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.

Dog Valley to Truckee on the northern route of the Lincoln Highway, Part 4

We are now on our way up Henness Pass Road, leaving Verdi and headed towards the “First Summit.” The First Summit is where the emigrants then descended to Dog Valley to camp and feed their animals. The Lincoln Highway does not head down to the valley but follows a ridge above the valley.

First summit. Click photo for larger view.

Here at First Summit was Bauer’s Hotel, 1865. I couldn’t find any more information on this hotel, nor could we see any hotel's physical signs. We always find it fascinating to think there was so much traffic on this road that hotels were needed every so often. Looking at the panorama photo above, we can see the Lincoln Highway headed towards the Second Summit, a road heading down to Dog Valley, the direction the emigrants traveled, and the road to Verdi.

Dog Valley as seen from the Lincoln Highway, looking north-east.

Just past the First Summit, we round a curve and the view of Dog Valley is spectacular. We intend to head down to the valley next year and check out a Trail West “T” Marker on the old trail through the valley the Emigrant Trail soon heads back up from the valley to what’s known as “Second Summit”. The Trails West “T” marker pictured below describes the scene.

Trail West “T” marker at Second Summit. Click photo fro closer view.

The road from Verdi to Prosser Reservoir is all dirt and fairly easy to travel. The first section up from Verdi to First Summit is a beautiful example of the “washboard effect”. Once at the summit the road is easy to drive, dusty in the summer, and not recommended in the winter. In the map below we can see a portion of the Lincoln Highway headed into Stampede Reservoir, which of course was not there during the early parts of the 20th Century. We will take up that portion of the adventure on our next installment of the Lincoln Highways northern route from Verdi, NV through California.

Map showing area and some key features. Click map for a closer view.

Satellite view showing Verdi off in the distance and the climb up to the first summit. Looking southeast. Click map for a closer view.

Slippery Ford on the Lincoln Highways southern route, Part 4

When it comes to California history, Slippery Ford is a name and place that conjures up a terrifying chapter in transportation history. The name suggests that this river “ford” or crossing was dangerous. Indeed, until a bridge was built nearby, travelers would have to cross this portion of the American River by wading through, depending on the season, a shear film or torrent of cascading water. One slip and you and your wagon would slide down the river to a doubtful, likely painful outcome.

A wagon team and riders make their way down the grade from Sayle’s Flat towards Slippery Ford, 1866. Photo from the Library of Congress.

Before the Lincoln Highway passed this way, John Calhoun Johnson built what was known as Johnson’s Cut-Off Trail in 1852, which brought emigrants over the Sierra Crest. This route soon replaced the earlier Carson River emigrant route up and over Carson Pass to the south, a more difficult climb and a higher elevation. Johnson’s Cut -Off Trail soon became the road to use.

Another 1866 photo showing the wagon train headed up the grade. The photo was taken at the horseshoe bend as located on the map at the end of the post. Photo: Library of Congress.

Something to keep in mind when exploring Slippery Ford, is there are two Slippery Fords just a few hundred yards from each other. The original crossing was the Johnson Cut-Off Trail which crosses Pyramid Creek, not the American River as the later Slippery Ford does. I will admit, that until I learned this it was a bit confusing reading the records of this area. One crossed Pyramid Creek, the other the American River.

Perhaps a Swan-Henry toll road bridge crossing the river near Slippery Ford. Photo:Library of Congress.

As traffic increased tolls were collected to help find a new trail with the Slippery Ford Grade down to Strawberry being rebuilt by George W. Swan. It’s Swan’s brand new 1866 grade we are seeing in the above photos. The bridge at Snow Slide Mountain could be the first bridge built here in 1858. Both Slippery Fords are shown on the map at the end of the post.

One of the twin bridges that once crossed the American River at Slippery Ford.. Photo from: Lincoln Highway Association collection.

As we have learned, the original 1913 alignment of the Lincoln Highway followed old wagon roads, and this was the case here. The Lincoln Highway followed the Swan-Henry toll road, with the addition of two bridges, or “twin bridges” that crossed the American River. The bridges were not side by side, but rather one went to a island while the other bridge exited the island. In the photo above we see an early auto on one of those bridges.

The following two video show us the first Slippery Ford of Johnson’s Pass over Pyramid Creek. This was the original emigrant trail that was later bypassed by the Swan-Henry Toll Road.

The following video gives you a good view of the area around Slippery Ford. One correction to the video. I mention we are on the ”Scenic Route” of the Lincoln Highway, but this is actually known as the “Pioneer” or southern route of the Lincoln. The Slippery Ford in this video is the later one used after Johnson’s Cut-Off Trail ford.

Once travelers crossed the American River, the road continues down the grade past Register Rocks, Lovers Leap, and into Strawberry. We’ll cover that part of the adventure in our next post of the El Dorado County section of the Lincoln Highway, Part 4.

Map of location and features discussed, Click map for larger view.

Meyers Grade to Johnson's Pass, Lincoln Highway in El Dorado County, Part 4

We have been discussing the route of the original 1913 Lincoln Highway through El Dorado County, and with our last post, we started the climb from the Lake Tahoe Valley floor up Meyers Grade towards Johnson’s Pass. The photo above shows an automobile making the climb from where I believe the present Highway 50 passes. There are only a few flat spots along the grade, and one such spot is where Meyer’s Grade Road passes over the present-day freeway. In the map below, we show where this photo, #1, was taken. When the present freeway was built, some of the original section of the last climb up to the pass was destroyed. We believe the car is where the present-day freeway passes.

Click map for larger view!

This section from Highway 50 up to the pass was considered the last major obstacle on the way to the promised land of California. This is likely the steepest ascent yet, and you can still drive this section! Imagine trying to pull with oxen a wagon full of your goods up and over this section. Early automobiles would often break down, trying to navigate this last section and call for help from the Celio Ranch, in Meyer’s. In the photo below, we see the 1919 Army Convoy members being assisted by a caterpillar tractor.

1919 Army Convoy on Meyers Grade getting an assist from a Caterpillar tractor.

The photo below is a TC Wohlbrück photo showing his car in about the same spot as the photo above with the Army Truck. At this point we are almost at the summit, maybe less than a quarter of a mile away. Imagine driving this dirt road after rain!

A Theodore Wohlbrück photo from a few later than the Army Convoy photo at the same hairpin turn.

Once you reached the top of the pass after 1922, you would be greeted by a Canteen Service Station run by Theodore Wohlbrück. There you could pick up supplies, get water for the radiator, and have a bite to eat while enjoying the spectacular view. In our next El Dorado County Lincoln HIghway post, we will look at that Canteen service station and the summit pass.

The view looking east towards Lake Tahoe from Johnson’s Pass.

The Lincoln Highway in El Dorado County, Part 2, historic Trout Creek Bridge

We are continuing our California pioneer (southern route) Lincoln Highway tour, which starts at Stateline, Nevada, and now takes us west on Pioneer Trail or the Lincoln Highway back in 1913. You can read about the Stateline start of our adventure here.

Map showing bridge site, Lincoln Highway, and Stateline, Nevada. Click map for larger view.

Before Pioneer Trail was the Lincoln Highway and earlier county wagon road, it was part of the famed Johnson Cut-Off Trail, which brought emigrants and others over Spooner Summit in Nevada and into the Lake Tahoe Valley. Like later highway travelers, the pioneers were headed towards Echo Summit and over Johnson’s Pass, the final mountain obstacle in their travels.

The 1907 Trout Creek Bridge, with present day Pioneer Trail and autos above

We can see the old bridge and the modern-day Pioneer Trail Road on the upper right in the photo above. You can also see a large metal culvert in the center-left top of the photo. The Creek has been moved east by about 50 yards to pass under the newer bridge. No water passes under the older bridge these days.

Trails West “T” marker at Trout Creek.

On the opposite side of Bear Creek Road, The Trail West Organization has placed one of their historic “T” markers. On these markers is an excerpt from an emigrant diary about this particular location. We can see the excerpt from William Wirt Gilbert’s 1853 diary describing this place in the photo above. He sees the first signs of gold mining since reaching Calfornia here at Trout Creek.

Satellite photo showing bridge and surrounding features. Click photo for larger view.

In the satellite photo above, we can see the Trails West “T” Marker, the bridge, and just west of the old bridge the present day route of Trout Creek.

Bridge date, 1907 carved into concrete.

We couldn’t find any information online as to when the old bridge was built. We visited the area a second time about a year after our first visit. Walking around the bridge, we hit the jackpot, as the date, 1907, was carved into the concrete by some unknown worker or passerby. This bridge was built before the Lincoln Highway was inaugurated in 1913, so it acted as a county bridge before that era.

Below is a short video we made a couple of years back concerning the bridge site.

We will be continuing our Lincoln Highway southern route adventure, headed towards Meyer’s, in an upcoming post.

Once upon a time at "Lookout Point", Emigrant Gap.

Emigrant Gap’s name came from 19th Century travelers who used this narrow ridge and gap to continue their travels to the Bear River Valley. The emigrants would have to lower their wagons down a very steep slope to reach the Bear River Valley far below. The site soon became known as “Lookout point” and was separate from the small town of Emigrant Gap, located about a 1/2 mile to the south-east.

The photo above shows the first visitors building to occupy this spot, a Pacific Gas & Electric Company (P.G.&E) lookout, built so travelers on the Lincoln Highway could stop and view Lake Spaulding's 1913 construction, a project of the power company. Notice the Lincoln Highway sign at the far left.

The photo above was taken by TC Wohlbruck, who purchased this property from LB Allen, who owned a hotel at Emigrant Gap. We can tell it’s a Wohlbruck photo from the distinctive writing on each of his pictures. He would sell these photos as postcards from his Canteen/Service Stations at Echo Summit, Donner Memorial State Park, and Emigrant Gap. Wohlbruck was one of the first people to recognize the profit potential in offering service for the new-fangled autos and their drivers. We can see the Lincoln Highway heading off to the left of the entrance to the Canteen.

A Wohlbruck photo above shows the Cafe that was a part of the “Lookout Point Hotel”.

Another Wohlbruck photo above showing the sleeping quarters of the “Lookout Hotel.” Walking out the doors, guests would confront the amazing view and cliffs leading down to the Bear Valley.

Photo: Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection.

The above photo comes to us from the TC Wohlbruck era and shows the curved rockwork at the Canteen/Service Station. Herstle Jones, who built the later Nyack Lodge, was assumed to be the stonemason that put up this wall. Herstle and his brother Oscar were expert stone masons and constructed or added to the Rainbow Lodge at Big Bend and the Soda Springs Hotel. This photo shows that TC Wohlbruck was the one who built the wall that would become part of the Nyack Hotel.

The construction of the Nyack Hotel in progress on the now renamed Lincoln Highway, “Hi-Way 40”.

The above photo shows the completed Nyack Lodge, owned by Herstle Jones. We can see beautiful stonework in front of the building.

The photo above shows the service station component of the Nyack Lodge complex. E. Stewart Wells, whose family still runs the Nyack Shell nearby, was the service station operator.

Here we see a color photograph of the interior of the dining room of the Nyack Lodge. Guests looked out over the precipitous cliffs to the Bear Valley and Spaulding Lake, far below.

Here we have a great color photo of the cozy interior of the lodge with a lit fireplace. Notice the fantastic rock work which was a signature of the lodge.

Nyack Lodge Menu from the 1940s.

Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection

Photo: Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection

With the construction of Interstate 80 in the early 1960s, the Nyack Lodge faced a crossroads. They needed a bit of space from the Southern Pacific Railroad, but with that company's refusal to release a portion of their land to make the necessary room, the lodge's fate was sealed. The massive building was destroyed, but the service station building was cut into three sections and moved a short distance to today's Nyack Shell Station site. The present-day service station is part of the old lodge complex! The old lodge was well built, and the demolition crews used explosives to take the rest of the building down.

Photo: Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection

The above photo from the 1960’s shows the parking lot that has replaced the older buildings at “Lookout Point”, Emigrant Gap. This is the scene we are familiar with today.

Map of the location and certain features.

The Yuba River, a historic transportation corridor

This particular spot along the Yuba River has been recorded over the years as transportation has changed. The river is a natural passage once one has passed the summit, headed west. The earliest course along this route were the native people, followed by the first emigrant train across the Sierra, The Stevens-Townsend- Murphy Party. Soon after, others followed this “Overland Emigrant Trail” to realize their dreams. The photo above, taken at the time the road was the Dutch-Flat Donner Summit Wagon Road (DFDLWR), between 1860 to 1870s.

Photo: Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection.

The DFDLWR operated from 1861 to 1871, with no tolls collected after 1869. The road was less traveled once the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, as traveling by the railroad was much faster. Over the next 40 years, the three counties maintained the road, but maintenance was limited, as only local traffic used it.  

In 1913 the Lincoln Highway used the old road as part of its transcontinental route, with improvements were made so that automobiles could traverse over the mountains on the old wagon road. The above photo taken by TC Wohlbruck shows the road as the Lincoln Highway, sometime in the 1920s. 

Photo: Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection.

In 1927 the Lincoln Highway became Highway 40, which in these parts closely followed the older Lincoln. Soon traffic became unbearable. A new highway was built, which is visible on the northern side of the river, opposite the older Lincoln Highway in the above color photograph. The old DFDLWR and Lincoln Highway were no longer maintained as traffic moved to the more modern thoroughfare.

Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler Collection.

Eventually, as traffic grew Highway 40, it was plagued by crowded roads, such as we see in the above photograph. In 1956 Interstate 80 was the solution! We can see one of the Interstate’s bridges being built in the photograph with the right side of the bridge passing over the older Lincoln Highway.

Map of the location.

Dutch Flat Wagon Road at Castle Creek, Soda Springs.

The wagons in the above photo are headed east on the old Dutch Flat/Donner Summit Wagon Road. The road was built by the Central Pacific Railroad to bring men and equipment to the construction sites along the rail bed. The railroad was completed in 1869, so these wagons are likely headed up to the summit construction with supplies from Dutch Flat.

Once the railroad was built, traffic slowed on these old roads until the transcontinental Lincoln Highway for automobiles was completed in 1913. The Lincoln Highway often utilized the Dutch Flat Wagon Road through Placer and Nevada Counties, and this is one example. The bridge crossing at Castle Creek is still there, through the bridge is made from concrete, and only carries the curious adventure who utilizes the roads less traveled.

Location at Castle Creek, Soda Springs.

Lincoln Highway bridge at Rainbow in the Sierra Nevada

A favorite spot of ours, along the northern route of The Lincoln Highway in California, is Big Bend, in the Sierra Nevada. This area is filled with history, including the first wagon train encampment across the Sierra, The Stevens-Townsend-Murphy Party.

The photo above was taken in 1915 when this was bridge was part of the Lincoln Highway. Here the highway crossed the South Yuba River, very close to where the wagon trains would have crossed during the 1850s and ’60s. This bridge site is located just downriver from today's bridge on Hampshire-Rocks Road. While the bridge is long gone, the abutments on both sides of the river are still visible.

Location of the bridge site.

Sierra Summit-Truckee Highway

I am trying to place the location of this photograph. While I assume it’s near Donner Summit on the Lincoln Highway, the exact location baffles me. You can see part of the road below right, snaking it’s way up. Are we headed up to the auto subway under the tracks? Below is a closer view of the auto.

A close-up view of the photo above.

Lincoln Highway map of possible location.

Photo’s from: “McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 010,” California State Archives Exhibits, accessed September 30, 2019, http://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/items/show/4075.