1962).
102
Figure 28: Proposed Scenic Highways, Historical Areas Map (1962).
103
Master Plan Map
Figure 29: Proposed Scenic Highways, Master Plan Map (1962).
104
Designated and Eligible Scenic Highways in 11 Counties Contacting
Highway 49
100
105
Figure 30: Maps of designated and eligible Scenic Highways in 11 counties
contacting Highway 49.
106
Appendix B. State and National Historic Landmarks in 11 Counties Contacting
Highway 49
State Landmarks
101
CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL LANDMARKS OF
THE GOLDEN CHAIN HIGHWAY 49 OF THE MOTHER LODE
- by COUNTY
AMADOR
NO. 28 MAIDEN'S GRAVE - It is said that in 1850 a young girl, Rachel Melton, native of Iowa, was
accompanying her parents on a journey West via covered wagon train when she became violently ill. Camp was
made and every effort was made to cure her, as she was the joy of the party, but she passed away and was buried
on this spot.
Location: On State Hwy 88 (P.M. 61.3), 10.5 mi W of Kirkwood
NO. 29 VOLCANO - The spot was discovered in 1848 by Colonel Stevenson's men, who mined Soldiers Gulch
in 1849. By 1853 the flats and gulches swarmed with men who named them picturesquely. Hydraulic operations,
begun in 1855, brought thousands of fortune seekers to form a town of 17 hotels, a library, a theater, and courts
of quick justice. During the Civil War, Volcano's gold served the Union - Volcano Blues smuggled the cannon
'Old Abe' in by hearse to quell rebels.
Location: Intersection of Main and Consolation Sts, Volcano
NO. 30 LANCHA PLANA - Lancha Plana (Flat Boat) was well settled by 1850 due to the hydraulic mining
operations in the extensive gravel beds along the Mokelumne River. The Amador Dispatch newspaper was born
here in 1856. Poverty Bar, Camp Opra, Copper Center, and Put's Bar were 'suburbs' of the larger town.
Location: North shore of Camanche Reservoir, 1 mi W of County Line Bridge on Lancha Plana Buena Vista
Rd, 6.0 mi S of Buena Vista
NO. 31 DRYTOWN - Founded in 1848, this is the oldest town and first in which gold was discovered in
Amador County. Its venerable town hall and other picturesque structures remain. The town was not 'dry,' as the
name implies-it once contained 26 saloons.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 13. 7), 0.2 mi N of Drytown
NO. 34 PIONEER HALL - The Order of Native Daughters of the Golden West was organized on these
premises, the site of the Pioneer Hall, on September 11, 1886.
Location: 113 Main St, Jackson
NO. 35 OLETA (OLD FIDDLETOWN) - Settled by Missourians in 1849, Fiddletown was a trading center for
American, Loafer, and French Flats, Lone Hill, and other rich mining camps. Called Fiddletown because
residents "were always fiddling," the settlement became Oleta in 1878 but the original name was later restored.
Bret Harte added to the community's fame in An Episode of Fiddletown.
Location: South side of street from Dr. Yee's Chinese Herb Shop, Fiddletown
NO. 36 MIDDLE BAR - Site of gold rush town on the Mokelumne River, now inundated by Pardee Reservoir at
certain times of the year.
Location: 2.8 mi S of State Hwy 49 (P.M. 2.5) on Middle Bar Rd at Mokelumne River, 4.5 mi S of Jackson
NO. 37 CLINTON - Clinton was the center of a placer mining community during the 1850s and of quartz
mining as late as the 1880s. This town once decided Amador County elections as its votes were always counted
last.
Location: Intersection of E Clinton and Clinton Rd, 1.0 mi SE of State Hwy 88, 3.2 mi SW of Pine Grove
107
NO. 38 IRISHTOWN - This was an important stopping place for emigrants on their way to the southern mines.
The first white settlers on this spot found it a 'city of wigwams,' and hundreds of mortars in the rocks testify that
this was a favorite Indian camping ground.
Location: On State Hwy 88 (P.M. 20.8) at Pine Grove Wieland Rd, 2.2 mi SW of Pine Grove
NO. 39 BUTTE STORE - This is the only structure remaining of Butte City, prosperous mining town of the
1850s. As early as 1854 Xavier Benoist was conducting a store and bakery in this building. Later Ginocchio had
a merchandise business here.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 1.4), 2.6 mi S of Jackson
NO. 40 KIRKWOOD'S - Resort, stage station, and post office were originally built by Zack Kirkwood in 1864.
When Alpine County was formed from Amador County, the division left the barn and milkhouse in Alpine,
while the Alpine-El Dorado line went directly through the barroom of the inn.
Location: On State Hwy 88 (P.M. 71.8), Kirkwood
NO. 41 BIG BAR - The Mokelumne River was mined at this point in 1848. Established in 1849, the Whale Boat
Ferry operated until the first bridge was built, about 1852.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 0.0) at county line, 4.0 mi S of Jackson
NO. 118 JACKSON GATE - Jackson Gate, on the north fork of Jackson Creek, takes its name from a fissure in
a reef of rock that crosses the creek. In 1850 about 500 miners worked here and the first mining ditch in the
county was dug here - its water sold for $1 per inch.
Location: On N Main St, 1.3 mi NE of Jackson
NO. 322 SUTTER CREEK - This town was named after John A. Sutter, who came to the region in 1846, and
was the first to mine the locality in 1848. There was little activity at Sutter Creek until 1851, when quartz gold
was discovered. In 1932 the Central Eureka mine, discovered in 1869, had reached the 2,300-foot level. By 1939,
it was the best-paying mine at Sutter Creek.
Location: Veteran's Memorial Hall, Main and Badger Sts, Sutter Creek
NO. 470 PLYMOUTH TRADING POST - This building, constructed entirely of brick, was built by Joe
Williams in 1857. In 1873 the many small mines of the area were combined to become Plymouth Consolidated,
and this building became the new company's office and commissary.
Location: On Main St, between Mill and Mineral Sts, next to Wells Fargo Bank, Plymouth
NO. 506 THE COMMUNITY METHODIST CHURCH OF IONE - The cornerstone was laid in 1862 and
the church, constructed of locally fired brick, was completed in 1866. Dedicated as the Ione City Centenary
Church and later popularly known as the Cathedral of the Mother Lode, this church was the first to serve the
people in the area.
Location: 150 W Marlette, Ione
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-77000287
NO. 662 OLD EMIGRANT ROAD - Here the Old Emigrant Road began a long loop around the Silver Lake
basin, reaching an elevation of 9,640 feet at one place. This difficult portion of the road was used by thousands of
vehicles from 1848 to 1863, when it was superseded by a route approximating the present highway.
Location: On State Hwy 88 (P.M. 63.1) at Mud Lake Rd, 8. 7 mi W of Kirkwood
NO. 715 SITE OF FIRST AMATEUR ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY OF RECORD IN
CALIFORNIA - On the knoll behind this marker George Madeira built the first amateur astronomical
observatory of record in California. It was there that he discovered the Great Comet of 1861 with a three-inch
refractor telescope.
108
Location: Volcano
NO. 762 D'AGOSTINI WINERY - D'Agostini Winery was started in 1856 by Adam Uhlinger, a Swiss
immigrant. The original wine cellar, with walls made from rock quarried from nearby hills, hand-hewn beams,
and oak casks, is part of the present winery - some of its original vines are still in production.
Location: On Plymouth-Shenandoah Rd, 72 mi NE of Plymouth
NO. 786 ARGONAUT AND KENNEDY MINES - Argonaut Mine, discovered 1850, and Kennedy Mine,
discovered 1856, played dramatic roles in the economic development of California, producing $105,268,760 in
gold. Kennedy Mine has a vertical shaft of 5,912 feet, the deepest in the United States. The Argonaut was the
scene of the Mother Lode's most tragic mine disaster-on August 27, 1922, 48 miners were trapped in a fire at the
3,500-foot level - few survived. Both mines closed in 1942.
Location: W roadside rest, State Hwy 49 (P.M. 5.6), 1.6 mi N of Jackson
NO. 788 D. STEWART CO. STORE - This general merchandise store built by Daniel Stewart in 1856 was the
first building erected in lone Valley from nearby Muletown brick. Once known as 'Bed-Bug' and 'Freeze Out,'
Ione was an important supply center on the main road to the Mother Lode and Southern Mines.
Location: 18 E Main St, lone
NO. 865 SITE OF JACKSON'S PIONEER JEWISH SYNAGOGUE - On September 18, 1857, Congregation
B'nai Israel of Jackson dedicated on this site the first synagogue in the Mother Lode. High holy day worship
continued until 1869 when the larger Masonic Hall was used to accommodate the congregation. The wooden
structure then served as a schoolhouse until 1888. Relocated onto a nearby lot, it became a private dwelling, and
was razed in 1948.
Location: SE corner of Church and Main Sts, Jackson
NO. 867 PRESTON CASTLE - The 'Castle,' built in 1890-1894, is the most significant example of
Romanesque Revival architecture in the Mother Lode. It was built to house the Preston School of Industry,
established by the State Legislature as a progressive action toward rehabilitating, rather than simply imprisoning,
juvenile offenders. Doors of the 120-room 'Castle' closed in 1960 after new facilities were completed.
Location: Preston School of Industry, Waterman Rd - plaque located 0.9 miles N of site on State Hwy 104
(P.M. 4.3), 1 mi N of lone
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-75000422
NO. 1001 CALIFORNIA NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIAL ROUNDHOUSES (THEMATIC),
CHAW SE' ROUNDHOUSE - In a village, the roundhouse served as the center of ceremonial and social life.
Constructed in 1974, the Chaw se' roundhouse continues this tradition. With its door facing the east, towards the
rising sun, four large oaks are the focal point of this sixty-foot-in-diameter structure. Today ceremonial
roundhouses are the most significant architectural manifestation of the continuing Mistook spiritual heritage.
Location: Chaw Se Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park., 14881 Pine Grove/Volcano Rd, Pine Grove
NO. 1007 KNIGHT FOUNDRY - Knight Foundry was established in 1873 to supply heavy equipment and
repair facilities to the gold mines and timber industry of the Mother Lode. Samuel N. Knight developed a high
speed, cast iron water wheel which was a forerunner of the Pelton Wheel design. Knight Wheels were used in
some of the first hydroelectric plants in California, Utah, and Oregon. This site is the last water powered foundry
and machine shop in California. A 42-inch Knight Wheel drives the main line shaft, with smaller water motors
powering other machines.
Location: 81 Eureka St, Sutter Creek
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-75000423
CALAVERAS
109
No. 41 BIG BAR The Mokelumne River was mined at this point in 1848. Established in 1840, the Whale Boat
Ferry operated until the first bridge was built, about 1852.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 0.0) at county line, 4.0 mi S of Jackson
NO. 251 VALLEY SPRINGS - in 1885 the San Joaquin and Sierra Nevada Railroad Company completed a
narrow-gauge railroad from Brack's Landing to Valley Springs. The line eventually became the property of
Southern Pacific Company, and a standard-gauge line into Valley Springs was substituted.
Location: At intersection of State Hwys 12 and 26, Valley Springs
NO. 252 SAN ANDREAS - Settled by Mexicans in 1848 and named after the Catholic parish St. Andres, the
town has been a noted mining camp since early days. Gold from the surrounding ancient river channels and
placer mines contributed greatly to the success of the Union during the Civil War. The first newspaper was
published here on September 24, 1846. Destroyed by fire June 4, 1858, and in 1863, San Andreas became the
seat of Calaveras County in 1866. It was said to be a rendezvous for Joaquin Murieta - notorious stage robber
Black Bart was tried here and sent to prison.
Location: NW corner of State Hwy 49 and Main St, San Andreas
NO. 253 SANDY GULCH - This monument was erected to the memory of pioneers of Sandy Gulch, 1849
trading center for miners of northeastern Calaveras County. The settlement, in an area that was home to many
Miwok Indians, was named after the gulch where William and Dan Carsner found large nuggets of gold
embedded in the coarse sands. Water for mining was brought from the middle fork of the Mokelumne River
through Sandy Gulch and Kadish Ditches - quartz mining began in the early 1850s, and the first custom stamp
mill in the district was located at the head of Sandy Gulch. School and election precincts were established early,
and one of California's many Hangman's Trees stood near the center of town.
Location: On State Hwy 26 (P.M. 32.3), 2.1 mi W of West Point
NO. 254 CAMANCHE - Once called Limerick, the town became Camanche (after Camanche, Iowa) in 1849.
Rich mining at nearby Cat Camp, Poverty Bar, and Sand Hill brought its population to a peak of 1,500.
Mokelumne River water was brought in by Lancha Plana and Poverty Bar Ditch. A fire on June 21, 1873
destroyed Camanche's large Chinatown. Buhach, an insect powder made from a plant, was manufactured on the
nearby Hill Ranch. Camanche is now inundated by Camanche Reservoir.
Location: South Camanche Shore Park, picnic area near south entrance, Camanche Parkway South, 3.0 mi NW
of Burson
NO. 255 CALAVERITAS - Calaveritas, settled in 1849 by Mexicans, was a flourishing mining town complete
with stores, saloons, gambling houses, and fandango halls, the latter two said to be frequented by Joaquin
Murieta. The town was destroyed by fire in 1858.
Location: On CaIaveras Rd at Costa Rd, 4.5 mi SE of San Andreas
NO. 256 I.O.O.F. HALL, MOKELUMNE HILL - This is said to be California's first three-story building to be
erected outside the coastal towns. The original building was erected in 1854 as a two-story building - a third story
to be used for lodge purposes was added later.
Location: NE corner of Main and Center Sts, Mokelumne
NO. 257 CAMPO SECO - Campo Seco was settled in 1849 by Mexicans who worked placers in Oregon Gulch.
The largest living cork oak tree in California was planted here in 1858. The iron doors of the ruined Adams
Express Building were still standing in 1950.
Location: Intersection of Campo Seco and Penn Mine Rds, Campo Seco
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NO. 258 FOURTH CROSSING - Located on the Stockton-Murphys Road at a crossing of the Calaveras River,
this early mining settlement, once called Foremans, was famous in the 1850s for its rich placer ores. Later, as an
important stage and freighting depot, it served the southern mines until after the turn of the century.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 14.0) at San Antonio Creek, 5 mi S of San Andreas
NO. 261 CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH - The Congregational Church in Mokelumne Hill was organized
August 28, 1853. The church building, erected in 1856, is the oldest Congregational Church building in the state.
Location: NE corner of Main and Church Sts, Mokelumne Hill
NO. 262 MILTON - Completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1871 marked the birth of the town of
Milton. Named after Milton Latham, one of the railroad construction engineers, this town was the first in
Calaveras County to have a railroad. Freight and passengers continued their journeys to other parts of Calaveras
County by wagon and stagecoach.
Location: 15 mi NW of Copperopolis via Rock Creek Rd, County Road J14, and Milton
NO. 263 STONE CORRAL - Stone Corral, consisting of a hotel, barns, and the large corrals for which it was
named, was one of the stopping places on the road from the mines to Stockton.
Location: Stone Corral Ranch, on State Hwy 26 (P.M. 0.8), 9.5 mi SW of Valley Springs
NO. 264 DOUBLE SPRINGS - Founded February 18, 1850, Double Springs was once the seat of Calaveras
County. The old courthouse, said to be constructed of lumber brought from China, is still standing, but not on its
original site.
Location: On Double Springs Rd, 3.6 mi E of Valley Springs
NO. 265 CHILI GULCH - This five-mile gulch was the richest placer mining section in Calaveras County. It
received its name from Chileans who worked it in 1848 and 1849, and was the scene of the so-called Chilean
War. The largest known quartz crystals were recovered from a mine on the south side of the gulch.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 26.4), 1.4 mi S of Mokelumne Hill
NO. 266 JENNY LIND - Jenny Lind, located on the north bank of the Calaveras River, was a placer mining
town as early as 1849. Most of the placer mining was done along the hillsides above the river - later the river was
mined with dredgers. In 1864 the population was said to be 400, half of them Chinese.
Location: On Milton Rd, County Road J1 4, 8 mi SW of Valley Springs
NO. 267 MITCHLER HOTEL - This is one of the oldest hotels still operating in California. First called the
Sperry and Perry Hotel, it was opened by James L. Sperry and John Perry on August 20, 1856. Henry Atwood
was its proprietor in 1881 - later, ownership passed to Harvey Blood. Renamed the Mitchler Hotel in 1882, and
the Murphys Hotel in 1945 by the McKimins family, it was bought by a College of the Pacific group in 1963.
Location: 457 Main at Algiers St, Murphys
NO. 268 WEST POINT - West Point was named by scout Kit Carson, who was searching for a pass over the
Sierra. One emigrant road forked by Big Meadows - its north branch came directly to West Point, which was a
thriving trading post prior to the gold discovery. Bret Harte, famous author, lived here for a time.
Location: Intersection of State Hwy 26 (P.M. 34.4) and Main St, West Point
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NO. 269 MOKELUMNE HILL - Mokelumne is an Indian word, first applied to the nearby river. Earliest
settlement was at Happy Valley by French trappers. Gold was discovered by discharged members of Stevenson's
Regiment in 1848. Mokelumne Hill was the center of the richest placer mining section of Calaveras County and
one of the principal mining towns of California. Corral Flat produced over thirty millions in gold. Sixteen feet
square constituted a claim. The so-called 'French War' for possession of gold mines occurred in 1851. 'Calaveras
Chronicle' was established in 1850. Fights between grizzly bears and bulls amused early residents. The town was
destroyed by fires in 1854, 1864, and 1874. County seat of Calaveras County from 1853 to 1866.
Location: SW corner of Main and Center Sts, Mokelumne Hill
NO. 271 PIONEER CEMETERY - This pioneer cemetery was said to have been established in 1851. Most of
the graves are unmarked - stones appeared over only three of them in 1936. This cemetery is located almost
opposite where the town of North Branch originally stood, before the site was mined for gold.
Location: On State Hwy 12 (P.M. 176), 0.7 mi W of junction with State Hwy 49, 1.8 mi W of San Andreas
NO. 272 DOUGLAS FLAT - Douglas Flat was a roaring mining camp of the early 1850s. In 1857 the Harper
and Lone Star Claims produced $130,000 worth of gold. The so-called Central Hill Channel, an ancient river
deposit from which vast quantities of gold have been taken, is located here.
Location: On State Hwy 4 (P.M. 275), Douglas Flat
NO. 273 VALLECITO - This mining camp of the early 1850s was almost totally destroyed by fire on August
28, 1859. Nearby is Moaning Cave, which the Indians used as a burial ground.
Location: On State Hwy 4 (P.M. 25.6), Vallecito
NO. 274 CARSON HILL - Gold was discovered in the creek just below here in 1848 by James H. Carson,
whose name was given to the creek, hill, and town. In November 1854 the largest gold nugget in California,
weighing 195 pounds troy, was found. It was worth $43,000 at that time.
Location: On State Hwy 4 (P.M. 3.3), 3.7 mi S of Angels Camp on Hwy 49
NO. 275 MURPHYS - One of the principal mining communities in Calaveras County, Murphys was named for
the discoverer of gold on the flat in 1849. The objective of many immigrants coming over the Sierras by Ebbetts
Pass, Murphys Flat and surrounding mines produced 20,000,000 dollars in gold. Early regulations restricted
claims to 8 ft. square. A suspension flume conveying water across Murphys Creek and drainage race draining the
flat were two outstanding accomplishments of early day miners. The business portion of town was destroyed by
fire August 20, 1859. Joaquin Murieta bandit, is said to have begun his murderous career here. Calaveras Light
Guards recruiting for Civil War, organized here on May 4, 1861.
Location: Intersection of Main and Jones Sts, Murphys
NO. 276 ROBINSON'S FERRY - In 1848 John W. Robinson and Stephen Mead established ferry transport for
freight, animals and persons across river. In 1856 Harvey Wood purchased interest and later acquired property
which was maintained by Wood Family until 1911. Charges were 50 cents for each passenger, horse, jenny or
other animal.
Location: Vista point on State Hwy 49 (P.M. 0.6), 5.4 mi S of Angels Camp
NO. 280 GLENCOE (MOSQUITO GULCH) - Glencoe was formerly called Mosquito Gulch. The business
portion of the town was on the north side of Mosquito Gulch, but not one of the old buildings remains. The mines
were first worked by the Mexicans in the early 1850s - quartz mining predominated but there was some placer
mining.
Location: On State Hwy 26 (P.M. 26.2), Glencoe
NO. 281 O'BYRNE FERRY - In 1852 a chain cable bridge replaced the ferries that once crossed here, to be
supplanted in its turn by a covered truss structure in 1862. Some writers claimed this was the locale of Bret
Harte's Poker Flat. In late '49 there was a large camp here, with miners washing gold out on both banks of the
112
Stanislaus River.
Location: On County Hwy 48 (P.M. 0.3), O'Byrne Ferry Rd, 71 mi SE of Copperopolis
NO. 282 EL DORADO - Patented as a townsite in 1872, this early town derived its name from a sawmill located
here. Mountain Ranch, the post office established in 1856, was moved to El Dorado in 1868, so El Dorado
became known as Mountain Ranch. The bell was used in the local school from 1885 to 1953. Established as
Cave City School District in 1855, this school joined with the Banner District in 1946 to become the El Dorado
Union Elementary School District.
Location: NW corner of Mountain Ranch Rd and Whiskey Slide Rd, Mountain Ranch
NO. 284 JESUS MARIA - The town, center of a large placer mining section, was named for a Mexican who
raised vegetables and melons for the miners. It was settled in the early 1850s with a large population of
Mexicans, French, Chileans, and Italians.
Location: On Jesus Maria Rd, County Road 27 (P.M. 10.2), 4.9 mi SE of Mokelumne Hill
NO. 286 RAIL ROAD FLAT - This historic mining town, elevation 2,600 feet, was named after primitive
mule-drawn ore cars used here. It was the site of an Indian council as well as the center of rich placer and quartz
mining. Its largest producer was the Petticoat Mine. The post office was established in 1857, and the Edwin
Taylor store built in 1867. The town's population was decimated in 1880 by black fever.
Location: NE of intersection of Rail Road (County Road 13) and Summit Level Rds, 0.5 mi W of post office,
Rail Road Flat
NO. 280 GLENCOE (MOSQUITO GULCH) - Glencoe was formerly called Mosquito Gulch. The business
portion of the town was on the north side of Mosquito Gulch, but not one of the old buildings remains. The mines
were first worked by the Mexicans in the early 1850s - quartz mining predominated but there was some placer
mining.
Location: On State Hwy 26 (P.M. 26.2), Glencoe
NO. 281 O'BYRNE FERRY - In 1852 a chain cable bridge replaced the ferries that once crossed here, to be
supplanted in its turn by a covered truss structure in 1862. Some writers claimed this was the locale of Bret
Harte's Poker Flat. In late '49 there was a large camp here, with miners washing gold out on both banks of the
Stanislaus River.
Location: On County Hwy 48 (P.M. 0.3), O'Byrne Ferry Rd, 71 mi SE of Copperopolis
NO. 282 EL DORADO - Patented as a townsite in 1872, this early town derived its name from a sawmill located
here. Mountain Ranch, the post office established in 1856, was moved to El Dorado in 1868, so El Dorado
became known as Mountain Ranch. The bell was used in the local school from 1885 to 1953. Established as
Cave City School District in 1855, this school joined with the Banner District in 1946 to become the El Dorado
Union Elementary School District.
Location: NW corner of Mountain Ranch Rd and Whiskey Slide Rd, Mountain Ranch
NO. 284 JESUS MARIA - The town, center of a large placer mining section, was named for a Mexican who
raised vegetables and melons for the miners. It was settled in the early 1850s with a large population of
Mexicans, French, Chileans, and Italians.
Location: On Jesus Maria Rd, County Road 27 (P.M. 10.2), 4.9 mi SE of Mokelumne Hill
NO. 286 RAIL ROAD FLAT - This historic mining town, elevation 2,600 feet, was named after primitive
mule-drawn ore cars used here. It was the site of an Indian council as well as the center of rich placer and quartz
mining. Its largest producer was the Petticoat Mine. The post office was established in 1857, and the Edwin
Taylor store built in 1867. The town's population was decimated in 1880 by black fever.
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Location: NE of intersection of Rail Road (County Road 13) and Summit Level Rds, 0.5 mi W of post office,
Rail Road Flat
NO. 287 ANGELS CAMP - Founded in 1849 by George Angel, who established a mining camp and trading
store 200 feet below this marker, this was in a rich gravel mining area that was also one of the richest quartz
mining sections of the Mother Lode-production records reached over $100 million for Angels Camp and vicinity.
Prominent in early-day California history, it was said to be frequented by Joaquin Murieta, Black Bart, and other
early-day bandits, and was the locale of Mark Twain's famous story, The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.
Location: NE corner of Main St and Birds Way, Angels Camp
NO. 288 ALTAVILLE - The history of Altaville is closely identified with that of Angels Camp. Altaville has
been the foundry town of Calaveras County since D. D. Demerest established a foundry there in 1854. Most of
the stamp mills and a large part of the mining machinery erected in Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties were built
at the Altaville Foundry. A brick schoolhouse was built at Altaville in 1858 and the townsite was established in
1873.
Location: Intersection of State Hwys 49 and 4, Altaville
NO. 295 PALOMA - Gwin Mine, Paloma, and Lower Rich Gulch were mined for placer gold in 1849, and
quartz was discovered by J. Alexander in 1851. Property here was acquired by Wm. M. Gwin, California's first
U.S. Senator, in 1851. After yielding millions of dollars in gold, the Gwin Mine closed in 1908.
Location: Intersection of Paloma Rd and Edster St, 5 mi SW of Mokelumne Hill
NO. 296 COPPEROPOLIS - W. K. Reed and Thomas McCarty discovered copper here in 1860. The mines
were utilized during the Civil War, when they were the principal copper producing section of the United States,
and World Wars I and II.
Location: State Dept of Forestry Station, 375 Main St, Copperopolis
NO. 370 VALLECITO BELL MONUMENT - Named 'Little Valley' by Mexicans, Vallecito was one of
California's important early-day mining towns. Gold was discovered here by the Murphy brothers in 1849, and it
was originally called 'Murphy's old diggings.' This bell, cast at Troy, New York in 1853, was brought around the
horn. It was purchased from the ship with funds contributed by early-day residents and brought to Vallecito to be
erected in a large oak tree in 1854. It was used to call the people together until February 16, 1939, when a severe
wind blew the old tree down.
Location: Intersection of Church St and Cemetery Ln, Vallecito
NO. 465 OLD MINING CAMP OF BROWNSVILLE - A thriving mining camp on rich Pennsylvania Gulch
in the 1850s and 1860s, the camp was named for Alfred Brown, former owner of Table Mountain Ranch. Laws
of the Brownsville mining district provided that each miner could own one wet and one dry claim, not to exceed
150 square feet each.
Location: On Pennsylvania Gulch Rd, 0.9 mi SW of Murphys
NO. 466 THE PETER L. TRAVER BUILDING - Constructed by Peter L. Traver in 1856, this is the oldest
stone building in Murphys. Its iron shutters and sand on the roof protected it from the fires of 1859, 1874, and
1893. It served as a general store, a Wells Fargo office, and later a garage.
Location: 470 Main St, Murphys
NO. 499 RED BRICK GRAMMAR SCHOOL - This brick building, erected in 1848 with funds raised by a
dance in the Billiard Saloon of the N.R. Prince Building (which still stands, 1955) is one of the oldest schools of
California. It was in use until 1950, when it was replaced by the Mark Twain Elementary School in Altaville.
Location: Division of Forestry Station, 125 N Main St, Altaville
114
NO. 663 COURTHOUSE OF CALAVERAS COUNTY, 1852-1866, AND LEGER HOTEL - A portion of
this building served as the Calaveras County Courthouse from 1852 to 1866, when the county seat was removed
to San Andreas. George W. Leger then acquired the court building and made it a part of his adjoining hotel,
which has been in operation since early gold mining days - it was known as the Grand Hotel in 1874 when fire
damaged it and destroyed its dance hall. Restored in 1879, it has since been known as the Leger Hotel.
Location: SE corner of Main and Lafayette Sts, Mokelumne Hill
NO. 734 ANGELS HOTEL - The canvas hotel that C. C. Lake erected here in 1851 was replaced by a one-story
wooden structure, and then in 1855 by one of stone - a second story was added in 1857. It was here that Samuel
Clemens first heard the yarn that was later to bring him fame as Mark Twain, author of The Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County.
Location: NE corner of Main St and Bird Way, Angels Camp
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-72000220
NO. 735 PRINCE-GARIBARDI BUILDING - This structure was erected in 1852 by B. R. Prince and G.
Garibardi for a general merchandise business. Improved in 1857 with living quarters on the second floor, it is still
used for living and warehouse purposes.
Location: 298 S Main St, near Hwy 4 junction, Altaville
NO. 769 BIRTHPLACE OF ARCHIE STEVENOT - The Stevenot family established the borax industry in
California - Archie Stevenot was proclaimed 'Mr. Mother Lode' by resolution of the 1961 session of the State
Legislature. Not only he but his father and grandfather lent fame to the Carson Hill region of California.
Location: On State Hwy 4 (P.M. 3.3), 3.7 mi S of Angels Camp
NO. 956 CALIFORNIA CAVERNS AT CAVE CITY - The historical significance of California Caverns is
well established as a major cavern system and as one of the earliest officially recorded caves (1850) in the
Mother Lode region of California. The early commercial enterprise associated with California Caverns is
evidenced by the historical documents verifying organized tourist activities as early as 1854. Although one of
numerous caves in the Mother Lode region, California Caverns claims the distinction of having the most
extensive system of caverns and passageways.
Location: Cave City Rd, approx 4 mi from Mountain Ranch Rd via Michel Rd, 11 mi E of Hwy 49 in San
Andreas
EL DORADO
NO. 141 HANGMAN'S TREE - In the days of 1849, when this city was called Hangtown, vigilantes executed
many men for various crimes. This was the site of Hay Yard, on which stood the 'Hangman's Tree.' The stump of
the tree is under the building on which the plaque is placed.
Location: 305 Main St. Placerville
NO. 142 STUDEBAKER'S SHOP (SITE OF) - This shop was built in the early 1850s. The front part housed a
blacksmith shop operated by Ollis and Hinds, and John Mohler Studebaker rented a part of the rear. Here he had
a bench and sort of woodworking shop where he repaired and worked on wagon wheels and the like. A little later
he began to make wheelbarrows for the miners' use. He became engaged in the making of ammunition wagons
for the Union Army - from that grew his extensive wagon and carriage business and, eventually, the automobile
business.
Location: 543 Main St, Placerville
NO. 143 MARSHALL MONUMENT - In 1887 the State of California purchased the site for a monument to
commemorate James Marshall, who in 1848 discovered gold near Coloma. Marshall's discovery started the 'gold
rush,' that westward trek of Argonauts that marked a turning point in California history. The figure of Marshall
atop the monument is pointing to the place of discovery on the South Fork of the American River.
Location: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Coloma
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NO. 319 MARSHALL'S BLACKSMITH SHOP - Marshall's blacksmith shop, located on the Gray Eagle Mine
property, was built in 1872-73. Marshall not only was a smithy but also a qualified carpenter.
Location: On State Hwy 193 (P.M. 21.1), Kelsey
NO. 456 SHINGLE SPRINGS - The Boston-Newton Joint Stock Association, which left Boston April 16 and
arrived at Sutter's Fort September 27 after a remarkable journey across the continent, camped here on September
26, 1849. A rich store of written records preserved by these pioneers has left a fascinating picture of the gold
rush.
Location: Mother Lode Dr near post office, Shingle Springs
NO. 475 OLD DRY DIGGINS-OLD HANGTOWN-PLACERVILLE - This rich mining camp was
established on the banks of Hangtown Creek in the spring of 1848. Millions in gold were taken from its ravines
and hills, and it served as a supply center for mining camps and transportation terminus for the famous Comstock
Lode. John M. Studebaker, Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, Phillip Armour, and Edwin Markham were among
well-known men who contributed to Placerville's history, as did John A. 'Snowshoe' Thompson, who carried
from 60 to 80 pounds of mail on skis from Placerville over the Sierra to Carson Valley during winter months.
Location: NE corner of Bedford and Main, Placerville
NO. 484 GEORGETOWN - Founded August 7, 1849, by George Phipps and party, Georgetown was
nicknamed Growlersburg because of the heavy nuggets that 'growled' in the miners' pans. After the disastrous fire
of 1852 the old town was moved from the canyon in lower Main Street to its present site, and, unique in early-
day planning, Main Street was laid out 100 feet wide, with side streets 60 feet. The hub of an immensely rich
gold mining area, Georgetown had a population of about three thousand in 1854-56.
Location: Mounted on wall in front of fire station, Main St, Georgetown
NO. 486 EL DORADO (ORIGINALLY MUD SPRINGS) - El Dorado, 'The Gilded One,' was first known as
Mud Springs from the boggy quagmire the cattle and horses made of a nearby watering place. Originally an
important camp on the old Carson Emigrant Trail, by 1849-50 it had become the center of a mining district and
the crossroads for freight and stage lines. At the height of the rush its large gold production supported a
population of several thousand.
Location: N side of intersection of Pleasant Valley Rd and Church St, El Dorado
NO. 487 DIAMOND SPRINGS - This town, settled in 1848, derived its name from its crystal clear springs.
Among the richest spots in this vicinity, its diggings produced a 25-pound nugget, one of the largest ever found
in El Dorado County. Its most thriving period was in 1851 and, through its lumber, lime production, and
agriculture, Diamond Springs has retained some of its early importance.
Location: NW corner of Hwy 49 at China Garden Rd, Diamond Springs
NO. 521 GREENWOOD - John Greenwood, a trapper and guide who came to California in 1844, established a
trading post here in 1849. The gold rush town of Greenwood boasted a theater, four hotels, 14 stores, a brewery,
and four saloons. Among its illustrious citizens was John A. Stone, California songwriter, who was buried here in
1863.
Location: SW corner of the intersection of State Hwy 193 and Greenwood St, Greenwood
NO. 530 GOLD DISCOVERY SITE - This monument marks the site of John A. Sutter's sawmill. In its tail-
race, on January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold and started great rush of Argonauts to California.
The Society of California Pioneers definitely located and marked the site in 1924 - additional timbers and relics,
including the original tailrace unearthed in 1947, were discovered after the property became a state park. The
State erected the Marshall Monument overlooking this spot in 1890 through efforts begun in 1886 by the Native
Sons of the Golden West.
Location: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, follow trail from Gold Discovery parking lot to
116
American River, State Hwy 49 (P.M. 23.3), Coloma
NO. 551 SITE OF CALIFORNIA'S FIRST GRANGE HALL - Pilot Hill Grange No. 1, with 29 charter
members-Master, F. D. Brown - Secretary A. J. Bayley-was organized August 10, 1870. The Grange hall,
dedicated at this site on November 23, 1889, was built by Alcandor A. Bayley.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 31.3), 0.2 mi N of Pilot Hill
NO. 569 MORMON ISLAND - Early in March 1848, W. Sidney, S. Willis, and Wilford Hudson, members of
the Mormon Battalion, set out from Sutter's Fort to hunt deer. Stopping on the south fork of the American River,
they found gold. They told their story on returning to the fort, and soon about 150 Mormons and other miners
flocked to the site, which was named Mormon Island. This was the first major gold strike in California after
James W. Marshall's discovery at Coloma. The population of the town in 1853 was more than 2,500. It had four
hotels, three dry-goods stores, five general merchandise stores, an express office, and many small shops. The first
ball in Sacramento County was held here on December 25, 1849. A fire destroyed the town in 1856, and it was
never rebuilt. Its site was inundated by Folsom Lake in 1955.
Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, N side, Folsom Point picnic area, near the Mormon Island Dam, 3
mi NE of Folsom
NO. 570 NEGRO HILL - These historic mining towns, and other mining camps of the gold rush era now
inundated by Folsom Lake, are commemorated by the nearby Mormon Island Memorial Cemetery. Here were
reburied the pioneers whose graves were flooded when the lake was formed by Folsom Dam.
Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Green Valley Rd, 0.1 mi NE of El Dorado-Sacramento County
line, 4 mi NE of Folsom
NO. 571 SALMON FALLS - These historic mining towns, and other mining camps of the gold rush era now
inundated by Folsom Lake, are commemorated by the nearby Mormon Island Memorial Cemetery. Here were
reburied the pioneers whose graves were flooded when the lake was formed by Folsom Dam.
Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Green Valley Rd, 0.1 mi NE of El Dorado-Sacramento County
line, 4 mi NE of Folsom
NO. 572 CONDEMNED BAR - These historic mining towns, and other mining camps of the gold rush era now
inundated by Folsom Lake, are commemorated by the nearby Mormon Island Memorial Cemetery. Here were
reburied the pioneers whose graves were flooded when the lake was formed by Folsom Dam.
Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Green Valley Rd, 0.1 mi NE of El Dorado-Sacramento County
line, 4 mi NE of Folsom
NO. 699 MORMON TAVERN-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - At this site on
the old Clarksville-White Rock Emigrant Road was Mormon Tavern. Constructed in 1849, this popular stage
stop was enlarged and operated by Franklin Winchell in 1851. It became a remount station of the Central
Overland Pony Express and on April 4, 1860, pony rider Sam (Bill) Hamilton changed horses here on the first
eastbound trip.
Location: On frontage rd adjacent to State Hwy 50 (P.M. 1.5), take El Dorado Hills Blvd S for 0.5 mi to old
White Rd (rd to Clarksville), then NE 0.9 mi, then go W 0.3 mi on PG&E Clarksville Substation Rd to plaque,
0.5 mi W of Clarksville
NO. 700 EL DORADO-NEVADA HOUSE (MUD SPRINGS) -OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN
CALIFORNIA - Trading post, emigrant stop, and mining camp of the 1850s, this became one of the remount
stations of the Central Overland Pony Express. On April 13, 1860, pony rider William (Sam) Hamilton changed
horses here at the Nevada House while carrying the first westbound mail of the Pony Express from St. Joseph,
Missouri to Sacramento.
Location: SW corner of Pleasant Valley Rd near Church St, El Dorado
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NO. 701 PLACERVILLE-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - Gold rush town and
western terminus of the Placerville-Carson Road to the Comstock, Placerville was a relay station of the Central
Overland Pony Express from April 4, 1860 until June 30, 1861. Here on April 4, 1860, the first eastbound pony
rider, William (Sam) Hamilton, changed horses, added an express letter to his mochila, and sped away for
Sportsman's Hall. Placerville was the western terminus of the Pony Express from July 1, 1861 until its
discontinuance on October 26, 1861.
Location: SW corner of Main and Sacramento, Placerville
NO. 703 PLEASANT GROVE HOUSE OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This
was the site of a popular road-house where the ponies of the Central Overland Pony Express were changed from
July 1, 1860 to June 30, 1861. From here the route of the pony riders continued westward to Folsom and
eastward to Placerville through Rescue, Dry Creek Crossing, and Missouri Flat.
Location: Green Valley Rd (P.M. 5.5), 3.9 mi W of Rescue
NO. 704 SPORTSMAN'S HALL OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This was
the site of Sportsman's Hall, also known as Twelve-Mile House, the hotel operated in the latter 1850s and 1860s
by John and James Blair. A stopping place for stages and teams of the Comstock, it became a relay station of the
Central Overland Pony Express. Here, at 7:40 a.m., April 4, 1860, pony rider William (Sam) Hamilton rode in
from Placerville and handed the express mail to Warren Upson, who two minutes later sped on his way eastward.
Location: 5622 Old Pony Express Trail, Cedar Grove
NO. 705 MOORE'S (RIVERTON)-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This was
the site of a change station of the Pioneer Stage Company in the 1850s and 1860s. During 1860-1861, the Central
Overland Pony Express maintained the first pony remount station east of Sportsman's Hall here.
Location: At intersection of US. Hwy 50 and Ice House Rd (P.M. 39.7), 9.0 mi W of Kyburz
NO. 706 WEBSTER'S (SUGAR LOAF HOUSE)-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN
CALIFORNIA - This was the site of Webster's Sugar Loaf House, well-known stopping place during the
Comstock rush. Beginning in April 1860, it was used as a remount station of the Central Overland Pony Express,
and in 1861 it became a horse change station for pioneer stage companies and the Overland Mail.
Location: On Hwy 50 (P.M. 48. 0), 1.0 mi W of Kyburz
NO. 707 STRAWBERRY VALLEY HOUSE-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA -
This popular resort and stopping place for stages and teams of the Comstock, established by Swift and Watson in
1856, became a remount station of the Central Overland Pony Express. Here on April 4, 1860, Division
Superintendent Bolivar Roberts waited with a string of mules to help pony rider Warren Upson through the
snowstorm on Echo Summit.
Location: Strawberry, on Hwy 50 (P.M. 578), 8.7 mi E of Kyburz
NO. 708 YANK'S STATION-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - This was the
site of the most eastern remount station of the Central Overland Pony Express in California. Established as a
trading post on the Placerville-Carson Road in 1851 by Martin Smith, it became a popular hostelry and stage stop
operated by Ephraim 'Yank' Clement. Pony rider Warren Upson arrived here on the evening of April 28, 1860
and, changing ponies, galloped on to Friday's in Nevada to deliver his mochila to Bob Haslam for the ride to
Genoa. Used as a pony remount station until October 26, 1861, the station was sold to George D. H. Meyers in
1873.
Location: Yank's Station shopping center, SW corner State Hwy 50 and Apache Ave, Meyers
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NO. 728 FRIDAY'S STATION-OVERLAND PONY EXPRESS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA - At this point
the riders of the Central Overland Pony Express crossed the Nevada-California line. Three-quarters of a mile east
of here, at Edgewood in Nevada, are the remains of the most easterly remount station of the California Division
of the Pony Express. Established about 1858 by Friday Burke and James Small as a stage station on the
Placerville-Carson City Road, it became the home station of pony rider Bob Haslam until October 26, 1861 when
the Pony Express was succeeded by the Transcontinental Telegraph.
Location: Stateline, Hwy 50
NO. 747 COLOMA ROAD-RESCUE - Past this point on the old Coloma Road, running between Sutter's Fort
and his sawmill on the American river, James W. Marshall rode with the first gold discovered at Coloma on
January 24, 1848. Traveled by thousands to and from the diggings, this road became the route of California's
earliest stageline, established in 1849 by James E. Birch.
Location: 4222 Green Valley Rd at Rescue Junction General Store, Rescue
NO. 748 COLOMA ROAD-COLOMA - Here in the valley of the Cul-luh-mah Indians, James W. Marshall
discovered gold on January 24, 1848, in the tailrace of Sutter's sawmill. The old Coloma Road, opened in 1847
from Sutter's Fort to Coloma, was used by Marshall to carry the news of the discovery to Captain John A. Sutter.
During the gold rush, it was used by thousands of miners going to and from the diggings. In 1849 it became the
route of California's first stage line, established by James E. Birch.
Location: Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, in Gold Discovery parking area, State Hwy 49, Coloma
NO. 767 METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH - Erected in 1851, this is the oldest church building in El
Dorado County. Its original site was on the corner of Cedar Ravine and Main Street, Placerville.
Location: 1031 Thompson Way near Cedar Ravine St, Placerville
NO. 815 WAKAMATSU TEA AND SILK FARM COLONY - The agricultural settlement of pioneer
Japanese immigrants who arrived at Gold Hill on June 8, 1869-the only tea and silk farm established in
California-had a promising outlook but failed tragically in less than two years. This was the initial Japanese-
influenced agricultural attempt in California.
Location: Gold Trails Elementary School, 889 Cold Springs Rd, Gold Hill
MADERA
NO. 1001 CALIFORNIA NATIVE AMERICAN CEREMONIAL ROUNDHOUSES (THEMATIC),
WASSAMA ROUNDHOUSE - Dating prior to the 1860s, the Wassama Roundhouse was reconstructed in 1985
on the location of the previous four houses. In 1903, the third roundhouse was built using portions of the center
pole from the two earlier houses. The roundhouse served as the focal point of spiritual and ceremonial life for
many Native Californians. The Wassama Roundhouse continues to serve this purpose.
Location: Wassama Roundhouse State Historic Park, 5.5 mi N of Oakhurst on Hwy 49 to Ahwahnee, then E .4
mi on Round House Rd
MARIPOSA
NO. 323 MORMON BAR - Mormon Bar was first mined in 1849 by members of the Mormon Battalion. They,
however, stayed only a short time and their places were taken at once by other miners. Later, thousands of
Chinese worked the same ground over again.
Location: On small auxiliary rd on right, 500 ft SE of intersection of State Hwy 49 (P.M. 16. 7) and Ben Hur Rd,
1.8 mi S of Mariposa
NO. 331 BEAR VALLEY - First called Johnsonville, Bear Valley had a population of 3,000, including Chinese,
Cornish, and Mexicans. During 1850-60 when Col. John C. Frémont's Ride Tree and Josephine Mines were
producing, Frémont's elegant hotel, Oso House, was built with lumber brought around the Horn. It no longer
stands. After a fire in 1888, structures were rebuilt. Some still standing are Bon Ton Saloon, Trabucco Store, Odd
Fellows Hall, school house and remains of jail.
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Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 29.2), Bear Valley
NO. 332 COULTERVILLE - George W. Coulter started a tent store here in early 1850 to supply the hundreds
of miners working the rich placers of Maxwell, Boneyard, and Black Creeks. He also built the first hotel, water
for it was pumped from a well by two Newfoundland dogs. Originally called Banderita from the flag flying over
Coulter's store, the settlement became Maxwell Creek when the post office was established in 1853, but the name
was changed the following year to honor Coulter. The family of Francisco Bruschi, who erected the first
permanent building here, provided the town's leading merchants for over eighty years. Despite their crude
methods, and with only wood for fuel, the nearby quartz mines operated for years and produced millions of
dollars worth of gold, Andrew Goss built the first stamp mill for crushing their ore.
Location: County Park, NE corner of intersection of County Hwy J20 and State Hwy 132 (P.M. 44.8),
Coulterville
NO. 333 HORNITOS - Hornitos, 'little ovens,' derived its name from the presence of many old Mexican stone
graves or tombs built in the shape of little square bake ovens and set on top of the ground. The town seemed to
have been settled by an undesirable element driven out of the adjoining town of Quartzburg, but as the placers at
Quartzburg gave out, many of its other citizens came to Hornitos. It became the first and the only incorporated
town in Mariposa County.
Location: 11 mi W of Bear Valley on County Road J16, Hornitos
NO. 518 AGUA FRIA - One-quarter mile north of Carson Creek, a tributary of Agua Fria Creek, was located
the town of Agua Fria, in 1850-51 the first county seat of Mariposa County. One of the original 27 counties in
California, Mariposa County comprised one-sixth of the state-all of what is now Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare,
Kings, and Kern Counties-until 1852, while mining was the main industry of region. The town of Mariposa
became the seat of government in 1852, and the courthouse there was completed in 1854.
Location: 4189 State Hwy 140 (P.M. 172), 3.2 mi W of Mariposa
NO. 527 SAVAGE TRADING POST - Here, in 1849, James D. Savage established a store built of logs. He
engaged in trading and mining. In spring of 1850, fearing Indian depredations, he moved to Mariposa Creek, in
December his store and others were pillaged and burned. A volunteer battalion was formed and Savage, elected
mayor, went in pursuit of the tribe. Their secret hideout in Yosemite Valley was discovered and the war brought
to a quick end. Major Savage was killed by a political opponent in August 1852.
Location: On State Hwy 140 (P.M. 43.2), 8 mi W of El Portal
NO. 670 MARIPOSA COUNTY COURTHOUSE - This mortise-and-tenon Greek Revival courthouse, erected
in 1854, is California's oldest court of law and has served continuously as the seat of county government since
1854. During the 19th century, landmark mining cases setting legal precedent were tried here, and much United
States mining law is based on decisions emanating from this historic courthouse.
Location: 10th and Bullion Sts, Mariposa Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-91000560
NO. 790 YOSEMITE VALLEY - On June 30, 1864, in an act signed by President Abraham Lincoln, the United
States granted the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Big Tree Grove to the State of California to 'be held for
public use, resort, and recreation . . . inalienable for all time.' This, the first federal authorization to preserve
scenic and scientific values for public benefit, was the basis for the later concept of state and national park
systems. In 1906 the State of California returned the land, considered the first state park in the country, so that it
could become part of Yosemite National Park.
Location: Mounted on entrance wall of auditorium bldg, Visitor Center, Yosemite National Park
NEVADA
NO. 134 DONNER MONUMENT (or) PIONEER MONUMENT - Commemorates the ill-fated Donner party
of California-bound emigrants, who wintered here in 1846-1847, many died of exposure and starvation.
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Location: Donner Memorial State Park,Old Hwy 40 at I-80 and Truckee exit, Truckee
NO. 247 THE WORLD'S FIRST LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE LINE - The first long-distance
telephone in the world, built in 1877 by the Ridge Telephone Company, connected French Corral with French
Lake, 58 miles away. It was operated by the Milton Mining Company from a building on this site that had been
erected about 1853.
Location: On Pleasant Valley Rd, in center of community of French Corral
NO. 292 HOME OF LOLA MONTEZ - Lola was born in Limerick, Ireland on July 3, 1818, as María Dolores
Eliza Rosanna Gilbert. After living in England and on the continent, Lola came to New York in 1851 and settled
in Grass Valley in 1852. It was here she built the only home she ever owned and became friends with Lotta
Crabtree, who lived up the street. Lola died January 17, 1861 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, New
York.
Location: 248 Mill St, Grass Valley
NO. 293 HOME OF LOTTA CRABTREE - Lotta Crabtree was born in New York in 1847. In 1852-3 the gold
fever brought her family to California. Several months after arriving in San Francisco, Mrs. Crabtree and Lotta
went to Grass Valley and with Mr. Crabtree started a boarding house for miners. It was here that Lotta met Lola
Montez, who taught her to sing and dance. In Scales, Plumas County, Lotta made her first public appearance,
which led to a successful career on stage here and abroad.
Location: 238 Mill St, Grass Valley
NO. 294 THE LITTLE TOWN OF ROUGH AND READY - Established in 1849 and named in honor of
General Zachary Taylor, after the Rough and Ready Company of miners from Wisconsin, this was one of the
principal towns of Nevada County. In 1850, articles of secession were drawn up establishing the 'Republic of
Rough and Ready.' As a result of disastrous fires, only a few structures remain today that were built in the 1850s.
Location: NE corner of State Hwy 20 and Mountain Rose Rd, Rough and Ready
NO. 297 SITE OF ONE OF THE FIRST DISCOVERIES OF QUARTZ GOLD IN CALIFORNIA - This
tablet commemorates the discovery of gold-bearing quartz and the beginning of quartz mining in California. The
discovery was made on Gold Hill by George Knight in October 1850. The occurrence of gold-bearing quartz was
undoubtedly noted here and elsewhere about the same time or even earlier, but this discovery created the great
excitement that started the development of quartz mining into a great industry. The Gold Hill Mine is credited
with a total production of $4,000,000 between 1850 and 1857.
Location: SW corner of Jenkins St and Hocking Ave, Grass Valley
NO. 298 EMPIRE MINE - The Empire Mine was originally located by George D. Roberts in October 1850. In
the spring of 1854, the Empire Mining Company was incorporated and in 1865 new works, including a 30-stamp
mill, were erected. In 1869 Wm. B. Bourn, Sr. purchased the Empire, when he died, Wm. B. Bourn, Jr. took over
its management. The Empire was in constant operation from 1850 to the late 1950s.
Location: Empire Mine State Historic Park, 10791 Empire St, 1.2 mi E of Grass Valley
NO. 390 BRIDGEPORT (NYES CROSSING) COVERED BRIDGE - Built in 1862 by David Isaac John
