Author: Rick Rockwell
The Cornish House in Clarksburg and the Legacy of George F. Cornish
On a quiet road outside Clarksburg, the Cornish House rises from the Sacramento River Delta landscape like one of those places you notice before you know its name. Weathered, imposing, and surrounded by the rural calm of Yolo County farm country, the old house has the kind of presence that makes you slow down and …...
Captain Jack’s Stronghold: a cultural and historical centerpiece of California
Captain Jack’s Stronghold is one of Northern California’s most moving historic sites for anyone interested in the Modoc War, California Native Americans, or the way a place can explain a conflict better than a textbook. Hidden in the lava trenches of Lava Beds National Monument, this rugged volcanic ground was not just a natural...
Donner Pass Petroglyphs: remnants of the mysterious Martis people
Prior to covered wagons, the Donner Party, the Gold Rush and the railroad, Donner Pass was home to an ancient Native American tribe referred to as the Martis Tribe (Martis People or Martis Complex). It’s believed that this tribe lived throughout Northern California and the Sierras from 2000 BC to 500 AD. As of now, …...
China Wall: Truckee’s memorial to the Chinese laborers who transformed America
Located at Donner Summit, in Truckee, CA, is a memorial dedicated to the Chinese laborers known as “China Wall.” This historical marker, and 150 year old wall, symbolize the death defying work that the Chinese performed through the harshest of conditions in the Sierras, often losing many of their own during the process. The bravery...
Donner Summit Train Tunnels: a historical journey through abandoned train tunnels
Truckee has been fondly referred to as “the most historical square mile in California.” And, perhaps, no site represents this historical significance better than Donner Summit, where the abandoned train tunnels are located. In addition to the remarkable tunnels, China Wall and Native American petroglyphs are found in the same...
Underwater Towns of California: A Guide to California’s Sunken Communities
Many of California’s lakes and reservoirs look peaceful from the shoreline. Families camp beside them, boats skim across them, and anglers cast into water that often hides a much older landscape below. Beneath some of those waters are the remains of former towns, mining camps, roads, bridges, cemeteries, railroad stops, ranching...
Fallen Leaf Lake History: Name Origins, Washoe Legends, and Early Settlement
Fallen Leaf Lake history is deeper than a simple question about how the lake got its name. Tucked just south of Lake Tahoe, this Sierra lake carries layers of history that stretch from Washoe connections and oral tradition to 19th-century exploration, early settlement, resort development, and even modern scientific discoveries hidden...
Grouse Ridge Lookout: Road, Hike, History, and Views
The Grouse Ridge Lookout is one of California’s older surviving fire lookouts. Built in 1923, this historic Tahoe National Forest lookout was used for decades before later being retired as fire-detection technology and staffing practices changed. Today, the lookout is one of the more memorable high-country stops in the Grouse Ridge...
Forest City: Sierra County’s Authentic Gold Rush Ghost Town
Forest City sits in the forested mountains of Sierra County, where miners discovered gold at the forks of Oregon Creek in the summer of 1852. Within a few short years, the town grew to more than 1,000 residents and at least 30 commercial businesses. However, like other Gold Rush towns of Sierra County, Forest City’s …...
Calico Ghost Town Cemetery: Burials, Legends, and Mystery
Just up the hill from Calico Ghost Town, Calico Cemetery looks like the kind of Old West burial ground people expect to find in the Mojave Desert: weathered markers, rough desert ground, fenced graves, and a quiet view back toward the restored silver-mining town below. But the cemetery is not as straightforward as it first …...
