Brockliss Bridge site

Monica and I had wanted to visit the site of the old Brockliss Bridge for some time. We would pass by the crumbling buildings of Pacific House on Highway 50, and then the old Peavine Ridge Road down to the river would beckon.

Pacific House was a stop for weary travelers along Johnson’s Cut-Off Trail and later the county Placerville to Lake Tahoe Road, Lincoln Highway, and Highway 50.

Leaving Pacific House and heading down Peavine Ridge Road, we came upon this magnificent block wall, pictured above, which seemed to have been built for the later roads that follow the Highway 50 route. This wall extends for a couple of hundred yards. The rock work seems to be the same type and era of other rock work we have seen along the county road's older sections. Likely this was built in the late 19th or early 20th Century.

Brockliss-Blair Bridge foundations. This was the third and last bridge located at this spot.

It’s a steep grade down to the bridge site, and we imagined the countless teams of hoses and wagons that once climbed up this very hill on their way to the goldfields. When the 1859 Silver boomed commenced in Nevada, the traffic reversed course and headed down the grade as we are.

Here is a beautiful rendering of the old Brockliss Bridge and toll station during the heydays of its existence. It looks like this was looking west, from the south side of the river.

This spot along the river was a natural ford (crossing) of John C. “Cockeye” Johnson’s overland trail. In 1853, he built a bridge, but winter floods the following year washed it away. With all the traffic, it was becoming apparent that this spot needed a new bridge.

The state legislature funded a timber lock arch structure in 1855-56, built by Anthony Brockliss, at the cost of $11,300. That bridge, after considerable use, collapsed in 1869. No bridge crossed this spot for the next 60 years.

In 1929 the Blair Brother Lumber Company built a third bridge at the site, known as the Brockliss-Blair Bridge. Lumber trucks and others used this bridge until the Forest Service destroyed it after 60 years of service. The concrete foundations at each side of the river are from this last bridge. We could find no evidence of the earlier bridges.

Trails West “T” Marker at the bottom of the grade at Pacific House.

At the bottom of the grade, the Trails West group has installed one of their "T" markers with a pioneer's quote. John McTurk commented in 1859 on the fare, $1, and the steep climb up after crossing the bridge. Still a steep climb up!

It’s always enjoyable to walk these old trails and imagine what it was like in the “old days.” This road would have had so much traffic during its early existence that if you left the line, you might not be able to proceed until nightfall. Amazing! Today, other than in summer, when people head down to the swimming hole, you are likely the only people on this trail. It’s history, almost all but forgotten.

A map of the area and features. Click the map to make it larger.

Alta and the Lincoln Highway

This photograph was taken in 1916 and showed the K.V.A. Ball Team in Alta, California. While we are not sure what the initials stand for, we are confident of the location. In the background, you can see a railroad crossing, which at this date would be the Southern Pacific Railroad. The building at right is the Alta Store, which still operates to this day.

Today’s Alta Bonny Nook Road was in 1916 the Lincoln Highway, which would have brought most transcontinental drivers right through the town. What’s fun about the above photo is a Lincoln Highway logo painted on a gas pump of some type. The Lincoln Highway Logo painted on telephone poles, bridges, and any other prominent spot was to help drivers navigate the country, and it would have been a central location in town. It was interesting to note no autos in the photo, but horses and buggies were still popular in the early 20th Century.

Map of location. Click photo for larger view.

A busy day at Baxter along old Highway 40

For many years, the mountain town of Baxter sat on the main transcontinental highway from Donner Summit to Auburn. Before the present Interstate 80 was built about 200 yards from this spot, everyone crossing the Sierra on Highway 40, the Lincoln Highway, stopped here to re-fuel and re-fresh. It's hard to imagine just how much traffic passed this way. These two photos help us to see the amount of traffic this small stop catered.

The above photo showed Baxter in 1936 when this was Highway 40. If you look closely down the road, there are at least 6+ buses parked in front of the Baxter's Hotel Lunch Counter. Figuring the buses were loaded with about 50 passengers, that means about 300 people are eating inside the building!

1926 photo showing trucks parked at Baxter, Placer County. Photo:Placer County Museums

Now let’s go back ten years to 1926 when this road was the Lincoln Highway. It appears that two big rigs have decided to stop for supplies after having crossed the summit and made it down the grade. There are plenty of automobiles parked around the front of the buildings, all visiting the Lunch Counter at the hotel or buying supplies at the “Old Forty-Nine Trading Post.”

The photo below shows Baxter today, looking east instead of west, like the older photos. The concrete foundation for the gas pumps can still be seen down the road by that building. Everything else has disappeared. The building standing in the photo seems to be a supply point for trucks harvesting water from Crystal Springs, nearby.

Baxter, looking east. Not much left of the old town.

A summertime day in Auburn, 1916.

We were looking down Railroad Street from the Freeman Hotel, Auburn. To the left, we see a Livery, Feed, and Auto Service, which was a logical choice for the livery as the new automobile made its appearance. The horse and buggy were doomed and best to transition while the transcontinental highway passed in front. Railroad Street in 1916 was the Lincoln Highway, bringing people and autos from the rest of the country as far as New York.

There is a bar just further down, which, according to the sign out front, sold beer for 5 cents, and beyond the bar is the Peerless Cleaners and Dyers. Better enjoy that beer, as prohibition will begin in just a couple of years, 1919. Not a lot of traffic on what appears to be a summer day, as the trees a fully leafed out. It looks like the water wagon may have passed by recently, keeping that nicely graded roadbed from becoming dust.

Interesting to note that people still used horses and wagons in 1916, as the first three vehicles we see are buggies. I do think we can see a couple of auto’s further down the road.

World War I is raging in Europe, and many of the hometown boys are off fighting. When the soldiers that survived return, everything will change as we transition from one era to another, the roaring 20’s!

Georgetown Junction, historic crossroads along the Lincoln Highway

Map of the area between Kyburz and Strawberry, and The Georgetown Junction. Click map for larger view.

Leaving Strawberry, we head down the old Lincoln Highway, which Highway 50 closely follows today. However, there are many places along the freeway where the Lincoln Highway followed a more casual route. Milestone 41 is one such road, which today acts as an entrance to summer cabins. A number of these milestone roads were the Lincoln Highway, including Milestones 34 and 35. Another place the old road veers from today’s path is Wright’s Lake Road and the Georgetown Junction.

The Georgetown Junction once had a toll house, where a stone chimney left from those days stood well into the 20th Century. It seemed to be a popular place to take a photograph for Lincoln Highway and early Highway 50 for travelers. At its earliest, Georgetown Junction was where Johnson’s Trail left the river and climbed high up to Peavine Ridge, and eventually down to the river and a crossing at Bartlett’s Bridge. Later, after 1858 the state took over control of the road and built a new trail leaving the river further west at Silver Fork and the Sugar Loaf House site. Georgetown Junction then became a cut-off road for travelers headed to Georgetown rather than Placerville.

Monica on a found segment of the highway, off Wright’s Lake Road. Highway 50 is below, and to the right.

Map showing new segment in red. Wrights Lake Road is The Lincoln Highway. Click map for larger view.

While we were exploring the area around Wright’s Lake Road, we discovered a small stretch of the old Lincoln Highway at the Wright’s Lake Road turnoff. On the map at left, you can see a red line indicating the section of the found road. You can see Monica standing on that portion of the road in the above photo, with Highway 50 down below and Wright’s Lake Road to the left.

Continuing downhill from Wright’s Lake Road, we come to a wide spot on the right that is the site of Fred’s Place, a top-rated stop for food and lodging from the Lincoln HIghway days well into the Highway 50 era. We have written about Fred’s Place before. You can read more about it here.

During the Highway 50 era, Fred's Place placed the fake, wooden CHP car to get people to slow down as the grade here was quite steep, and people tended to pick up speed.

A bit further downhill from Fred's Place's site is Milestone Tract 34, which enters and exits on your left side. Drive this section of forest road to experience the Lincoln Highway in its original form. Half-way down Milestone 34, we come to the site of the "Register Rock,” or “Split Rock," which acted as a billboard back in the day. Some of the writing is still visible, such as an ad for pianos in Oakland.

Below is a short 2-minute video Monica and I made a few years back on Milestone 34.

Truckee on the Lincoln Highway

Map of Truckee showing the route of the Lincoln Highway. Click map for larger view.

The early eastbound Lincoln Highway traveler would have entered Truckee via the present-day Prosser Dam Road, which today crosses Highway 89, which has obliterated any old road traces. You can pick up the road by heading down E. Jibboom Street, which runs into Bridge Street. E. Jibboom Street was before the Lincoln Highway, a county road, and before that, the Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road (DFDLWR), built by the Central Pacific Railroad.

In the photo below, taken around the 1920s, we are looking north at Truckee and the Lincoln Highway, which is quite visible heading up the mountains. The early Lincoln Highway in this area followed the DFDLWR.

1920s view of Truckee and the Lincoln Highway.

Heading down The Lincoln Highway on East Jibboom, we come to Bridge Street and the Stone Garage, a landmark today. There is a plaque outside installed by the California Lincoln Highway Association and E Clampus Vitus, which describes this place's history.

Truckee Stone Garage on Bridge and E Jibboom Streets.

Once past the Truckee Stone Garage we turn right on Donner Pass Road and head down one block to Spring Street and the site of the Sierra Tavern, a popular stopping place along the old road. The first photo at the top of the blog shows the magnificent structure, which burned down in 1927, the year the Lincoln Highway became Highway 40.

Plaque on the wall of the Stone Garage.

Sierra Tavern in 1908 with Charles Fayette McGlashan’s home at the top left. Mc Glasahan was a prominent citizen of Truckee.

In the photo above, we can see the Sierra Tavern in 1908, five years before the Lincoln Highway. A lone automobile sits on Spring Street. The building at the top left was the home of CF McGlashan, a prominent Truckee Citizen. That building is long gone and was replaced by a Quonset hut shaped building for Truckee Veterans. To the Sierra Tavern's right, across Spring Street, we can see the Chance Saloon and OK Bar where the photo below was taken.

Rare photo of a Lincoln Highway “L” sign on Donner Pass Road, Truckee, sometime in the late 1910s, early 1920s.

In our next installment of the Lincoln Highway’s northern route, we will continue our trip towards the summit but will first stop to check out the Donner Party’s encampment site, now known as Donner Memorial State Park.

Photographs from Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection, and Adventures in California History.

Strawberry on the Lincoln Highway's southern route, part 6.

These wonderful photos show Strawberry’s two locations. The location of the Strawberry House has been a source of confusion for me. The secret is realizing there were a total of four Strawberry Houses over the years. Irad Barry built the first roadhouse in 1858 along what is now Highway 50. There is a state rock monument describing the first location just west of the gas station. It was here that a second larger lodge was built and stood until a fire destroyed it in 1867. The photo above shows the huge structure.

Strawberry cabins in 1920. We are facing east. Click photo for closer look. “McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 068,” California State Archives Exhibits,

After the disastrous fire of 1867, the new owner, Charlie Watson, re-built the station, but a bit up the road, just before the bridge crossing the American River. The photo above shows this new location. It was this location that would see the rise in automobile traffic after the turn of the century. This spot would be owned by the Watson and Martin Families from 1867 to 1938. While autos did pass down the old Swan-Henry Road, the Lincoln Highway in 1913 breathed new life into the old rest stop. For the next 16 years, the place was a beehive of activity as American's took to the road in their new Model T's.

Strawberry Resort on the Lincoln Highway, The photo above is courtesy of Laura Bantz

In 1929 the Great Depression was upon us, and the acquisition of automobiles and traveling slowed down as well. Who had the money to do it? The second reason business slowed was the highway's re-routing in 1931 from the old Swan-Henry Toll Road/Lincoln Highway to today's route. This bypassed the old resort and, combined with the Depression, helped in its eventual demise in 1939, just before World War II.

In 1939 Fred Baumhoff built the structure we know today as Strawberry Lodge along the new Highway 50. This would make the third location of the famous Strawberry House/Lodge/Resort. Fred’s Resort didn’t have much time to become a success as World War II roared into the 1940s, and men and equipment were in short supply. In 1943 Fred sold the business, and it had some success in the 1950s and 1960s, but people and their driving habits changed, and no one wanted to stop and take in the fresh air and views anymore.

Today the resort sits somewhat forlorn, waiting for its next big break or its next big disaster. Until people slow down and stop to smell the flowers once again, it will likely be a place that most just speed by on their way to somewhere else.

Our next stop along the southern route of the Lincoln Highway will be the Georgetown Junction, a wide spot along the road today, but back in the 1800s a major crossroads.

Map showing the sites of the three Strawberry buildings. Click map for a larger view.

A crossroads on the northern route of the Lincoln Highway, Part 5

The 1913 route of Lincoln Highway from the Second Summit outside Verdi to Truckee is likely some of the least visited sections of the old road. This route was active with transcontinental drivers until 1926 when the Truckee River's new route was completed. That Truckee River route is the path that Highway 40 took, and Interstate 80 follows today. The Dog Valley route soon lost most of it’s its traffic and became what it is today, a back road, little traveled, filled with history.

Map of entire area discussed. Click map for a closer view.

The above map shows the general location, from Verdi, NV., to Truckee. The yellow symbols are Trails West “T” markers placed on the old emigrant route. The markers are placed on or directly next to the original trail. In between the signs, the route is often undetectable, and that is why my lines from one marker to the next are often straight. We don’t know the actual route, yet.

Before reaching the Stampede Reservoir, we come to a famous crossroads mentioned by the emigrants and still existing today. Henness Pass Road, which we had been traveling on, continues west towards Camptonvile. Our road, the Lincoln Highway and DFDLWR, will become Dog Valley Road. We will use Stampede Reservoir Road to get over the dam and around the lake.

Map showing crossroads and Stampeded Reservoir. Click map for larger view.

In the lake, we can see the line representing the road going around two small islands that are visible when the lake level drops. The small iron bridge that used to cross the now flooded Little Truckee Rive may still be located under the water. The road then rises out of the reservoir and passes by a parking lot that was, unfortunately, built right over the road. The sign below explains what was lost.

Descriptive sign at Stampeded Reservoir. Click the sign for a larger view.

Once we pass Stampede Reservoir, we will have the opportunity to see five different Trails West “T” Markers showing the Emigrant Trail route. Rarely will we miss the opportunity to veer off course to take in the history of these markers. Some of California’s most interesting history is located along this stretch of road. Sometimes we can see the emigrant trail's actual route, and in those cases, we have detailed the route on our map. Wagon ruts and rust stains on rocks are often the best indicators that you're on the trail.

The photo shows Trails West “T” Marker, T-33, “To Prosser Creek”. You can vaguely see the wagon wheel ruts moving off into the distance.

Sign between Stampeded and Prosser Reservoirs. Notice the emigrant trail sign at lower left, pointing the way.

We now arrive at Prosser reservoir where once again we find the old road has been flooded by a reservoir, in this case, built-in 1963. You pass over the dam to get around the lake, and once past the reservoir, our next stop will be Truckee.

There is a great side trip to the Donner Party Campsite, where that family and others overwintered while the rest of the wagon train was caught at Donner Lake, then known as Truckee Lake. Monica and I visited that a year or so ago and put together this short video.

The area from Summit One on Henness Pass Road to Prosser Reservoir is one that we will visit again. We would love to make the drive on Henness Pass Road from the crossroads we described to Comptonville, which is quite a distance filled with all sorts of history. There are also a couple of T Markers and old building sites we need to explore. It’s beautiful out there, and with the added history, it is an area that could fill a lifetime of exploration.

Our next adventure, Part 5 on the Lincoln Highway’s northern route, will be in Truckee, a very historic town.

Colfax, Placer County, 1870s

This is a fabulous photo from the Placer County Museums showing a portion of the business district of Colfax taken in the 1870s, during the town's heyday.

Slippery Ford to Strawberry on the Lincoln Highway, part 5

We have explored the Slippery Ford area on our eastward journey on the Lincoln Highway from Stateline to Placerville in part 4 of our El Dorado County Lincoln Highway adventure here. The Slippery Ford area is rich in history, and if you like hiking, it’s a great trip from Lover’s Leap campground to the Slippery Ford parking lot. If you are going to walk in both directions, we recommend starting at Lovers Leap campground and heading uphill first, then returning with the downhill, making it a bit easier to finish. The other option would be two cars with one parked at your destination. The walk is medium difficulty, though in the summer it can become scorching. The gravel roadbed has eroded in some areas making it difficult to walk over the small loose gravel.

Swan-Henry Toll Road and Lincoln Highway looking east.

The photo above shows a boulder that has fallen into the roadbed. We are a few hundred yards from the Slippery Ford Trail parking lot at Twin Bridges. This part of the old roadbed is easy to walk as it is not very steep. A forested area behind the photographer, a hundred yards or so, provides some welcome relief from the summer sun.

Pretty soon, we come to a wonderful rock which has been marked by old-time travelers. What era did they write this? We don’t know, but the Pony Express, Swan-Henry Toll Road, and the 1913 Lincoln Highway passed by this very rock. Someone wanted to record their passage through this historic route.

Register Rock on the Pony Express Trail, Swan-Henry Toll Road, and Lincoln Highway.

Heading down the old road a bit, we can see off to our right and below a rock building lacking a roof. At some point in the 1930s, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) built this as a ski hut. Apparently, it was never finished or used. You can head down and check it out from the trail.

Ski Hut built by the CCC in the 1930s. Never used. We are looking north.

A bit further on, we come to the Slippery Ford House site, a boarding house and supply stop for travelers in the 1860’s. This spot is amazing as there is literally nothing left of this old place other than debris, which should be left in place as archeological evidence. It’s great fun to take the photo below and compare it to the site today.

1866 photo shows Slippery Ford House with teams outside. The team is headed up-hill, east, towards Slippery Ford. . Library of congress photo.

Below you will find a short video we made in 2018 at the Slippery Ford House site.

These historic photographs come to us from the Library of Congress, Lawrence & Houseworth Collection, made in 1866. Slippery Ford was famous enough they took many photographers of the area, including the Slippery Ford House. The photo below is interesting as it appears to shows the third building on site. We assumed from previous photos there were just two buildings.

From Slippery Ford House looking east on the old Swan-Henry Toll Road.

Looking at these old photos of Slippery Ford House, the first thing I notice is the roadbed's great condition. Today this road is often a jumble of rocks resembling a stream bed more than a road. This is due to erosion over the years, with water etching deeper into the ruts each year. In addition there is no road maintenance anymore, so nature is left to it’s own creation along this trail.

Monica standing in the middle of the badly eroded roadbed. You can see a old culverts sticking out of the ground. That is likely Lincoln Highway era pipe.

Monica's photo above shows how the roadbed has been eroded over the years, exposing the base, which consists of softball size and larger sized rocks. These sections of the road can be difficult to walk as every time you step the rocks move. You can see a Lincoln Highway era culvert sticking out of the ground.

Looking west towards Strawberry Valley from the Slippery Ford House, 1866. Look closely and you can see the wagons coming up the hill towards the house. Click photo for larger view. Photo from Library of Congress.

Monica and a blasted rock.

As we travel these 19th Century roads in the Sierra Nevada, we often come across these rocks with a star-shaped pattern. These rocks were just too big to move, so the road builders blasted them, making the roadbed level. Dirt would then be graded on top of the rocks to make a smooth surface for travel. That’s why many of these roads were toll roads, to pay for the ongoing maintenance.

A rock showing the star shaped pattern from blasting.

We are approaching our destination near Strawberry, and there is one more historic obejct to enjoy, Monks Rock. Hank Monk was quite famous in his day for being a devil may care stage driver, who held records for his speed of travel. It’s said that one night, when stage traffic would travel the less crowded roads, he hit his head on this rock while speeding to his destination.

Monk’ Rock, on which the famous stage drive Hank Monk hit his head while driving his stagecoach team up the Slippery Ford Trail. Photo from the Library of Congress. Click the photo for a closer version.

We have looked at Monk’s Rock trying to envision how he managed to get close enough to actually hit it. Still can’t figure it out, but it’s a great story about a big old rock, of which this area abounds.

Monks Rock.

Just past Monk’s Rock, headed west towards Strawberry, the end of the hike is the Lovers Leap Campground. This campground is usually filled with rock climbers who find it thrilling to climb up the sheer side of Lovers Leap. Lover’s Leap Campground is only a short 1/4 mile from Strawberry. There is day-use parking at the campground.

Lover’s Leap Campground at Strawberry.

Now that we’re done hiking down the Slippery Ford Trail we’ll take a look around the Strawberry area in our next episode of our Lincoln Highway Adventure in El Dorado County.

Map of area showing key features. Click map for larger view.

Google Earth view looking east.This 3D view shows the topography of the area well. Click map for a closer view.