Wood with lumber from his mill in Sierra County, this bridge was part of the Virginia Turnpike Company toll
road which served the northern mines and the busy Nevada Comstock Lode. Utilizing a combination truss and
arch construction, it is one of the oldest housed spans in the west and the longest single-span wood-covered
bridge in the United States.
Location: W side of Pleasant Valley Rd at S Fork of the Yuba River 2.7 mi S of French Corral
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NO. 628 ALPHA HYDRAULIC DIGGINGS - One mile north of here were the towns of Alpha and Omega,
named by gold miners in the early 1850s. The tremendous hydraulic diggings, visible from near this point,
engulfed most of the original townsites. Alpha was the birthplace of famed opera singer Emma Nevada. Mining
at Omega continued until 1949, and lumbering operations are carried on there today (1958).
Location: Omega Rest Area, Hwy 20 (P.M. 35. 7), 6 mi E of Washington Rd, Washington
NO. 629 OMEGA HYDRAULIC DIGGINGS AND TOWNSITE - One mile north of here were the towns of
Alpha and Omega, named by gold miners in the early 1850s. The tremendous hydraulic diggings, visible from
near this point, engulfed most of the original townsites. Alpha was the birthplace of famed opera singer Emma
Nevada. Mining at Omega continued until 1949, and lumbering operations are carried on there today (1958).
Location: Omega Rest Area, Hwy 20 (P.M. 35. 7), 6 mi E of Washington Rd, Washington
NO. 780-6 FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD-TRUCKEE - While construction on Sierra tunnels
delayed Central Pacific, advance forces at Truckee began building 40 miles of track east and west of Truckee,
moving supplies by wagon and sled, and Summit Tunnel was opened in December 1867. The line reached
Truckee April 3, 1868, the Sierra was conquered. Rails reached Reno June 19, and construction advanced
eastward toward the meeting with Union Pacific at the rate of one mile daily. On May 10, 1869, the rails met at
Promontory (Utah) to complete the first transcontinental railroad.
Location: SP Depot, 70 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee
NO. 799 OVERLAND EMIGRANT TRAIL - Over a hundred years ago, this trail resounded to creaking
wheels of pioneer wagons and the cries of hardy travelers on their way to the gold fields. It is estimated that over
thirty thousand people used this trail in 1849. Here the old trail approaches the present highway.
Location: SE side of Wolf Creek Bridge, State Hwy 49 (P.M. 3.61), 10 mi S of Grass Valley
NO. 832 SOUTH YUBA CANAL OFFICE - This was the headquarters for the largest network of water flumes
and ditches in the state. The South Yuba Canal Water Company was the first incorporated to supply water for
hydraulic mining. The original ditch was in use in May 1850, and this company office was in use from 1857 to
1880. The company's holdings later became part of the vast PG&E hydroelectric system.
Location: 134 Main St, Nevada City
NO. 843 NORTH STAR MINE POWERHOUSE - The North Star Powerhouse, built by A. D. Foote in 1895,
was the first complete plant of its kind. Compressed air, generated by Pelton water wheels, furnished power for
the entire mine operation. The 30-foot Pelton wheel was the largest in the world, and was in continuous use for
over 30 years.
Location: Mining and Pelton Wheel Museum, S Mill at Allison Ranch Rd, Grass Valley
NO. 852 NORTH BLOOMFIELD MINING AND GRAVEL COMPANY - This was a major hydraulic gold-
mining operation in California. It boasted a vast system of canals and flumes, its 7,800-foot drainage tunnel was
termed a feat of engineering skill. It was the principal defendant in an anti-debris lawsuit settled in 1884 by Judge
Lorenzo Sawyer's famous decision, which created control that virtually ended hydraulic mining in California.
Location: Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, 16 mi E of State Hwy 49 on Tyler Foote Crossing Rd, plaque
located in park diggins overlook, 28 mi N of Nevada City
NO. 855 MOUNT SAINT MARY'S CONVENT AND ACADEMY - Built by Reverend Thomas J. Dalton, the
Sacred Heart Convent and Holy Angels Orphanage was dedicated May 2, 1865 by Bishop Eugene O'Connell.
Under the Sisters of Mercy, it served from 1866 to 1932 as the first orphanage of the Northern Mines. It
functioned as an academy from 1868 to 1965 and as a convent from 1866 to 1968.
Location: S Church St between Chapel and Dalton Sts, Grass Valley
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NO. 863 NEVADA THEATRE - California's oldest existing structure erected as a theater, the Nevada, opened
September 9, 1865. Celebrities such as Mark Twain, Jack London, and Emma Nevada have appeared on its stage.
Closed in 1957, the theatre was later purchased through public donations and reopened May 17, 1968 to again
serve the cultural needs of the community.
Location: 401 Broad St, Nevada City
NO. 899 NATIONAL HOTEL - The National Exchange Hotel opened for business on August 20, 1856, the
exterior is virtually unchanged since its construction as three brick buildings in 1856. The National is one of the
oldest continuously operating hotels west of the Rockies.
Location: 211 Broad St, Nevada City
NO. 914 HOLBROOKE HOTEL - The hotel was built in 1862 around the Golden Gate Saloon, originally
constructed in 1852 and the oldest continuously operating saloon in the Mother Lode region. The hotel's one-
story fieldstone and brick construction is an outstanding example of mid-19th century Mother Lode masonry
structures.
Location: 212 W Main St, Grass Valley
NO. 1012 FIRST MANUFACTURING SITE OF THE PELTON WHEEL - The Pelton Water Wheel, first
commercially manufactured here at George Allan's Foundry and Machine Works in 1879, was a major
advancement in water power utilization and greatly advanced hard-rock mining. Its unique feature was a series of
paired buckets, shaped like bowls of spoons and separated by a splitter, that divided the incoming water jets into
two parts. By the late 1800s, the Pelton Wheels were providing energy to operate industrial machinery
throughout the world. In 1888, Lester Pelton moved his business to San Francisco, but granted continuing
manufacturing rights to Allan's Foundry, where the wheels were manufactured into the early 1900s.
Location: 325 Spring St, Nevada City
PLACER
NO. 397 TOWN OF DUTCH FLAT - Founded in the spring of 1851 by Joseph and Charles Dornback, from
1854 to 1882 Dutch Flat was noted for its rich hydraulic mines. In 1860 it had the largest voting population in
Placer County, Chinese inhabitants numbered about 2,000. Here Theodore Judah and D. W. Strong made the
original subscription to build the first transcontinental railroad.
Location: NE corner of Main and Stockton Sts, Dutch Flat
NO. 398 YANKEE JIM'S - Gold was discovered here in 1850 by 'Yankee Jim,' a reputed lawless character, and
by 1857 the town was one of the most important in Placer County. The first mining ditch in the county was
constructed here by H. Starr and Eugene Phelps. Colonel William McClure introduced hydraulic mining to this
area in June of 1853.
Location: SE corner of Colfax Foresthill and Springs Garden Rds, 3.0 mi NE of Forest Hill
NO. 399 TOWN OF FOREST HILL - Gold was discovered here in 1850, the same year the first 'forest house'
was built. In 1852 the Jenny Lind Mine, which produced over a million dollars in gold, was discovered. Mines in
this immediate vicinity produced over ten million dollars up to 1868. The town was an important trading post and
was famed for its beautiful forest.
Location: 24540 Main St, Forest Hill
NO. 400 VIRGINIATOWN - Founded June 1851, the town was commonly called 'Virginia.' Over 2,000 miners
worked rich deposits here. In 1852 Captain John Brislow built California's first railroad to carry pay dirt one
mile, to Auburn Ravine. It was the site of Philip Armour's and George Aldrich's butcher shop, said to have led to
founding of the famous Chicago Armour meatpacking company.
Location: 4725 Virginiatown Rd, 0.2 mi SE of Fowler and Virginiatown Rds, 7 mi NW of Newcastle
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NO. 401 IOWA HILL - Gold was discovered here in 1853, and by 1856 weekly production was estimated at
one hundred thousand dollars. The total value of gold produced up to 1880 is placed at twenty million dollars.
The town was destroyed by fire in 1857 and again in 1862, each time it was rebuilt with more substantial
buildings, but the last big fire, in 1922, destroyed most of the town.
Location: 0.1 mi SW of post office on Iowa Hill Rd, Iowa Hill
NO. 402 TOWN OF MICHIGAN BLUFF - Founded in 1850 and first known as Michigan City, the town was
located on the slope one-half mile from here. Leland Stanford, who gained wealth and fame in California,
operated a store in Michigan City from 1853 to 1855. In 1858 the town became undermined and unsafe so it was
moved to this location and renamed Michigan Bluff.
Location: Intersection of Gorman Ranch and Auburn -Foresthill Rds, Michigan Bluff
NO. 403 EMIGRANT GAP - The spring of 1845 saw the first covered wagons surmount the Sierra Nevada.
They left the valley, ascended to the ridge, and turned westward to old Emigrant Gap, where they were lowered
by ropes to the floor of Bear Valley. Hundreds followed before, during, and after the gold rush. This was a
hazardous portion of the overland emigrant trail.
Location: Emigrant Gap Vista Pt, Interstate 80 (P.M. 55.5 Westbound), Emigrant Gap
NO. 404 CITY OF AUBURN - Gold was discovered near here by Claude Chana on May 16, 1848. First known
as 'North Fork' or 'Woods Dry Diggins,' the settlement was given the name Auburn in the fall of 1849. It soon
became an important mining town, trading post, and stage terminal, and also became the county seat of Sutter
County in 1850 and of Placer County in 1851. It was destroyed by fires in 1855, 1859, and 1863.
Location: SW corner of Maple St and Lincoln Way, Auburn
NO. 405 TOWN OF GOLD RUN - Originally called Mountain Springs, Gold Run was founded in 1854 by O.
W. Hollenbeck. It was famed for its hydraulic mines, which from 1865 to 1878 shipped $6,125,000 in gold. Five
water ditches passed through the town to serve the mining companies, but they had to cease operations in 1882
when a court decision made hydraulic mining unprofitable.
Location: NW corner of I-80 and Magra Rd, plaque across the street from post office, Gold Run
NO. 463 OPHIR - Founded in 1849 as 'The Spanish Corral,' Ophir received its Biblical name in 1850 because of
its rich placers. The most populous town in Placer County in 1852, polling 500 votes, Ophir was almost totally
destroyed by fire in July 1853 but later became the center of quartz mining in the county.
Location: SW corner of Lozanos and Bald Hill Rds, 3 mi W of Auburn
NO. 585 PIONEER EXPRESS TRAIL - Between 1849 and 1854, Pioneer Express riders rode this gold rush
trail to the many populous mining camps on the American River bars now covered by Folsom Lake-Beals,
Condemned, Dotons, Long, Horseshoe, Rattlesnake, and Oregon-on the route to Auburn and beyond.
Location: Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, Beals Point unit, 0.3 mi N on levee, plaque on riding trail,
Folsom
NO. 724 PIONEER SKI AREA OF AMERICA, SQUAW VALLEY - The VIII Olympic Winter Games of
1960 commemorated a century of sport skiing in California. By 1860 the Sierra Nevada-particularly at the
mining towns of Whiskey Diggings, Poker Flat, Port Wine, Onion Valley, La Porte, and Johnsville, some 60
miles north of Squaw Valley-saw the first organized ski clubs and competition in the western hemisphere.
Location: Adjacent to Lobby Entrance of Cable Car Building at base of mountain, Squaw Valley
NO. 780-1 FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD-ROSEVILLE - Central Pacific graders arrived at
Junction on November 23, 1863, and when track reached there on April 25, 1864, trains began making the 18-
mile run to and from Sacramento daily. The new line crossed a line reaching northward from Folsom that the
California Central had begun in 1858 and abandoned in 1868. Junction, now called Roseville, became a major
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railroad distribution center.
Location: Old Town Roseville, S.E. corner of Church St & Washington Blvd, Roseville
NO. 780-2 FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD-ROCKLIN - Central Pacific reached Rocklin, 22
miles from its Sacramento terminus, in May 1864, when the railroad established a major locomotive terminal
here. Trains moving over the Sierra were generally cut in two sections at this point in order to ascend the grade.
The first CP freight movement was three carloads of Rocklin granite pulled by the engine Governor Stanford.
The terminal was moved to Roseville April 18, 1908.
Location: SE corner of Rocklin Rd and First St, Rocklin
NO. 780-3 FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD-NEWCASTLE - Regular freight and passenger
trains began operating over the first 31 miles of Central Pacific's line to Newcastle on June 10, 1864, when
political opposition and lack of money stopped further construction during that mild winter. Construction was
resumed in April 1865. At this point, stagecoaches transferred passengers from the Dutch Flat Wagon Road.
Location: SW corner of Main and Page Sts, Newcastle
NO. 780-4 FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD-AUBURN - After an 11-month delay due to
political opposition and lack of money, Central Pacific tracks reached Auburn May 13, 1865, and regular service
began. Government loans became available when the railroad completed its first 40 miles, four miles east of here.
With the new funds, Central Pacific augmented its forces with the first Chinese laborers, and work began again in
earnest.
Location: 639 Lincoln Way, Auburn
NO. 780-5 FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD-COLFAX - Central Pacific rails reached Illinois-
town on September 1, 1865, and train service began four days later. Renamed by Governor Stanford in honor of
Schuyler Colfax, Speaker of the House of Representatives and later Ulysses S. Grant's Vice President, the town
was for ten months a vital construction supply depot and junction point for stage lines. The real assault on the
Sierra began here.
Location: Grass Valley Street and Railroad Tracks in Railroad Park, Colfax
NO. 797 LAKE TAHOE OUTLET GATES - Conflicting control of these gates, first built in 1870, resulted in
the two-decade 'Tahoe Water War' between lakeshore owners and downstream Truckee River water users. The
dispute was settled in 1910-11 when techniques for determining water content in snow, developed by Dr. James
E. Church, Jr., made possible the accurate prediction and control of the seasonal rise in lake and river levels.
Location: 73 N Lake Blvd (Hwy 89), at SW corner of Truckee River Bridge, Tahoe City
NO. 799-2 OVERLAND EMIGRANT TRAIL - Over a hundred years ago, this trail resounded to creaking
wheels of pioneer wagons and the cries of hardy travelers on their way to the gold fields. It is estimated that over
thirty thousand people used this trail in 1849. Rocks near this site still bear the marks of wagon wheels. For those
early travelers, the next ordeal was a tortuous descent into Bear Valley.
Location: Big Bend Ranger Station, 2008 Hampshire Rocks Rd (old Hwy 40), 8 mi W of Soda Springs
NO. 885 GRIFFITH QUARRY - Established in the fall of 1864 by Mr. Griffith Griffith, a native of Wales, the
quarry located near this site supplied high-quality granite for a number of the important buildings in San
Francisco and Sacramento, including portions of the state capitol. This was also the site of the state's first
successful commercial granite polishing mill, erected in 1874.
Location: SE corner of Taylor and Rock Springs Rds, Penryn
PLUMAS
NO. 184 PETER LASSEN MARKER (SITE OF LASSEN TRADING POST) - In the summer of 1850,
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Lassen and a companion, Isidore Meyerwitz, went to Indian Valley and selected a suitable location for a ranch,
where they erected a log cabin in 1851 to house their trading post. In 1855 Lassen moved to Honey Lake Valley,
Lassen County, where he resided as a miner and farmer until he was killed from ambush while prospecting in
1859.
Location: On North Valley Rd, 4.5 mi E of Greenville
NO. 196 JAMISON CITY, EUREKA MILLS, JOHNSTOWN, AND THE FAMOUS EUREKA MINE -
Along the Pioneer Trail lies Jamison City and mine, large producer and famous for its 52-pound nugget. Eureka
Mill and mine yielded $17 million to Cornish miners and others. Johnstown, now Johnsville, is a well-preserved
'49er town.
Location: Plumas-Eureka State Park, from Hwy 70, go S on State Hwy 89, then W on County Road A14, 5 mi
SW of Blairsden
NO. 197 BUCK'S LAKE - This was the site of a ranch established by Horace Bucklin and Francis Walker in
1850. Later came a large hotel, post office, and express office. The site is now inundated by Buck's Dam and
Reservoir.
Location: Buck's Lake Lodge Marina, Buck's Lake Rd, 15. 7 mi W of Quincy via Buck's Lake Rd W
NO. 212 PIONEER GRAVE (GRIZZLY CREEK) - The legend, as told by the pioneers: 'The lad was
returning to Marysville from a trip to the mines, he, having packed a trainload of provisions to the mines, was
returning with gold dust. He was murdered and robbed. Later a comrade carved his name, age, etc., on a tree. P.
Linthiouh, died September, 1852, age 19.
Location: On Buck's Lake Rd, 3.5 mi W of Buck's Lake, 19.2 mi W of Quincy
NO. 213 RABBIT CREEK HOTEL MONUMENT - La Porte, first known as Rabbit Creek, was one of the
most important settlements in the southern part of Plumas County. In the fall of 1852, Eli S. Lester built the
Rabbit Creek Hotel, the first house in town.
Location: SW corner of Main and Church Sts, La Porte
NO. 231 ELIZABETHTOWN - Tate's Ravine was named in the spring of 1852, when Alex and Frank Tate
discovered gold there. Lewis Stark and his family came across the plains to settle here in September 1852. A
very rich mine was opened up and the place grew in population. Soon the miners wanted a new name for the
settlement, so they called it Elizabethtown in honor of Stark's daughter, the village's only unmarried woman.
Location: On dirt rd, 0.4 mi NW of State Hwy 70 (P.M. 41.6), 1.8 mi N of Quincy
NO. 336 BECKWOURTH PASS - Beckwourth Pass, at an elevation of 5,221 feet, the lowest pass in the Sierra
Nevada, was discovered in 1851 by James P. Beckwourth. The monument is dedicated to the discoverer and to
the pioneers who passed along this trail.
