Signed County Route E15 to Copperopolis

Back in 2016 I frequently used Signed County Route E15 as a short cut from California State Route 108/120 in Tuolumne County to CA 4 in Calaveras County.

E15 is a 12.91 mile long Signed County Route which was defined in 1974 according to CAhighways.org.

CAhighways.org on Signed County Route E15

On the Tuolumne County side E15 begins from CA 108/120 at O'Byrne's Ferry Road. Traffic is warned along CA 108/120 not to pick up hitch hikers due to the a corrections center which is oddly placed next to the Sierra Conservation Center on the Tuolumne County side of E15.

E15 is one of the better Signed County Routes in terms of signage. While some of the shields are old they are generally well placed in a logical enough way to convey to the traveler they are on E15 which can be a rarity at times among the Signed County Routes.

E15 on O'Brynes Ferry Road descends to the Tulloch Reservoir which serves as the Calaveras County Line. The Tulloch Reservoir impounded a small section of the Stanislaus River which once crossed by O'Bryne's Ferry in 1958 when Tulloch Dam was completed. The O'Byrne's Ferry first opened as a cable ferry crossing of the Stanislaus River in 1852. The first O'Byrne's Ferry Bridge opened in 1852 and was replaced numerous times in the ensuing decades due to flooding on the Stanislaus River. The article below contains a picture of the 1862 Union Covered Bridge which used to occupy the site.

calaverashistory.org on O'Bryne's Ferry and the Central Ferry

E15 in Calaveras County ascends a small bluff from the Tulloch Reservoir on O'Brynes Ferry Road. Interestingly the Postmile paddles in Calveras County resemble those from Caltrans which makes E15 on O'Byrnes Ferry Road appear as it on "CA 48" at casual glance.

Near the north terminus E15 enters Copperopolis on Main Street. Copperopolis was founded in 1860 and was the second major copper strike in Calaveras County after Telegraph City to the west. During the Civil War the copper mines in Copperopolis closed but they reopened in the 1880s ensuring the community survived. Copperopolis largely has been replaced by a modern and in my opinion garish looking facade of a Gold Rush era town to the west along CA 4 but there are a couple authentic buildings located on E15. The Copperopolis Armory dates back to 1864 and saw use in during the Civil War. Reed's Store dates back to 1861 and was once the headquarters of the Union Mining Company in 1906.

E15 ends at CA 4 in Main Street in Copperopolis.

Comments

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80. This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range. The first documented wagon crossi...

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California. Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada. The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926. Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938. A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947. Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association. Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe. Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the September 1950 California Highways & Public Works during its Centennial Edition. The or...

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River. Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207. Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road. The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939. Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune . Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903. The postal name was sourced...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog