Finding Historic "C" Markers

California roads before 1896 we mostly built by towns, cities, counties, or in many cases, private individuals or companies. There were no state highways or roads until 1896, when the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road in El Dorado County became the first. It was built by private funds, then run by the county, and finally taken over by the state.

The early state highway "right of way" was often less than accurate, using surveying techniques that relied on trees, buildings, rocks, or other objects to determine the road property boundaries. What was needed was a permanent, uniform marker that would act as a survey point. Enter the California "C" Marker.

Monica by a “C” Marker

These concrete markers, used from 1914 to 1934, would be placed at curves, intersections, and regular intervals along straightaways. The posts are 6" x 6" x 42" long. The top 6 to 8 inches projects above the ground and is what we see today, in most cases. There is also a 3/16"x6" copper wire set at the top to show the exact angle to measure. You can see it in the photo below.

Metal wire at top center of “C” Marker.

You can still see these markers along many old state roads that are today county or city roads. We will find them when following the old Lincoln Highway through El Dorado and Placer Counties. The photo below shows one on Sisley Road in Penryn, which, back before the construction of Highway 40 nearby was the Lincoln Highway. While the Lincoln Highway was a transcontinental route, each state the highway passed through was responsible for that part of the road.

Shown in the photo below in El Dorado County, along the old Lincoln Highway route, at Forni and Highway 49, is this one painted. We could find no evidence that the State of California ever painted the markers. Looks cool, and it's nice to see the homeowner take notice.

Painted “C” Marker, Forni Road and Highway 49.

It's not just the Lincoln Highway with the markers, but many of the old state highways. When we search for lost alignments of the Lincoln Highway or other state highways, coming upon one of these markers helps determine we're on the right track. The photo below shows a beat-up one at the Cronin Ranch at Pedro Hill, the old Highway 49 route through Pilot Hill before the road was re-aligned.

Beat-up “C” Marker at Cronin Ranch, Pedro Hill Road, El Dorado County.

Keep your eyes open for these old markers. Usually placed about 15 feet from the center of the old road, especially near curves in the old road. You never know who might join you in your search for "C" markers.

Along the old Lincoln Highway, Old Frenchtown Road, El Dorado County.

Sam Kyburz house, Clarksville

Pictured above is the old home of Sam Kyburz, located in Clarksville. Kyburz arrived in California from Wisconsin in 1846, just a couple of years before the gold discovery at Coloma. Kyburz was originally from Switzerland, and soon became friends with fellow Swiss emigre, John Sutter of Sutters Fort, in what would later be known as, Sacramento. Sam soon became Sutter’s foreman and may even have told Sutter that Coloma would be a great place to put a sawmill.

Kyburz operated the inn at Sutters Fort during the 1850s but fled to the nearby foothills when the disastrous floods of 1861-62 inundated Sacramento. Sam and his wife Rebecca found work at the White Rock Inn, just east of Clarksville. Either Sutter gave Kyburz 160 acres of land nearby, or he purchased it outright, the facts are not clear.

It was one of Sam’s sons, Albert, who purchased a resort along Silver Fork, east of Placerville. In his family’s honor, he gave the post office the name Kyburz.

The home pictured was built for the family by a Mr. Ball in 1868. This Mr. Ball would later marry their daughter. Samual Kyburz, Sr. was a charter member of the Clarksville Grange, one of the first Native Sons of the Golden West, a Territorial Pioneer’s of ‘49 and ‘50, and a Mason. Samuel Sr. died in 1898, and Rebecca died in 1903. Both Sam and Rebecca are buried in Folsom

10th Annual Clarksville Day’s, May 2, 2020

The annual Clarksville Days will be coming up on Saturday, May 2, 2020. Its an opportunity to visit this historic town, which lies behind locked gates. The Lincoln Highway Association and I will be there, helping to explain and show the famous old road that comes right through this historic town.

This year the focus will be on raising enough funds to repair the rock built Pony Express station that requires shoring up. The Clarksville Historical Society says,” securing the walls will be complicated and expensive, but it is considered one of the iconic remnants of the historic town. Please help us preserve this asset by donating, volunteering, and spreading the word about our efforts to protect what remains. We are seeking $30,000 in fundraising to make this happen! Please donate today.”

On the Lincoln Highway, headed down the Bass Lake Grade, towards Clarksville.

El Dorado Hills, as well as all history enthusiasts, have an opportunity to save and protect this iconic historic community in its back yard. Go here for more information about Clarksville and the Clarksville Days event.

Otwell Grocery Store along the Lincoln Highway.

Otwell Grocery Store on Riverside Avenue and 4th Street, Roseville, California. This was the first business to operate on Riverside Avenue. The photo dates from 1914 to 1918.

Image: Placer County Museums

Here is a closer view showing that the store carried, Liberty Ice Cream, Wrigley’s Gum, Star Tobacco, and at far right Pioneer Bread.

Image: Placer County Museums

Highway 40 bridge construction, Colfax, 1938

This 1938 photo shows the construction for Highway 40 overpass that crosses the Union Pacific Railroad line, just north of downtown Colfax. In 1963 the State renamed this section Route 174, which took traffic away from the downtown run the Lincoln Highway had made and allowed traffic to skirt the downtown area and proceed more quickly to Grass Valley and beyond.

Map of area.

The above map shows the Lincoln Highway route, in purple, and the site of the Highway 40 bridge. The Quonset huts were a motel made from a series of surplus Quonset huts leftover from WWII. Here is a link to an article about the motel.

Photo: Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler collection.

The Third Strawberry House

There have been several old buildings called Strawberry House since the construction of the first one in 1859. That was the original building that the Pony Express stopped at, as well as Hank Monk and his stage. That original building burned down in 1867 and was rebuilt, a bit smaller, at the location seen in the photo.

Finding photos of this third Strawberry House is not an easy task. The picture above is courtesy of Laura Bantz and shows the third Strawberry building and some cabins on the right. Today, no sign or monument shows the location of this third building.

This photo helped me to locate the site of this old station on Strawberry Lane, off Highway 50. I believe the small houses that are on that lane today are part of the old resort. You can hike the old Lincoln Highway, Pony Express Route, and Swan-Henry Toll Road from Strawberry at the Lover Leap Campground to the Twin Bridges area and the Slippery Ford Trailhead.

Slippery Ford was a dangerous crossing of the American River over slippery rocks. The trail is the actual road, and it's a fantastic hike if you have never taken it. How automobiles made it is worth ruminating as it's a very steep and rocky path. This path is how you crossed the Sierra and descended to Strawberry before the 1930s and the new expressway.

Looking north on Lincoln Way

The above photo shows Lincoln Way in Auburn, looking north towards High Street. I guessing the date to be the early 1930s. There is a Lincoln Highway “L” on the telephone at left.

Here we see the same scene as the photo above, but a decade or so later. There is more traffic, and there is now a crosswalk with a “Stop for Pedestrians” sign. We can see some of the older cars that might have been in the first photo still tooling around.

Placer Garage, Lincoln Highway, Auburn

Beautiful photograph looking west on High Street and Lincoln Way. We are close to the turn of the century here, as we see hoses and wagons still in use, along with an automobile and motorcycle. Like many of these older photos, the fun is in the details.

At the far left, upper part of the photo, we can see the High School, with a dome, in the background. Built-in 1906, the dome was made of tin and leaked so severely the school removed it 1916. The high school dome is a great way to help date these photos. The Congregational Church is the lower left, end of the street.

Moving to the foreground, we see the ever-present advertisement for Wrigley’s Chewing Gum. This advertisement shows up in other photos of Auburn. I’m interested to know what the connection is between Auburn and Wrigley’s. Three men sit in an automobile in front of the Placer Garage. Their motto? “The shop that merits your trade.” A man holds an “Indian” motorcycle, I assume, as the garage advertises Indian Motorcycles in their window. The carriages further down sit in front of the “Telephone Office.”

Photos from: Placer County Museums.

Johnson's Pass on the Lincoln Highway

T.C Wohlbrück took this 1920s photograph of the Echo Summit Lodge at Johnson’s Pass, El Dorado County. Wohlbrück was not only a photographer but was an entrepreneur as well. He was one of, if not the first person to set up what we would call today, gas station mini-marts. He called them “Cantina’s,” and he had three of them to his name. The first one built at Emigrant Gap, the second he established in 1922 at Echo Summit, and the third at Donner Memorial Park in Truckee.

The spectacular view from the lodge veranda.

In the early days of automobile travel, cars were unreliable and needed regular water, oil, and gas supplies. As more people ventured out exploring the summit areas in their autos, T. C. saw an opportunity to supply travelers with the necessities for their automobiles, food, and souvenirs. This spot, which was historic as the summit of Johnsons' Pass on Meyers Grade, made a great stop to get supplies and admire the spectacular view of Lake Tahoe. Wohlbrück offered food, rooms, cabins, souvenirs, and postcards which featured his photography.

A close up of the proceeding photograph shows the signs attached to a directional device. “Please Register at Lodge” and “Make your postcards from the top of the world, Echo Summit…”

The photograph shows the lodge as approached from the west. Immediately after the lodge, the road drops down a steep and twisting portion of Meyers Grade towards Lake Tahoe. While looking at the photograph through a magnifier, I noticed the sign on the right, which is a Lincoln Highway sign, guiding the traveler along the "highway."

When the State of California built the Highway 50 expressway, it bypassed this historic spot for the current route around Echo Summit. The business soon declined, and in 1952 The Alpine club purchased the lodge and still runs it today. There is a new Lincoln Highway sign, which still stands, attached to the building by the stairs.

A closer view of the Lincoln Highway sign.

Auburn railroad crossing gets a new addition

The bridge is newer, but there has been a railroad over-crossing at El Dorado Road and Highway 49/193 in Auburn since 1905! Monica and I spent part of Tuesday painting the Lincoln Highway "L" on both ends of the span. The California Chapter of The Lincoln Highway Association (CLHA) uses signs and these stencils to mark the path of the old road, just as it would have been done from 1914 to 1928.

Monica stands in front of the recently completed “L” at the east side of the under-pass.

The CLHA has recently painted other railroads over-crossings, including the 1910 Newcastle tunnel on Old State Highway, two crossings in Applegate, one each at Heather Glen, Weimar, Secret Town, and the South Yuba Bridge at Cisco Grove, and finally one at Donner Summit. The Stenciled "L's" goes along with our Historic Lincoln Highway signs you will notice along the old road. Be sure to check them out when you drive by.

The same over-crossing, looking west. The Wagon is headed up Lincoln Way.

Middle support facing east.

The following picture shows the same underpass but looking north from the west side.

“DANGER SLOWDOWN TOOT. TOOT.”

Where is the driver?

How can you find and follow the Lincoln Highway? Besides the signs and stencils the Lincoln Highway Association publishes a Google interactive map showing the route accross the country. Just keep zooming in until your at the area your interested in. Map can be found here.

Lincoln Highway 106 years old today!

October 31, 1913, 106 years ago today, the Lincoln Highway was formally dedicated. It was America’s first transcontinental highway, stitching together a single route across the country from hundreds of local roads. Before the Lincoln Highway, if you wanted to cross the US, you were on your own. Now, with this new highway, you could follow the red, white and blue, signs with the big “L” from Times Square in New York to the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Looks like these guys had to dig the hole!

Eventually, the Lincoln Highway was replaced with a numbered highway system in 1926, with Highway 30 covering much of the route, and other number highways, like 50 and 40, replacing it in California. The Lincoln Highway Association, which was created to promote the idea of the road, now performed its final act on September 1st, 1928. Boy Scouts across the nation erected 2,400 concrete markers at sites along the route to officially mark and dedicate it to the memory of Abraham Lincoln. At the same time, 4000 metal signs were placed to guide the motorist.

A replica marker at Donner Summit.

“These markers were placed on the outer edge of the right of way at major and minor crossroads, and at reassuring intervals along with uninterrupted segments. Each particular post carried the Lincoln Highway insignia and directional arrow, as well as a bronze medallion with Lincoln's bust stating, 'This Highway Dedicated to Abraham Lincoln.'"