Location: Roadside rest area, Beckwourth 's Pass, State Hwy 70 (P.M. 95.8), 1.5 mi E of Chilcoot
NO. 337 RICH BAR - Gold was first found here in July 1850 by miners coming over the mountains from the
Yuba Diggins, and there was much production during early 1850s along this east branch of the Feather River's
north fork. Here 'Dame Shirley' (Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe) wrote her Letters From the California
Mines, one of the classics of the gold rush.
Location: Rich Bar, on State Hwy 70 (P.M. 18.8), 4 mi SE of Belden, 23.6 mi NW of Quincy
NO. 479 SITE OF AMERICAN RANCH AND HOTEL - James H. Bradley in 1854 built the American Hotel,
the first sawed-lumber house in Quincy. On March 18, 1854, three commissioners met there to form a new
county from a portion of Butte County, and the hotel became the county seat of Plumas County until a more
suitable location could be found. Plumas Lodge No. 60, F. & A.M., instituted May 1, 1854, met in an upstairs
room in the hotel until their new Quincy temple was completed in 1855.
Location: 355 Main St, Quincy
NO. 480 SITE OF PLUMAS HOUSE - The first and second Plumas Houses were built on this site. The second
was built in 1866 by James and Jane Edwards. This hotel, the center of Quincy's social and business life for more
than thirty years, burned to the ground on June 23, 1923.
Location: SW corner of Main and Court Sts, Quincy
126
NO. 481 SPANISH RANCH AND MEADOW VALLEY - Miners going to the East Branch, Middle Fork, or
North Fork of the Feather River separated at Spanish Rancho, established in July 1850 by two Spaniards, and at
Meadow Valley, 2.5 miles from Spanish Ranch.
Location: On Spanish Ranch side rd, Buck's Lake Rd, 5.8 mi W of Quincy
NO. 625 PIONEER SCHOOLHOUSE - In 1857 the residents of the eastern end of American Valley built a
school, the first schoolhouse in Plumas County. On July 2, 1857, Mr. S. A. Ballou was engaged as teacher for 19
children. The building is now used for kindergarten purposes (1957).
Location: Plumas Co Fairgrounds, 2 mi E of Quincy via E Main St and Fairgrounds Rd
NO. 723 PIONEER SKI AREA OF AMERICA, JOHNSVILLE - The first sport ski area in the western
hemisphere was in the Sierra Nevada, and by 1860 races were being held in the Plumas-Sierra region. The
mining towns of Whiskey Diggings, Poker Flat, Port Wine, Onion Valley, La Porte, Jamison City, and Johnsville
organized the earliest ski clubs and annual competitions.
Location:In front of Museum at Plumas-Eureka State Park, from Hwy 70 go S on State Hwy 89, then W on
County Road A14, 5 mi SW of Blairsden
SIERRA
NO. 421 HENNESS PASS ROAD - The main emigrant trail between Virginia City, Nevada and Marysville,
California, the Henness Pass Road was in use as early as 1849. At that time, this was the only road through the
Henness Pass.
Location: SW corner intersection of Ridge and Henness Pass Rds, 3.3 mi W of Alleghany
NO. 695 PLUM VALLEY HOUSE - In 1854, John Bope built the Plum Valley House of hewn logs and
whipsawn lumber. Named for the wild plums which grow in the area, it was a toll station on the Henness Pass
Road between Marysville and Virginia City.
Location: On Ridge Rd, 8.6 mi E of State Hwy 49 and 9.0 mi W of Alleghany
NO. 971 SIERRA COUNTY SHERIFF'S GALLOWS - On November 27, 1885, 20-year-old James O'Neill
was hanged from this gallows for the August 7, 1884 murder of Webber Lake dairyman John Woodward. That
execution, conducted by Sheriff Samuel C. Stewart approximately 100 feet west of this site, was the last legal
execution in Sierra County and the only time this gallows was used. Changes in State law in 1891 ended local
executions in California, and further changes in 1941 ended hanging as a means of legal execution within the
state.
Location: Sierra County Jail Yard, Downieville
TUOLUMNE
NO. 122 MONTEZUMA - First record of Montezuma was June 1850 when partners Solomon Miller and Peter
K. Aurand, proprietors of the 'Montezuma Tent,' were attacked and Aurand killed by a group of Mexicans during
the foreign miners tax excitement of that period. Due to the lack of water, little mining occurred here until 1852
when a ditch and flume were completed bringing water for placer mining. Two types of mining were carried on,
placer operations on the flats and tunnels extending under Table Mountain. The gravel produced 3-1/2 C. per pan
in the mid 50s. The yield was from $5 to $10 per day. One placer nugget found in 1853 weighed 18 lbs. 8 oz. By
late 1852 the population was about 800. At its zenith Montezuma City had four saloons, two hotels, Adams
Express Co., post office, church, some homes, and many tents and cabins. The town was nearly destroyed by an
incendiary fire which started in Clarks Hotel on June 29, 1866.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 11.3), 2.5 mi N of Chinese Camp
NO. 123 COLUMBIA - Columbia, the 'Gem of the Southern Mines,' became a town of 4,000 to 5,000 in the
1850s, following the discovery of gold here by the Hildreth party March 27, 1850. Gold shipments, estimated at
$87,000,000, declined rapidly after 1858, but Columbia never became a ghost town. Columbia State Historic
Park was created in 1945 to preserve its historic buildings and sites.
127
Location: Columbia State Historic Park, NW corner of Washington and Broadway Sts, Columbia
NO. 124 TUTTLETOWN - This early-day stopping place for men and mounts was named for Judge Anson A.
H. Tuttle, who built the first log cabin here in 1848. Stones used in the base for the plaque are from the old
Swerer store built in 1854, remains of which still exist (1949). Mark Twain traded here. Tuttletown Hotel, built
in 1852 and still standing in 1949, was last operated by John Edwards.
Location: On State Hwy 49 (P.M. 24.8) at Wilcox Ranch Rd, Tuttletown
NO. 138 MARK TWAIN CABIN - This is a replica of Mark Twain's cabin, with original chimney and
fireplace. Here on Jackass Hill, young Mark Twain, while guest of the Gillis Brothers in 1864-65, gathered
material for The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, which first brought him fame, and for Roughing It.
Location: 1 mi NW of Tuttletown off State Hwy 49
NO. 139 ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH - The seventh parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church in
California, St. James is the oldest Episcopal Church building in the state. The first services were held in the
church on October 4, 1859, and it was consecrated by Rt. Rev. Wm. Ingraham Kip in 1870.
Location: Intersection of N Washington (State Hwy 49) and Elkin Sts, Sonora
NO. 140 WELLS FARGO EXPRESS COMPANY BUILDING - This building, erected in 1849 by the
Walkerly brothers, was subsequently owned by the Morris brothers. It housed a general merchandise store in
connection with the office of Adams Express Company, predecessor of Wells Fargo & Company. The original
express agents were Sol Miller, C. W. H. Solinsky, and the Morris brothers.
Location: SW corner of Main St and Solinsky Alley, Chinese Camp
NO. 395 SHAW'S FLAT - In 1850 this community was alive with gold miners. James D. Fair, after whom the
Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco is named, was one of the most notable. The Mississippi House, built in 1850,
contains many relics including the original bar and post office with its grill and mailboxes. On a nearby hill
stands the old bell, given by miners, which summoned men to work and announced the convening of various
courts. According to tradition, a local bartender added to his income by panning the gold dust dropped on his
muddy boots as he served customers.
Location: SE corner of Shaw's Flat Rd and Mt Brow Rd, 2.6 mi SW of Columbia
NO. 406 BIG OAK FLAT - First called Savage Diggins after the man who discovered gold here in 1848, the
town was renamed Big Oak Flat about 1850 after the giant oak tree that stood in the center of town, near this
spot. The oak, which was about 13 feet in diameter, was undermined in 1869 and burned in 1890, only pieces
remained in 1949. Rich placer and lode mines are reported to have yielded $28,000,000 during the town's
heyday. Stone buildings erected in 1852 were still standing in 1949.
Location: On State Hwy 120 (P.M. 30.2), Big Oak Flat
NO. 407 SUMMERSVILLE (TUOLUMNE) - The area's first non-Indian settlers, the Franklin Summers
family, arrived in 1854 and built a log cabin a half mile west of this spot, the geographical center of East Belt
Placer Gold Rush from 1856 to 1857. In 1858, James Blakely discovered the first quartz lode half a mile east of
here and named it 'Eureka.' The mine became the nucleus of the town of Summersville, which was later called
Carters and finally became Tuolumne. Other mining towns lively in gold rush days were Long Gulch, two miles
south, and Cherokee, two miles north.
Location: In island, center of Carter St at intersection with Tuolumne Rd, Tuolumne
NO. 419 JACKSONVILLE - Near this site stood the historic town of Jacksonville, now inundated by the waters
of Don Pedro Reservoir. The town was settled by Julian Smart, who planted the first garden and orchard in the
spring of 1849, and named for Colonel A. M. Jackson. In 1850 it was the principal river town in the area and the
center for thousands of miners working the rich bed of the Tuolumne River.
128
Location: Vista point at N approach to Don Pedro Bridge, State Hwy 120 (P.M. 19.4), 3.5 mi SE of Chinese
Camp
NO. 420 SOULSBYVILLE - Site of the famous Soulsby Mine (discovered by Benjamin Soulsby), Soulsbyville
is the first community in Tuolumne County to be founded (1855) entirely upon the operation of a lode mine. First
to work the mine were hard rock miners from Cornwall, England, the first group of 499 Cornishmen arrived in
1858.
Location: NW corner of Soulsbyville Rd and Community Dr, Soulsbyville
NO. 422 SONORA-MONO ROAD - Jedediah Smith is reputed to have been the first white man to cross over or
near Sonora Pass in 1827. A portion of the road was built by Tuolumne County Water Company in 1852 and a
toll gate, fine hotel, and stables were located near this spot in the 1850s. Surveyed to Bridgeport, Mono County
in 1860, the road was completed in 1864, when a six-horse team took three weeks for the round trip between
Sonora and Bridgeport.
Location: On State Hwy 108 (P.M. 14.5) at Sugar Pine cutoff, Sugar Pine
NO. 423 CHINESE CAMP - Reportedly founded about 1849 by a group of Englishmen who employed Chinese
as miners, Chinese Camp was headquarters for stagelines in early 1850s and for several California Chinese
mining companies. Much surface gold was found on hills and flats. The first Chinese tong war in the state was
fought near here between the Sam Yap and Yan Woo Tongs. Stone and brick post office, built in 1854, is still in
use. The St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, built in 1855, was restored in 1949, its first pastor was Father Henry
Aleric.
Location: NW corner of State Hwy 120 (P.M. 15.9) and Main St, Chinese Camp
NO. 424 SAWMILL FLAT - Its name derived from two sawmills erected here to supply mining timbers in the
early 1850s, Sawmill Flat was rich in pocket gold in its heyday, population at one time was 1,000. The mining
camp of a Mexican woman, Dona Elisa Martínez, at north end of the flat, is reported to have been a hideout of
the famous bandit Joaquin Murieta. The legendary 'Battle of Sawmill Flat' would have taken place here.
Location: 22041 Sawmill Flat Rd, 2 mi SE of Columbia
NO. 431 JAMESTOWN - James Woods first discovered gold in Tuolumne County west of this point, on Woods
Creek, shortly before the town was founded by Colonel George James on August 8, 1848. Large quantities of
gold were recovered from the stream. The town became known as gateway to the Mother Lode and the southern
mines.
Location: NE corner of Main and Donovan Sts, Jamestown
NO. 432 SPRINGFIELD - Springfield received its name from the abundant springs gushing from limestone
boulders. The town with its stores, shops, and hotel built around a plaza once boasted 2,000 inhabitants. It is
believed to have been founded by Dona Josefa Valmesada, a Mexican woman of means with the reputation of
aiding Americans in the war with Mexico. During the town's heyday, 150 miners' carts could be seen on the road,
hauling gold-bearing dirt to Springfield springs for washing.
Location: At intersection of Springfield and Horseshoe Bend Rds, 1.1 mi SW of Columbia
NO. 438 PARROTT'S FERRY - This is the site of the ferry crossing established in 1860 by Thomas H. Parrott
that connected the mining towns of Tuttletown and Vallecito. The ferry was in operation until 1903, when the
first bridge was built. The ferryboat, of flatbottom wooden construction, was propelled on heavy cables anchored
in a large boulder. Still visible (1949) at low water on the Calaveras side of the river is the sandbag dam built to
form a small lake that stored enough water to float the ferries in dry periods.
Location: Vista area on Calaveras side of Columbia-Vallecito Highway Bridge, Stanislaus River Parrott's Ferry
Rd, 5 mi NW of Columbia
129
NO. 445 CHEROKEE - Gold was discovered here in 1853 by the Scott brothers, descendants of Cherokee
Indians. Scars of placer 'diggins' in every little arroyo in Cherokee Valley, healed over by Mother Nature, were
later replaced by a quartz mine. Present-day productive farms in this area were once rich placer grounds.
Location: On Confidence-Tuolumne City Rd (P.M. 8.5), 2 mi N of Tuolumne City
NO. 446 GROVELAND - Formerly called 'First Garrote' because of the hanging of a Mexican for stealing a
horse, Groveland was built in 1849 as shown by dated adobe brick taken from a partition, adobe buildings were
still standing in 1949. Gold was discovered here in 1849, and thousands of dollars in placer gold were taken from
mines on Garrote Creek, Big Creek, and other diggings.
Location: On NE corner of Main (State Hwy 120) and Back Sts, Groveland
NO. 460 SECOND GARROTE - A sizable settlement was established at this rich placer location in 1849 by
miners spreading east from Big Oak Flat and Groveland. The famous hangman's tree, part of which still stands
(1950), is reported to have been instrumental in the death of a number of lawbreakers during the heyday of this
locality.
Location: On State Hwy 120 (P.M. 34. 7), 2.4 mi SE of Groveland
YUBA
NO. 320 TIMBUCTOO - In 1855, Timbuctoo was the largest town in eastern Yuba County. At the height of its
prosperity it contained a church, theater, stores, hotels, and saloons, a Wells Fargo office, and the Stewart Bros.
store which was restored in 1928 and dedicated to the town's pioneer men and women.
Location: Plaque located on State Hwy 20 (P.M. 14.9), site on Timbuctoo Rd, 1.0 mi W of Smartville
NO. 321 SMARTSVILLE - The first building at Smartsville (the post office is called Smartville) was built in
the spring of 1856 by a Mr. Smart. The Church of the Immaculate Conception (organized in 1852 in Rose's Bar)
was built in 1861, and in 1863 the Union Church was erected. One of the prominent features of the landscape of
the town today is its churches.
Location: On State Hwy 20, Smartville
NO. 493 JOHNSON'S RANCH - The first settlement reached in California by emigrant trains using the
Emigrant ('Donner') Trail, this was an original part of the 1844 Don Pablo Gutiérrez land grant. It was sold at
auction to William Johnson in 1845, and in 1849 part of the ranch was set aside as a government reserve-Camp
Far West. In 1866, the town of Wheatland was laid out on a portion of the grant.
Location: Tomita Park, Front St, between Fourth and Main Sts, Wheatland
NO. 799-3 OVERLAND EMIGRANT TRAIL - Over a hundred years ago, this trail resounded to creaking
wheels of pioneer wagons and the cries of hardy travelers on their way to the gold fields. It is estimated that over
thirty thousand people used this trail in 1849. About a mile and a quarter east of this site is Johnson's Crossing,
the last stop on the Overland Emigrant Trail and first settlement west of the Sierra. It was used by pioneers,
miners, trappers, herdsmen, and adventurers, rescuers of the Donner Party assembled here to begin their mission
on February 5, 1847.
Location: On Spencerville Rd, 3.9 mi E of State Hwy 65, Wheatland
NO. 889 BOK KAI TEMPLE - Dedicated March 21, 1880, this building replaced the first temple built nearby
in the early 1850s. It has been a Chinese community project since 1866, serving as a meeting hall, court, school,
and place of worship. In this 'Palace of Many Saints,' Bok Eye, the water god, is the central deity and has been
celebrated in Marysville on Bomb Day since Chinese settled here.
Location: SW corner of First and D Sts, Marysville
130
NO. 934 TEMPORARY DETENTION CAMPS FOR JAPANESE AMERICANS-MARYSVILLE
ASSEMBLY CENTER - The temporary detention camps (also known as 'assembly centers') represent the first
phase of the mass incarceration of 97,785 Californians of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Pursuant to
Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, thirteen makeshift
detention facilities were constructed at various California racetracks, fairgrounds, and labor camps. These
facilities were intended to confine Japanese Americans until more permanent concentration camps, such as those
at Manzanar and Tule Lake in California, could be built in isolated areas of the country. Beginning on March 30,
1942, all native-born Americans and long-time legal residents of Japanese ancestry living in California were
ordered to surrender themselves for detention.
Location: Aarboga Community, 6 mi S of Marysville, on Arboga Rd
NO. 1003 SITE OF THE WHEATLAND HOP RIOT OF 1913 - The Wheatland Hop Riot was one of the
most important and well-known events in California labor history. A bloody clash occurred at the Durst Ranch
on August 3, 1913, climaxing growing tensions brought about by the difficult conditions farm laborers at the
ranch endured. The riot resulted in four deaths and many injuries. It focused public opinion for the first time on
the plight of California's agricultural laborers, and resulted in new state legislation to regulate labor camp
conditions. A new State Commission on Immigration and Housing was created to help improve working
conditions. Beyond that, the Wheatland Hop Riot was the first major farm labor confrontation in California and
the harbinger of decades of attempts to organize or control agricultural labor.
Location: Intersection of S 'A' St and 6th St, Wheatland
Total State Landmarks: 194 in eleven counties
Source: California Office of Historic Preservation, http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/, 10/03/05.

100
Source: California Dept of Transportation (CalTrans), website:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LandArch/scenic_highways/index.htm , 01/21/06.
101
Source: California Office of Historic Preservation, http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/, 10/03/05.
102
Source: National Register of Historic Places, NRIS website http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/research/index.htm ,
Jan. 20, 2006.
131
National Landmarks
102
Row State County Resource Name Address City
1 CA Amador Amador County Hospital Building 708 Court St. Jackson
2 CA Amador Butterfield, John A., House 115 Broadway Jackson
3 CA Amador Chichizola Family Store Complex 1316--1330 Jackson Gate Rd. Jackson
4 CA Amador DePue, Grace Blair, House and
Indian Museum
215 Court St. Jackson
5 CA Amador Fiddletown Off CA 49 Fiddletown
6 CA Amador Five Mile Drive--Sutter Creek
Bridge
Five Mile Drive Ione
7 CA Amador Indian Grinding Rock Address Restricted Volcano
8 CA Amador Ione City Centenary Church 150 W. Marlette St. Ione
9 CA Amador Jackson Downtown Historic District Roughly along Main St. from 215
Main St. to 14 Broadway
Jackson
10 CA Amador Kennedy Tailing Wheels Jackson Gate Rd. Jackson
11 CA Amador Knight's Foundry and Shops 13 Eureka St. Sutter Creek
12 CA Amador Preston Castle N of Ione on Preston Ave. Ione
13 CA Amador Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox
Church
724 N. Main Jackson
14 CA Amador Scully Ranch Marlette St. Ione
15 CA Amador St. George Hotel 2 Main St. Volcano
16 CA Amador Sutter Creek Grammar School Between Broad and Cole Sts. Sutter Creek
1 CA Calaveras Altaville Grammar School 125 N. Main St. Altaville
2 CA Calaveras Angels Hotel Main St. at Birds Way Angels Camp
3 CA Calaveras Calaveras County Bank 1239 Main St. Angels Camp
4 CA Calaveras Calaveras County Courthouse Main St. San Andreas
5 CA Calaveras Choy, Sam, Brick Store Bird Way Angels Camp
6 CA Calaveras Copperopolis Armory 695 Main St. Copperopolis
7 CA Calaveras Copperopolis Congregational
Church
411 Main St. Copperopolis
8 CA Calaveras Douglas Flat School NE of Vallecito on SR 4 Douglas Flat
9 CA Calaveras Honigsberger Store 665 Main St. Copperopolis
10 CA Calaveras Murphys Grammar School Jones St. Murphys
11 CA Calaveras Murphys Hotel Main and Algiers Sts. Murphys
12 CA Calaveras Reed's Store 679 Main St. Copperopolis
13 CA Calaveras Synder, John J., House 247 W. St. Charles St. San Andreas
14 CA Calaveras Thorn House 87 E. St. Charles St. San Andreas
15 CA Calaveras Utica Mansion 1103 Bush St. Angels Camp
National Register of Historic Places - Index By State & County report - California, Highway 49
Counties Jan 2006
132
1 CA El Dorado Baldwin Estate NW of US 50 and CA 89 jct. on N
side of CA 89
South Lake Tahoe
2 CA El Dorado Bayley Hotel N of Pilot Hill on CA 49 Pilot Hill
3 CA El Dorado Coloma 7 mi. NW of Placerville on CA 49 Placerville
4 CA El Dorado Combellack-Blair House 3059 Cedar Ravine Placerville
5 CA El Dorado Confidence Hall 487 Main St. Placerville
6 CA El Dorado Crawford Ditch Address Restricted Pleasant Valley
7 CA El Dorado Eddy Tree Breeding Station 2480 and 2500 Carson Rd. Placerville
8 CA El Dorado Episcopal Church of Our
Saviour
2979 Coloma St. Placerville
9 CA El Dorado Fountain-Tallman Soda
Works
524 Main St. Placerville
10 CA El Dorado Hattie (Gold Bug), Priest and
Silver Pine Mines and
Stampmill
2501 Bedford Ave. Placerville
11 CA El Dorado Heller Estate NW of US 50 and CA 89 jct. on N
side of CA 89
South Lake Tahoe
12 CA El Dorado Lombardo Ranch 1709 Carson Rd. Placerville
13 CA El Dorado Pearson, John, Soda Works 594 Main St. Placerville
14 CA El Dorado Pope Estate NW of US 50 and CA 89 jct. on N
side of CA 89
South Lake Tahoe
15 CA El Dorado Sugar Pine Point State Park 3 mi. S of Homewood on CA 90 Homewood
16 CA El Dorado Tahoe Meadows US 50 between Ski Run Blvd. and
Park Ave.
South Lake Tahoe
17 CA El Dorado Vikingsholm 10001 Emerald Bay Rd. South Lake Tahoe
1 CA Madera Madera County Courthouse 210 W. Yosemite Ave. Madera
1 CA Mariposa Acting Superintendent's
Headquarters
Yosemite National Park Wawona
2 CA Mariposa Ahwahnee Hotel Yosemite Valley Yosemite National
Park
3 CA Mariposa Bagby Stationhouse, Water
Tanks and Turntable
CA 140 El Portal
4 CA Mariposa Big Gap Flume E of Groveland off CA 120 in
Stanislaus National Forest
Groveland
5 CA Mariposa Bower Cave Address Restricted Greeley Hill
6 CA Mariposa Camp 4 Northside Dr., Yosemite National
Park
Yosemite
7 CA Mariposa Camp Curry Historic District Yosemite Valley Yosemite National
Park
8 CA Mariposa Coulterville Main Street
Historic District
Main St. Coulterville
9 CA Mariposa Crane Flat Fire Lookout N of Big Oak Flat Rd., near Crane
Cr., Yosemite National Park
Aspen Valley
10 CA Mariposa El Portal Archeological
District
Address Restricted Mariposa
11 CA Mariposa Glacier Point Trailside
Museum
E of El Portal in Yosemite National
Park
El Portal
133
12 CA Mariposa Hetch Hetchy Railroad Engine
No.6
CA 140 El Portal
13 CA Mariposa Hodgdon Homestead Cabin Yosemite National Park Wawona
14 CA Mariposa Jorgenson, Chris, Studio Pioneer Yosemite Historic Center Yosemite National
Park
15 CA Mariposa Le Conte Memorial Lodge Yosemite Valley, Yosemite
National Park
Curry Village
16 CA Mariposa Mariposa County Courthouse 5088 Bullion St. Mariposa
17 CA Mariposa Mariposa County High School
Auditorium
5074 Old Highway N. Mariposa
18 CA Mariposa Mariposa Grove Museum SE of Wawona in Yosemite
National Park
Wawona
19 CA Mariposa Mariposa Town Historic District Roughly bounded by Charles,
11th, Jones and 4th Sts.
Mariposa
20 CA Mariposa McCauley and Meyer Barns N of El Portal in Yosemite
National Park
El Portal
21 CA Mariposa McGurk Cabin S of Yosemite Village Yosemite Village
22 CA Mariposa Merced Grove Ranger Station N of El Portal in Yosemite
National Park
El Portal
23 CA Mariposa Rangers' Club Yosemite Valley Yosemite National
Park
24 CA Mariposa St. Joseph Catholic Church,
Rectory and Cemetery
4983--4985 Bullion St. Mariposa
25 CA Mariposa Track Bus No. 19 CA 140 El Portal
26 CA Mariposa Wawona Hotel and Pavilion On CA 41 in Yosemite National
Park
Wawona
27 CA Mariposa Yosemite Transportation
Company Office
N of Wawona in Yosemite
National Park
Wawona
28 CA Mariposa Yosemite Valley Archeological
District
Address Restricted Yosemite Village
29 CA Mariposa Yosemite Valley Bridges 8 Bridges over Merced River,
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Village
30 CA Mariposa Yosemite Valley Chapel Off CA 140 Yosemite National
Park
31 CA Mariposa Yosemite Valley Railroad
Caboose No. 15
CA 140 El Portal
32 CA Mariposa Yosemite Village Historic District E of El Portal in Yosemite
National Park
El Portal
1 CA Nevada Boca Dam S end of Boca Resevoir Truckee
2 CA Nevada Bridgeport Covered Bridge
SW of French Corral over S.
Yuba River French Corral
3 CA Nevada Donner Camp 2.6 mi. W of Truckee on U.S. 40 Truckee
4 CA Nevada Empire Mine
SE of Grass Valley at 338 E.
Empire St. Grass Valley
5 CA Nevada Foote's Crossing Road Tahoe National Forest North Columbia
6 CA Nevada Grass Valley Public Library 207 Mill St. Grass Valley
7 CA Nevada Kruger House 10292 Donner Pass Rd. Truckee
134
8 CA Nevada Malakoff Diggins-North
Bloomfield Historic District
Graniteville Star Route North Bloomfield
9 CA Nevada Marsh, Martin Luther, House 254 Boulder St. Nevada City
10 CA Nevada Meadow Lake Petroglyphs Address Restricted French Lake
11 CA Nevada Mount St. Mary's Academy and
Convent
Church and Chapel Sts. Grass Valley
12 CA Nevada National Exchange Hotel 211 Broad St. Nevada City
13 CA Nevada Nevada Brewery 107 Sacramento St. Nevada City
14 CA Nevada Nevada City Downtown Historic
District
Roughly bounded by Spring, Bridge,
Commercial, York, Washington, Coyote,
and Main Sts.
Nevada City
15 CA Nevada Nevada City Firehouse No. 2 420 Broad St. Nevada City
16 CA Nevada Nevada City Free Public Library 211 N. Pine St. Nevada City
17 CA Nevada Nevada Theatre Broad and Bridge Sts. Nevada City
18 CA Nevada Ott's Assay Office 130 Main St. Nevada City
19 CA Nevada Red Dog Townsite Address Restricted Nevada City
20 CA Nevada Sargent, Aaron A., House 449 Broad St. Nevada City
1 CA Placer Colfax Freight Depot 7 Main St. Colfax
2 CA Placer Colfax Passenger Depot Main St. and Railroad Ave. Colfax
3 CA Placer Dutch Flat Historic District Main and Stockton Sts. Dutch Flat
4 CA Placer Griffith House 7325 English Colony Way Penryn
5 CA Placer Griffith Quarry Taylor Rd. Penryn
6 CA Placer Haman House 424 Oak St. Roseville
7 CA Placer Lake Tahoe Dam SR 89 at Truckee River Tahoe City
8 CA Placer Lincoln Public Library 590 Fifth St. Lincoln
9 CA Placer Michigan Bluff--Last Chance
Trail
From Michigan Bluff NE to Last Chance Michigan Bluff
10 CA Placer Mountain Quarries Bridge North Fork of the American River Auburn
11 CA Placer Newcastle Portuguese Hall Taylor Rd. Newcastle
12 CA Placer Old Auburn Historic District Roughly bounded by Maple,
Commercial, Court, Washington, Spring,
and Sacramento Sts.
Auburn
13 CA Placer Outlet Gates and Gatekeeper's
Cabin
U.S. 89 at mouth of Truckee River Tahoe City
14 CA Placer Stevens Trail Roughly bounded Iowa Hill, canyon of
North fork Of American R., until at
Secret Ravine, top of ridge of Colfax
Colfax
15 CA Placer Strap Ravine Nisenan Maidu
Indian Site
Address Restricted Roseville
16 CA Placer Summit Soda Springs SE of Soda Springs Soda Springs
17 CA Placer Watson Log Cabin 560 N. Lake Blvd Tahoe City
18 CA Placer Woman's Club of Lincoln 499 E St. Lincoln
135
1 CA Plumas Ch'ichu'yam-bam Address Restricted Crescent Mills
2 CA Plumas Drakesbad Guest Ranch
Head of Warner Creek Valley, Lassen
Volcanic National Park Chester
3 CA Plumas Lakes Basin Petroglyphs Address Restricted Gold Lake
4 CA Plumas
Plumas-Eureka Mill,
Jamison Mines District
W of Blairsden off Alt. U.S. 40 in Plumas-
Eureka State Park Blairsden
5 CA Plumas
Warner Valley Ranger
Station
N of Chester in Lassen Volcanic National
Park Chester
2 CA Sierra Foote's Crossing Road Tahoe National Forest Nevada City
3 CA Sierra Forest City Off of Mountain House Rd., jct. of North
and South Forks, Tahoe National Forest
Forest City
4 CA Sierra Hawley Lake Petroglyphs Address Restricted Gold Lake
5 CA Sierra Kyburz Flat Site Address Restricted Loyalton
6 CA Sierra Sardine Valley Archeological
District
Address Restricted Truckee
7 CA Sierra Sierra County Sheriff's
Gallows
Galloway Rd. and Courthouse Sq. Downieville
8 CA Sierra Stampede Site Address Restricted Verdi
1 CA Tuolumne Baker Highway Maintenance
Station
33950 CA 108 Strawberry
2 CA Tuolumne Cady House 72 N. Norlin St. Sonora
3 CA Tuolumne Chinaman Mortar Site Address Restricted Strawberry
4 CA Tuolumne City Hotel 145 S. Washington St. Sonora
5 CA Tuolumne Columbia Historic District 4 mi. NW of Sonora on CA 49 Columbia
6 CA Tuolumne Emporium 735 Main St. Jamestown
7 CA Tuolumne Gamble Building and Miner's
Bean Kettle
17544 CA 120 Big Oak Flat
8 CA Tuolumne Great Sierra Mine Historic
Site
W of Lee Vining in Yosemite National
Park
Lee Vining
9 CA Tuolumne Great Sierra Wagon Road N of Yosemite Village Yosemite Valley
10 CA Tuolumne Groveland Hotel 18767 Main St. (CA 120) Groveland
11 CA Tuolumne Hotel Charlotte 18736 Main St. (CA 120) Groveland
12 CA Tuolumne McCauley Cabin W of Lee Vining at Tuolumne Meadows Lee Vining
13 CA Tuolumne Niagara Camp NE of Tuolumne in Stanislaus National
Forest
Tuolumne
14 CA Tuolumne Parsons Memorial Lodge Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National
Park
15 CA Tuolumne Quail Site Address Restricted Long Barn
16 CA Tuolumne Soda Springs Cabin SW of Lee Vining Lee Vining
17 CA Tuolumne Sugg House 37 Theall St. Sonora
18 CA Tuolumne Tioga Pass Entrance Station SW of Lee Vining in Yosemite National
Park
Lee Vining
19 CA Tuolumne Tuolumne County
Courthouse
41 W. Yaney Ave. Sonora
20 CA Tuolumne Tuolumne County Jail 156 W. Bradford St. Sonora
136
21 CA Tuolumne Tuolumne Meadows SW of Lee Vining in
Yosemite National Park
Lee Vining
22 CA Tuolumne Tuolumne Meadows Ranger
Stations and Comfort Stations
SW of Lee Vining in
Yosemite National Park
Lee Vining
23 CA Tuolumne Watts & Tannahill Company
Store
18761 Main St. (CA 120) Groveland
1 CA Yuba Bok Kai Temple Yuba River Levee at D St. Marysville
2 CA Yuba Hart Building 423--425 4th St. Marysville
3 CA Yuba Johnson Ranch and Burtis Hotel
Sites
Address Restricted Wheatland
4 CA Yuba Marysville Historic Commercial
District
Roughly bounded by First,
Sixth, C, and E Sts.
Marysville
5 CA Yuba Miller, Warren P., House 704 D St. Marysville
6 CA Yuba Oregon Creek Covered Bridge 3 mi. NE of North San Juan
over Oregon Creek
North San Juan
7 CA Yuba Packard Library 301 4th St. Marysville
8 CA Yuba Ramirez, Jose Manuel, House 220 5th St. Marysville
9 CA Yuba US Post Office--Marysville Main 407 C St. Marysville
10 CA Yuba Wheatland Masonic Temple 400 Front St. Wheatland
11 CA Yuba Woodleaf Hotel Marysville-La Porte Rd. Woodleaf
11 Counties 165 Landmarks Approx. 62 municipalities
Source: National Register of Historic Places, NRIS website http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/research/index.htm , Jan. 20, 2006.
137
Appendix C. List of National Heritage Areas
National Heritage Area Name State/s Date Authorized
Illinois & Michigan National Heritage Corridor IL August 24, 1984
John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor MA, RI November 10, 1986
Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor PA November 18, 1988
Southwestern Pennsylvania Industrical Heritage Route (Path of Progress) PA November 19, 1988
Cane River National Heritage Area LA November 2, 1994
Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor CT, MA November 2, 1994
Cache la Poudre Corridor (Cache la Poudre River Corridor) CO October 19, 1996
America's Agricultural Heritage Partnership (Silos & Smokestacks) IA November 12, 1996
Augusta Canal National Heritage Area GA November 12, 1996
Essex National Heritage Area MA November 12, 1996
Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area NY November 12, 1996
National Coal Heritage Area WV November 12, 1996
Ohio & Erie National Heritage Corridor (Ohio & Erie CanalWay) OH November 12, 1996
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area PA November 12, 1996
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District VA November 12, 1996
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor SC November 12, 1996
Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area TN November 12, 1996
Wheeling National Heritage Area WV October 11, 2000
Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area AZ October 19, 2000
Automobile National Heritage Area (MotorCities) MI November 6, 2000
Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area (Lackawanna Heritage Valley) PA November 6, 2000
Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area PA November 6, 2000
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor NY December 21, 2000
Blue Ridge National Heritage Area NC November 10, 2003
Mississippi Gulf National Heritage Area MS December 8, 2004
National Aviation Heritage Area OH December 8, 2004
Oil Region National Heritage Area PA December 8, 2004
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area
GA September 29, 2006
Atchafalaya National Heritage Area LA September 29, 2006
Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership
NY, VT September 29, 2006
Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area
NJ September 29, 2006
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
KS, MO September 29, 2006
Great Basin National Heritage Route UT, NV September 29, 2006
Gullah/Geechee Heritage Corridor NC, SC,
GA, FL
September 29, 2006
Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area UT September 29, 2006
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area NM September 29, 2006
Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area MA, CT September 29, 2006
Total National Heritage Areas to date: 37
Source: National Park Service, National Heritage Areas, website, 10/19/05 & 01/15.07. http://www.cr.nps.gov/heritageareas/
List of National Heritage Areas
138
Appendix D. Heritage Bills Introduced
National Park Service, National Heritage Areas Program, September 28, 2004
HERITAGE BILLS INTRODUCED, 108th CONGRESS
1
Program legislation introduced
National Heritage Partnership Act (S.2543) -- passed the Senate 9.16.04
Heritage study bills introduced
French Colonial (S. 1105) (calls itself a heritage area but the bill is for a unit)
Golden Chain (H.R. 907)
Northeastern North Carolina (H.R. 2925)
Northern Neck (S. 472, H.R. 567)
Southern Campaign of the Revolution (S. 276, H.R. 744)
St. Croix (H.R.1594) -- Hearing before House Subcommittee 9.15.03
Trail of the Ancients/Four Corners (S. 634) (still a trail bill but may be revised to a heritage area)
Western Reserve Heritage Area (H.R. 3527) -- passed the House
TOTAL: 8 study bills introduced on 6 areas
Heritage designation bills introduced
Abraham Lincoln (H.R. 3553, S. 1941)
Arabia Mountain (H.R. 1618, S. 1752) -- passed the House
Atchafalaya (S. 323) -- passed the Senate 9.16.04
Bleeding Kansas (H.R. 3909, S. 2224)
Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (S. 1118)
Crossroads of the American Revolution (S. 230, H.R. 524)
Freedom’s Way (S. 577, H.R. 1069)
Great Basin (S. 840)
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act (H. R. 4683) -- passed the House 9.28.04
Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm (S. 1330, H.R. 2278)
Mississippi Gulf Coast (S. 1137, H.R. 2689)
National Aviation (S. 180, H.R. 280, H.R. 4492) -- passed the House; passed the Senate 9.16.04
National Mormon Pioneer (S. 916)
Northern Rio Grande (S. 211, H.R. 505) -- passed the Senate 9.16.04
Oil Region (H.R. 1862, H.R. 4492, S. 912) -- passed the House
Upper Housatonic Valley (S. 1056, H.R. 1798) -- passed the House
TOTAL: 28 designation bills introduced on 16 areas
Enacted
Blue Ridge, as part of Public Law 108-108, section 140, Interior Appropriation bill FY 2004
Other
Bill to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (S. 4492, S. 2836)

1
Source: http://www.cr.nps.gov/heritageareas/LEG/introbills108.pdf 06/23/06.
139
National Park Service, National Heritage Areas, updated May 30, 2006
HERITAGE AREA BILLS INTRODUCED, 109th CONGRESS
2
Program legislation
National Heritage Partnership Act (S. 243, H.R. 760) passed the Senate 7.27
National heritage area study bills
Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor (S. 2148, H.R.4864)
Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area (S.3035, H.R.5485)
Northeastern North Carolina Heritage Area (H.R. 1087)
Northern Neck National Heritage Area Study Act (H.R. 73)
St. Croix National Heritage Area (H.R. 61) passed the House 5.17 as part of H.R. 938; passed the Senate
7.27 as part of S. 203
Southern Campaign of the Revolution Heritage Area (H.R. 1289, S. 1121) passed the Senate 7.27as part of
S. 203
Trail of the Ancients Heritage Area (S. 1414)
Western Reserve National Heritage Area (H.R. 412) passed the House 3.14; passed the Senate 7.27as part
of S. 203
TOTAL: 11 study bills introduced on 8 areas
National heritage area designation bills
Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area (H.R. 1192, S. 973)
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (S. 200, H.R. 2099, H.R. 2297) passed the Senate 7.27as part of
S. 203; H.R. 2099 passed the House 12.19
Atchafalaya National Heritage Area (S. 204, H.R.522) passed the Senate 7.27 as part of S. 203
Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area (H.R. 413, S. 175) passed the Senate 7.27 as part of S. 203
Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership (S. 322) passed the Senate 7.27 as part of S. 203
Cherokee Overhill Territory National Heritage Area (H.R. 3158)
Confluence National Heritage Corridor (S. 2114)
Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area (H.R. 87, S. 825) passed the Senate 7.27 as
part of S. 203
Freedom's Way National Heritage Area (H.R. 956, S. 1898)
Great Basin National Heritage Route (S. 249) passed the Senate 7.27 as part of S. 203
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (H.R. 694) passed the House 3.14.05; passed the Senate 7.27
as part of S. 203
Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area (H.R.5195, S.2645)
Land Between the Rivers National Heritage Area (S. 2985)
Mississippi River National Heritage Area (S. 1721)
National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area (S. 163) passed the Senate 7.27 as part of S. 203
Northern Plains National Heritage Area (S. 1544)
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area (S. 63, H.R. 732) passed the House 5.17.05 as part of H.R.
938; passed the Senate 7.27 as part of S. 203
Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (S. 2037)
South Park National Heritage Area (H.R. 4818, S. 2336)

