Near Angels Camp in Calaveras County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
The Story Under the Lake
New Melones Lake
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
1. The Story Under the Lake Marker
When full, the lake also covers the former town of Melones with over 100 feet of water. The townsite is located just northeast of the Stevenot Bridge on Highway 49 between Sonora and Angels Camp. Once the largest nineteenth and early twentieth-century settlement in the area, the town of Melones was situated on the Calaveras County side of the Stanislaus River, just below the gold-rich Carson Hill.
Erected by U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Resources. A significant historical year for this entry is 1979.
Location. 38° 0.234′ N, 120° 29.267′ W. Marker is near Angels Camp, California, in Calaveras County. Marker can be reached from State Highway 49. Marker is located on the north side of the New Melones Reservoir Visiter Center. The Visitor Center is 1/4 mile south of the Highway 49 - Stevenot - Stanislaus River Bridge. Touch for map.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Mark Twain Cabin (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Mark Twain Cabin (approx. 0.7 miles away); Archie D. Stevenot (approx. one mile away); Robinson's Ferry (approx. one mile away); a different marker also named Mark Twain Cabin (approx. 1.3 miles away); Tuttletown (approx. 1.7 miles away); James H. Carson (approx. 1.9 miles away); Archie Stevenot (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Angels Camp.
Regarding The Story Under the Lake. The site of Melones (also known as Robinson’s Ferry and Robinson's) is a former settlement now submerged beneath New Melones Lake. It lay at an elevation of 955 feet. Melones was founded on the site of a ferry operated in 1848 by John W. Robinson and Stephen Mead. The town initially took its name from the ferry.
The first post office opened at Robinson’s Ferry in 1879, the name was changed to Robinson's in 1895, and to Melones in 1902. The post office was closed in 1932, re-established in 1933 and closed for good in 1942.
See Nearby Marker "Robinson's Ferry" for additional information.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
2. The Story Under the Lake Marker
circa 1924
3. Photo Displayed on Marker
Town of Melones, circa 1924, with Carson Hill 30-stamp mill (upper left corner). The entire mountain behind Melones is known as Carson Hill and has been honeycombed by shafts and tunnels during years of gold mining.
4. Photo Displayed on Marker
The Carson Hill Gold Mining Corporation’s 30-stamp mill. The two principle gold producing mills at Carson Hill were the 100-stamp Melones mill, which operated from 1902 to 1919, and the 30-stamp mill of the Carson Hill Gold Mining Corporation, which was in operation from about 1920 to 1926 and 1933 to 1942.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
5. Images of a Lost Community
Far beneath the waters of the New Melones Lake lie the remains of the small town of Melones, which was situated on the north bank of the Stanislaus River. For thousands of years, native peoples have inhabited this location, leaving evidence of their culture in the soil and on the rock outcroppings next to the old river channel. But this area, like hundreds of others in California’s Mother Lode, was forever changed by the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada on January 24, 1948. The modern history of Melones has been shaped by gold, and by the Sierra’s other great resource--water. In 1979, the construction of the 2.4 million-acre foot New Melones Lake submerged the town under hundreds of feet of water.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
6. New Melones Lake and Carson Hill
As seen from the marker.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, June 13, 2010
7. Carson Hill
At the top of the power pole is an Osprey nest. The Osprey pair had built nests two years in a row on this pole. They were taken down by the power company for the protection of the power grid and for the Ospreys. This year, a large bucket was placed in the event that they returned for a third year.
Click on photo to see the mother Osprey sitting on her nest. There are three baby chicks and the nest may be viewed from a telescope at the Visitor Center.
Click on photo to see the mother Osprey sitting on her nest. There are three baby chicks and the nest may be viewed from a telescope at the Visitor Center.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 10, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. This page has been viewed 3,949 times since then and 174 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 29, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. 5, 6, 7. submitted on June 30, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.
