Skip to main content

Former California State Route 49-108 on Main Street in Jamestown

By


Jamestown is a community located in Tuolumne County in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Jamestown was founded during 1848 and is one of the many traditional Gold Rush towns located along California State Route 49.  The original alignment of California State Route 49 in Jamestown was located along Main Street.  California State Route 49 along Main Street in Jamestown was joined by a multiplex of California State Route 108 likely during the late 1940s.  California State Route 49 and California State Route 108 were moved to a bypass alignment west of Main Street in Jamestown during the 1970s.  California State Route 49 can be seen passing through Jamestown along Main Street on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Tuolumne County.  


Part 1; the history of California State Route 49-108 in Jamestown

Jamestown was settled one mile from the first mining claim located what is now Tuolumne County during 1848.  Jamestown is named after Colonial George F. James who arrived in the community during 1849.  Colonial George F. James was a popular merchant in early Jamestown known for supplying champagne to patrons and was once elected community Alcalde.  Ultimately, poor mining investments by Colonial George F. James led to the community bearing his name to briefly be renamed American Camp by angry residents.

Jamestown can be seen along the road to Sonora Pass on the 1857 Britton & Rey's Map of California.  


The population of Jamestown would peak around 4,000 before a devastating fire struck the community during October 1885.  The post-mining era decline of Jamestown was short lived as a community became the headquarters for the Sierra Railway during 1897.  Jamestown would never incorporate as a city. 

State Highway service would come to Jamestown as part of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.  The First State Highway Bond Act defined the road from Salida east to Sonora through Jamestown as State Highway.  In time the State Highway through Jamestown would come be to be known as Legislative Route Number 13.  The routing of Legislative Route Number 13 through Jamestown was via Main Street.

Legislative Route Number 13 can be seen passing through Jamestown via Main Street on the 1917 California State Automobile Association Map.  


The initial run of Sign State Routes was announced in the August 1934 California Highways & Public Works.  Legislative Route Number 13 between Yosemite Junction-Sonora via Jamestown was assigned as part of California State Route 49.  



California State Route 49/Legislative Route Number 13 can be seen passing through Jamestown along Main Street on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Tuolumne County.  

The relocation of California State Route 49/Legislative Route Number 13 south of Jamestown off of what is now Harvard Mine Road was featured in the September 1941 California Highways & Public Works.  The new alignment of California State Route 49/Legislative Route Number 13 south of Jamestown was dedicated on August 31, 1941.  


The September/October 1948 California Highways & Public Works references California State Route 108 being extended west of Jamestown co-signed with California State Route 49 to an unclear point.  A summary of major construction projects cites California State Route 49 and California State Route 108 as being co-signed through Jamestown to at least Montezuma Road.  


The bypass of Jamestown alignment of California State Route 49-108 opened after the California Highways & Public Works publication ended during 1967.  The illustration below shows the difference between the original routing of California State Route 49-108 on Main Street versus the modern bypass.  The California State Route 49-108 appears to have been constructed during the early 1970s.  


Part 2; exploring former California State Route 49-108 on Main Street in Jamestown

Originally California State Route 49-108 were aligned through downtown Jamestown on Main Street.  Modern California State Route 49-108 bypass downtown Jamestown to the west of Main Street.



Jamestown along Main Street largely appears much as it did during the height of the Gold Rush.  Some of the notable structures on Main Street are the1898 Branch Jail, the 1897 Emporium, and the 1880 Jamestown Hotel.








Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

By
After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...
4 comments
Read more

Finding the Pre-Emption Road of New York State

By
  The Pre-Emption Road (or rather a series of roads named Pre-Emption Road) follows a survey line called the Pre-Emption Line, drawn in the early days of the United States. The story begins with Massachusetts and New York having competing land claims to modern day Western New York State that have their roots in colonial charters granted by the British. After the Revolutionary War ended, this land became the frontier of the nation and its settlement became a priority for the new American government. During this era, there were a lot of competing land claims that needed to be settled. It was no different with the land claims between New York State and Massachusetts. On November 30, 1786, Massachusetts and New York sent representatives to Hartford, Connecticut to resolve their competing land claims. In less than three weeks, the representatives had reached a compromise. Massachusetts would receive pre-emption rights, meaning the right to sell the land after the Indian title ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

By
  Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...
Post a Comment
Read more