2
Source: http://www.cr.nps.gov/heritageareas/LEG/introbills109.pdf 06/23/06.
140
Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area (S. 429, H.R. 938, H.R. 5311) passed the House 5.17.05;
passed the Senate 7.27 as part of S. 203; H.R. 5311 passed the House 5.09.06
TOTAL: 32 designation bills introduced on 20 areas
Related national heritage area bills
To amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to extend the authorization for
certain national heritage areas (H.R. 888, S. 1721)
To amend the boundary of Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area (H.R. 326, S.505) passed the House
11.15.05
To extend the authorization of Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor (H.R.
1205, S. 574)
To amend the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Act of 1984 to help ensure the
appropriate transition of the management entity of the heritage corridor (H.R.1820) passed the House
5.16.05 as part of H.R. 938; passed the Senate 7.27 as part of S. 203; passed the House 12.19 as part of
H.R. 2099
To provide for the update of the Cultural Heritage and Land Management Plan for the John H. Chafee
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, to extend the authority of the John H. Chafee
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission, and to authorize a special resources
study to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of a national park unit within the Corridor (S. 1387, S. 1721,
H.R. 3775) Cache la Poudre River Corridor Amendment (S. 2102)
TOTAL: 11 bills to amend existing legislation

Abstract (if available)

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Asset Metadata

Creator Cowan, Marla Yvette-Sterling Griffin (author)

Core Title California's Golden Chain Highway 49 of Mother Lode: a case study of historic significance and qualification as a national heritage area corridor

School School of Architecture

Degree Master of Historic Preservation

Degree Program Historic Preservation

Publication Date 05/29/2007

Defense Date 05/01/2007

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag California Gold Rush history,California heritage,Highway 49,National Heritage Area,OAI-PMH Harvest

Place Name California (states), Highway 49 (roadway), Mother Lode (region), USA (countries)

Language English

Advisor Breisch, Kenneth A. (committee chair)

Creator Email marla_griffin@yahoo.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m495

Unique identifier UC1316799

Identifier etd-Cowan-20070529 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-492643 (legacy record id),usctheses-m495 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Cowan-20070529.pdf

Dmrecord 492643

Document Type Thesis

Rights Cowan, Marla Yvette-Sterling Griffin

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu