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California Historical Landmarks Historical Markers
Over 1,000 sites officially designated by the State of California.
Note - not all have markers.
By Syd Whittle, November 13, 2011
Discovery of Gold at Gold Hill Monument
GEOGRAPHIC SORT
| | The tablet commemorates the
discovery of gold-bearing quartz
by
George Knight
October 1850
The occurrence of gold-bearing quartz . . . — — Map (db m49510) HM |
| | In her home which occupied this site, Lola’s Social Salon 1853 – 55 attracted men of vision whose investments and technology founded Nevada County’s gold quartz mining industry. She brought culture and refinement to this rude mining camp. A . . . — — Map (db m149201) HM |
| | Built by the Reverend Thomas J. Dalton and dedicated May 2, 1865 by Bishop Eugene O’Connell as Sacred Heart Convent and Holy Angels Orphanage. Under the Sisters of Mercy it served from 1866 to 1932 as the first orphanage of the Northern Mines. It . . . — — Map (db m12898) HM |
| | The North Star Powerhouse, built by A.D. Foote in 1895, was the first complete water powered compressed air transmission plant of its kind. Compressed air, generated by Pelton Water Wheels, furnished power for the entire mine operation. The 30 foot . . . — — Map (db m44348) HM |
| | At this point the Old Overland Trail approaches the present highway. More than a hundred years ago the trail resounded to creaking wheels of pioneer wagons and the cries of hardy but footsore travelers buoyed by the realization their long trip to . . . — — Map (db m10546) HM |
| | The present bar of the hotel has been in continuous operation since 1852, when it was known as the Golden Gate Saloon. The wooden building had a back extension known as the Exchange Hotel and offered food and lodging by January 1853. The saloon was . . . — — Map (db m8544) HM |
| | Originally the Bicknell Block, stagecoach, mail, express and telegraph center in mining days.
Companies which became Pacific Gas & Electric formed here.
Site of the first whipping post in state.
Façade unchanged since 1854. — — Map (db m40334) HM |
| | California’s oldest existing theater building. 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 theater was later purchased through public donations and . . . — — Map (db m10828) HM |
| | The Pelton Water Wheel, first commercially manufactured here at George Allan’s Foundry & 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 . . . — — Map (db m12796) HM |
| | 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 . . . — — Map (db m10836) HM |
| | This hotel, one of the oldest in continuous operation west of the Rockies, opened for business in August, 1856. Originally known as The “Bicknell Block”. The structure consists of three common-walled buildings of simple brick . . . — — Map (db m12891) HM |
| | This was a major hydraulic operation in California. Its vast system of canals and flumes using a drainage tunnel 7800 feet long was termed a feat of engineering skill. It was the principal defendant in an anti-debris lawsuit settled by the Sawyer . . . — — Map (db m8505) HM |
| | 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 . . . — — Map (db m8540) HM |
| | Built in 1862 by David J. Wood with lumber from his mill in Sierra County, the covered bridge was part of the Virginia Turnpike Company toll road that served the northern mines and the Nevada Comstock Lode. The associated ranch and resources for . . . — — Map (db m78339) HM |
| | 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 . . . — — Map (db m10560) HM |
| | Near this spot stood the Breen cabin of the party of emigrants who started for California from Springfield, Illinois, in April 1846, under the leadership of Captain George Donner. Delays occurred and when the party reached this locality, on October . . . — — Map (db m94058) HM |
| | While construction on Sierra tunnels delayed Central Pacific, advance forces at Truckee began building forty miles of track east and west of Truckee moving all supplies by wagon and sled. Summit Tunnel was opened in December, 1867. The line reached . . . — — Map (db m23560) HM |
| | One mile north of here were the towns of Alpha and Omega, named by gold miners in the early 1850’s. The tremendous hydraulic diggings, visible from near this point, engulfed most of the original townsites. Alpha was the birthplace of famed opera . . . — — Map (db m45152) HM |
| | First house built in Anaheim, 1857, by George Hanson, founder "The Mother Colony", group selecting name given settlement. This German group left San Francisco to form grape growing colony. Southern California Vineyards became largest in California . . . — — Map (db m50119) HM |
| |
Anaheim Founded 1857
Location of North Gate — — Map (db m51976) HM |
| | The course of oil production was changed in 1899 when the Olinda area became the first site in California to use the technique of drilling with the hole full of water. Having been developed as a source of fuel oil for for the Santa Fe Railroad, . . . — — Map (db m50337) HM |
| | This was the first school in the Rivera District, constructed in 1868, and previously located on Shugg Lane, now Slauson Avenue — — Map (db m103382) HM |
| | This home of early Spanish Californians, erected in the 1820's, once served as an "estancia" or station for mission herdsmen. It was dedicated in 1963 for public use by the Segerstrom Family and restored by the City of Costa Mesa. It is jointly . . . — — Map (db m50306) HM |
| | Named for Richard Henry Dana, author of "Two Years Before the Mast", who visited here in 1835. El Embarcadero, the cove below, was used by hide vessels trading with Mission San Juan Capistrano. This trade reached its peak in 1830-1840. In 1818 . . . — — Map (db m149479) HM |
| | From 1970 to 1984, Lion Country Safari made it possible for children of all ages to experience the sights and sounds of an African safari - entirely from the safety and comfort of their cars. It was Southern California's first ever wild animal . . . — — Map (db m148301) HM |
| | The townsite began in 1887 with the arrival of the AT&SF RR. James Irvine II chose this site to be the shipping center for crops grown on the Irvine Ranch, due to its high elevation. Original buildings remaining include the Bean Shed (1895), Bulk . . . — — Map (db m50339) HM |
| | State of California
Historic Landmark No. 199
La Casa de Adobe de Jose Serrano
Home of Jose Serrano, original grantee
of
Rancho Canada de los Alisos
Restored A.D. 1932 — — Map (db m50117) HM |
| | Famous as the home of Madame Modjeska, one of the world's great actresses, it was designed by Stanford White in 1888 on property called the Forest of Arden. Sold soon after her retirement, it remains a monument to the woman who contributed . . . — — Map (db m143499) HM |
| | The peak before you is named for the outlaw Juan Flores.
Flores led a gang of bandits that terrorized this area in the
late 1850's. In January 1857, the gang murdered a shopkeeper
in San Juan Capistrano. While in pursuit of the gang, LA County . . . — — Map (db m148311) HM |
| | This is one of California's last surviving examples of the great waterfront recreational pavilions from the turn of the century. Built in 1905 by the Newport Bay Investment Company, it played a prominent role in the development of Newport Beach as a . . . — — Map (db m50338) HM |
| | On May 10, 1912, Glen L. Martin flew his hydroplane, built in Orange County, from the sea near the Balboa Pier to Catalina Island. This was the fastest and longest flight over water at that time.
[Original Marker, Removed in 2010:]
Glen L. . . . — — Map (db m119321) HM |
| | The original wharf at this site was completed in the winter of 1888-89 and was connected by railroad with the hinterland in the winter of 1890-91. It served as a shipping and distributing point for Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties . . . — — Map (db m146157) HM |
| | On September 10, 1870, Captain Samuel S. Dunnells and William A. Abbott opened Newport Bay to commerce when they entered it for the first time on the Sternwheel steamer Vaquero. The landing was designated "Newport" - a new port - by James . . . — — Map (db m157267) HM |
| | The early to mid-twentieth century cottages in this last self-contained Southern California beachfront recreational community reflect a unique vernacular architectural design emblematic of "architecture without architects." — — Map (db m131231) HM |
| | A promontory which served as a landmark for early travelers. It was called "Katuktu" by the Indians. — — Map (db m52087) HM |
| | Portola camped on bank of Santa Ana River in 1769. Jose Antonio Yorba, member of expedition, later returned to Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. El Camino Real crossed river in this vicinity. Place was designated Santa Ana by travelers, and known by . . . — — Map (db m50302) HM |
| | Two miles inland from this point, in Los Cristianitos Valley, the first Christian baptism in Alta California was performed by Padre Francisco Gómez, a member of the Portolá Expedition, in 1769. — — Map (db m145307) HM |
| | Founded in 1776 by Padre Junipero Serra. The seventeenth in the chain of twenty-one missions established in Alta California to Christianize and civilize the Indians. Stone church destroyed in 1812 earthquake. Expropriated during Mexican rule. . . . — — Map (db m50226) HM |
| | Built in 1900 of Arizona red sandstone, this is the oldest existing county courthouse in Southern California. Significant and far-reaching court decisions were handed down here, including the "Whipstock" case which dealt with slant oil drilling, . . . — — Map (db m50526) HM |
| | Soon after the founding of the Mother Colony at Anaheim in 1857, Anaheim Landing was established as a port of entry for the Santa Ana Valley by the Anaheim Landing Co. Despite the treacherous entrance conditions which caused several disasters, . . . — — Map (db m50304) HM |
| | Located in Canada de la Madera (Timber Canyon), Silverado was a mining boom town founded in 1787 when silver was discovered nearby. During the colorful life of the boom, 1878-1881, miners, flocking to the area, established a thriving community, . . . — — Map (db m50344) HM |
| | In 1881, after the Southern Pacific took over the Santa Clara Coal Mine northeast of here, a bustling mining camp complete with hotel, saloons, shacks, store, and post office sprang up on these flats. Three years later the mine played out and . . . — — Map (db m154585) HM |
| | In 1912 Frank and Hannah Nixon built this modest farmhouse on their small citrus ranch. Here Richard Nixon was born, January 9, 1913, and spent his first nine years. He served his country as Congressman, U.S. Senator, Vice President, and 37th . . . — — Map (db m50342) HM |
| | On this land, portion of Santa Ana grant awarded by King of Spain 1810 to Jose Antonio Yorba, and additional grants to his son by Governor Jose Figueroa 1834, was created Hacienda of Don Bernardo Yorba. Greatest ranchero of golden age, Bernardo . . . — — Map (db m50305) HM |
| | Gold discovered near here by Claude Chana May 16, 1848. Area first known as "North Fork" or "Wood's Dry Diggings". Settlement given name of Auburn in Fall of 1849. Soon became important mining town, trading post and stage terminal. County seat of . . . — — Map (db m685) HM |
| | View of Cape Horn Promontory
North Fork American River Canyon
Dedicated to the memory of thousands of Chinese who worked for Charles Crocker on the Central Pacific Railroad. They were lowered over the face of Cape Horn Promontory in wicker . . . — — Map (db m14437) HM |
| | Central Pacific Railroad reached Colfax, formerly Illinoistown September 1, 1865, and train service began four days later. Colfax was a vital construction supply depot and junction point for stage lines for ten months. It was renamed Governor . . . — — Map (db m13081) HM |
| | Gold discovered here in 1853 and by 1856 weekly production estimated at one hundred thousand dollars. The total value of gold produced up to 1880 is placed at twenty million dollars. Town was destroyed by fire in 1857 and again in 1862 but each . . . — — Map (db m44036) HM |
| | Founded in the Spring of 1861 by Joseph and Charles Dornbach. From 1854 to 1882 it was noted for its rich hydraulic mines. In 1860 had the largest voting population in Placer County. Chinese inhabitants numbered about 2,000. Here Theodore Judah and . . . — — Map (db m549) HM |
| | 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 . . . — — Map (db m11924) HM |
| | Gold discovered here in 1850 in which year the first "Forest House" built. In 1852 the Jenny Lind Mine found which produced over million dollars in gold while the mines in this immediate vicinity produced over ten million dollars up to 1868. Town an . . . — — Map (db m672) HM |
| | Founded in 1854 by O. W. Hollenbeck and originally called Mountain Springs. Famed for its hydraulic mines which from 1865 to 1878 shipped $6,125,000.00 in gold. Five large water ditches passed through the town serving the mining companies which had . . . — — Map (db m1101) HM |
| | 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 . . . — — Map (db m10202) HM |
| | Founded in 1850 and first known as Michigan City which was located on slope one half mile from here. In 1858 town became undermined and unsafe so was moved to this location and renamed Michigan Bluff. Leland Stanford, who gained wealth and fame in . . . — — Map (db m691) HM |
| | 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 . . . — — Map (db m11141) HM |
| | (Original marker, which was stolen in 2012. See Photo #1)
Founded in 1849 as 'The Spanish Corral,' Area proved so rich that Biblical name of Ophir adopted in 1850. Most populous town in Placer County in 1852, polling 500 votes. Almost . . . — — Map (db m11922) HM |
| | The spring of 1845 saw the first covered wagons to surmount the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They left this valley, ascended to the ridge and turned westward to Old Emigrant Gap. The wagons were lowered by ropes to the floor of Bear Valley. Hundreds . . . — — Map (db m548) HM |
| | One thousand competitors from 34 nations came to Squaw Valley to compete in the VIII Olympic Winter Games of 1960. The Games, brought here by Alexander C. Cushing, commemorated a century of sport skiing in America. By 1860 mining towns in the Sierra . . . — — Map (db m23504) HM |
| | In the Fall of 1864, Mr. Griffith Griffith, a native of Wales, established the quarry located near this site which was later to supply high-quality granite for a number of the important buildings in San Francisco and Sacramento, including portions . . . — — Map (db m683) HM |
| | 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 . . . — — Map (db m11088) HM |
| | Central Pacific graders reached Junction, now Roseville, on November 23, 1863, crossing the line of the California Central, which began building northward from Folsom in May 1858. That line was abandoned in 1868. CP’s track reached Junction April . . . — — Map (db m11079) HM |
| | It is estimated more than 30,000 settlers came into California over this trail in the year 1849. Near this site outcroppings of rocks still bear the marks of wagon wheels. For those travelers who reached this point the next ordeal was the tortuous . . . — — Map (db m95507) HM |
| | The first outlet works were constructed in 1870 by Colonel A.W. Von Schmidt. The stone and timber crib structure soon passed to the Donner Lumber & Boom Co. who continued to regulate, for a fee, the water flow for floatation of logs and, later, . . . — — Map (db m143497) HM |
| | This park was named for and dedicated to the memory of William B. Layton by the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society.
North Lake Tahoe will miss the unselfish way the Bill worked for the community. Past General Manager of the Tahoe City Public . . . — — Map (db m143487) HM |
| | Gold first found here July 1850 by miners coming over the mountains from the Yuba Diggins. Much production during early ‘fifties along this east branch of the Feather River’s North Fork. Here “Dame Shirley” (Louise Amelia Knapp Smith . . . — — Map (db m143421) HM |
| | Along the Pioneer Trail lies Jamison City and Mine. Large producer, famous for its 52-pound nugget; Eureka Mill and Mine yielding $17 millions to Cornish miners and others. Johnstown, now Johnsville, well preserved '49 town. — — Map (db m154370) HM |
| | Along the Pioneer Trail lies Jamison City and Mine. Large producer, famous for its 52-pound nugget; Eureka Mill and Mine yielding $17 millions to Cornish miners and others. Johnstown, now Johnsville, well preserved '49 town. — — Map (db m154371) HM |
| | The first sport ski area in the western hemisphere was in the Sierra Nevada. By 1860, races were held in the Plumas-Sierra region. The mining towns of Whiskey Diggings, Poker Flat, Port Wine, Onion Valley, La Porte, Jamison City, and Johnsville . . . — — Map (db m143423) HM |
| | Lowest pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Discovered in 1851 by
James P. Beckwourth
Dedicated to the discoverer and to the pioneers who passed along this trail by the Las Plumas Parlor No. 254 N.D.G.W.
May 1937
No desert’s waste nor . . . — — Map (db m143424) HM |
| | Dedicated by
Plumas Pioneer Parlor
No. 210, N.D.G.W.
Plumas Parlor
No. 228, N.S.G.W.
October 26, 1930 — — Map (db m143425) HM |
| | Built 1852 by Eli S. Lester, the first building in town included a hotel, trading post and two barns. — — Map (db m143426) HM |
| |
Original location
One hundred yards north east
Haven of pioneers
Pack train diversion point
for miners
to Feather River points.
Stage station.
Express and post office.
1850 – 1852
Emigrant Trail
Destroyed by fire Jan. 13, . . . — — Map (db m143427) HM |
| | O.H.
Copied from tree,
carved by comrade, 1852. — — Map (db m143428) HM |
| | Named for two Mexicans who began a horse ranch here in 1850. — — Map (db m143429) HM |
| | Dedicated to
Pioneers of Plumas County
To the
Founders of Elizabethtown
and
Elizabeth Stark Blakesley
for whom this town was named
Sept. 1852 — — Map (db m143430) HM |
| | This is the original pioneer school house Erected in 1857
————
Trustees – J.W. Thompson & J.C. Church
Teacher – Mr. S.A. Ballou – Nineteen scholars — — Map (db m143431) HM |
| | On March 16, 1774, Juan Bautista de Anza, Indian fighter, explorer, and colonizer, led through this pass (named by him San Carlos) the first white explorers to cross the mountains into California. The party traveled from Tubac, Arizona, to Monterey, . . . — — Map (db m143392) HM |
| | Chief Juan Antonio and his band of Cahuilla Indians helped white settlers in the San Bernardino area defend their property and livestock against outlaws during the 1840s and 1850s. In late 1851, Juan Antonio, his warriors and their families, settled . . . — — Map (db m131558) HM |
| | On July 17, 1877, Thomas Blythe, a San Francisco financier, filed the first legal claim for Colorado River water rights. Oliver Callaway planned a diversion dam and canal which opened in 1877 to irrigate the Palo Verde Valley. This made possible the . . . — — Map (db m50678) HM |
| |
Times of origin and meaning of these giant figures, the largest 167 feet long, smallest 95 feet, remains a mystery. There are three figures, two of animals and a coiled serpent, and some interesting lines.
[Panel #1]
Blythe . . . — — Map (db m50992) HM |
| | The D.T.C was established by Major General George S. Patton Jr. in response to a need to train American combat troops for battle in North Africa during World War II. The camp, which began operation in 1942 covered 18,000 square miles. It was the . . . — — Map (db m50700) HM |
| | In 1933, Dr. Sidney R. Garfield opened Contractors General Hospital thirteen miles east of here. This facility successfully delivered health care to Colorado River Aqueduct workers through an innovative prepaid insurance plan. Later, in association . . . — — Map (db m153949) HM |
| | This route was used by Luiseño and Gabrieleño Indians, whose villages were nearby. Leandro Serrano established a home here in 1820. Jackson and Warner traveled the road in 1831, and Frémont in 1848. It was the southern emigrant road for gold seekers . . . — — Map (db m82468) HM |
| | Nearby, two vats were built in 1819 by the Luiseño Indians under the direction of Leandro Serrano, first non-Indian settler in what is now Riverside County. The vats were used in making leather from cow hides. In 1981 the vats were restored and . . . — — Map (db m50643) HM |
| | Where mail was delivered, horses changed and passengers given rest and a meal. First stage carrying overland mail left Tipton, Missouri on Sept. 15, 1858 and, passing through Temescal arrived in Los Angeles onOct. 7, 1858.
First dedicated by . . . — — Map (db m82155) HM |
| |
Built about 1824
by Leandro Serrano — — Map (db m143406) HM |
| | Nearby, an adobe house was built about 1867. It was occupied until 1898 by Leandro Serrano's widow, Josefa. Under Spanish law, she owned the surrounding 20,000-acre Rancho Temescal; but her ownership was denied by the US Supreme Court. — — Map (db m50645) HM |
| | Within this valley was laid part of the scene, and here resided a number of the characters portrayed in Helen Hunt Jackson's historical novel, "Ramona", which depicted life and presented the status of the Indians of many great ranchos in early . . . — — Map (db m50997) HM |
| | This pictograph, representing a maze is an outstanding example of the work of prehistoric peoples. It, with 575 acres of land was donated to Riverside County as a county park on April 16, 1955 by Mr. and Mrs. Roger E. Miller. — — Map (db m50993) HM |
| | Pochea was one of cluster of Indian villages forming the very large settlement of Pahsitna which extended along the ridge east and west of Ramona Bowl. Pahsitnah was thriving when the Spanish first passed by in 1774. A tragic story tells of the . . . — — Map (db m50668) HM |
| | This historic site was granted by Governor Pio Pico to Juan Moreno in 1846. The rancho is a prime example of human history in Southern
California. Archaeological evidence indicates that Native Americans occupied this area for over 6000 years and . . . — — Map (db m127950) HM |
| | Danish sea captain Cornelius Jensen sailed to San Francisco during the Gold Rush to sell his cargo. In 1854 he settled in Agua Mansa, established a store, and married Mercedes Alvarado, a descendant of a pioneer Californio family. The Jensens . . . — — Map (db m50685) HM |
| | Frank A. Miller (1857-1935) made adobe bricks for a small 12 room guest house which he opened in 1876. Over the years by successive building additions he fulfilled his dream by recreating this early California Mission style setting of a hotel. — — Map (db m50994) HM |
| | To honor Mrs. Eliza Tibbets,
and to commend her good work
in planting at Riverside in 1873
the First Washington
Navel Orange Trees
in California,
native to Bahia Brazil,
proved the most valuable
fruit introduction yet made by
the United . . . — — Map (db m154354) HM |
| | In 1846 the first grist mill in this region was built nearby by Louis Robidoux, owner of this section of Rancho Jurupa. The mill provided flour, a popular but scarce commodity, for settlers and American troops. The mill was washed away by a flood in . . . — — Map (db m139100) HM |
| | Three miles west of this site, on July 14, 1937, three Soviet aviators completed a transpolar flight from Moscow in 62 hours, 17 minutes, establishing a new world's nonstop distance record of 6,305 miles. The huge single-engine aircraft, an ANT-25 . . . — — Map (db m50706) HM |
| | This survivor of the ill-fated Donner Party was the daughter of George and Mary Blue Donner. Born near Springfield, Illinois, in 1832. She arrived in California in December 1846 with her sister, Leanna Charity Donner, and was rescued by the first . . . — — Map (db m10521) HM |
| | This is the site of the beginning of the conquest of California by the United States on June 10, 1846. American settlers led by Ezekial Merritt overpowered soldiers under Lt. Francisco Arce and took their Mexican Army horses from the corral of the . . . — — Map (db m11869) HM |
| | In 1908 Elk Grove acquired through the efforts of Miss Harriet G. Eddy, then principal of Elk Grove Union High School, the first county free library branch in California. Subsequently, California's county free library branch system has become one of . . . — — Map (db m11868) HM |
| | Gold Rush and Railroad town Folsom became the Western Terminus of the Central Overland Pony Express on July 1, 1860. The express mail had been run by pony to and from Sacramento. Beginning on July 1, 1860, the
Sacramento Valley Railroad carried it . . . — — Map (db m5090) HM |
902 entries matched your criteria. Entries 401 through 500 are listed above. ⊲ Previous 100 — Next 100 ⊳
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