Skip to main content

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

By


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 from Bates Station owner/operator George Bates.  Bates Station was located at the intersection of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road (now Madera County Road 406) and old Coarsegold Road (now Madera County Road 209).



Bates Station can be seen along the Fresno-Coarsegold Road in Township 10 South, Range 20 East on the 1891 Thompson Map of Fresno County.  Madera County would split from Fresno County north of the San Joaquin River on May 16, 1893. 



Bates Station can be seen at Township 10 South, Range 20 East on the 1914 Madera County Surveyor Map.  


The Fresno-Yosemite Road was added to the State Highway System via 1933 Legislative Route Number 767 as a component of Legislative Route Number 125 (LRN 125).  The original definition of LRN 125 was as follows:

1.  LRN 56 near Moro to LRN 4 (US Route 99 near Fresno via Stratford
2.  LRN 4 near Fresno to Yosemite National Park

The Fresno-Yosemite portion of LRN 125 was announced as a component of California State Route 41 in the August 1934 California Highways & Public Works.  California State Route 41 was one of the original Sign State Routes designated. 



California State Route 41 can be seen passing through the site of Bates Station south of Kelshaw Corners on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Madera County.

The alignment of California State Route 41 around Bates Station was featured in the December 1939 California Highways & Public Works.  The corridor described in the article began at Kelshaw Corners along Coarsegold Creek and extended ten miles southwest.  The previous alignment is displayed as being routed past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Roads 209, 406 and 207.  The new alignment saved three miles and was noted to be complete during late October 1939.  



Part 2; a drive along former California State Route 41 on Madera County Road 209

Modern California State Route 41 intersects the pre-1939 alignment on Road 209 a short distance north of California State Route 145.  


Northbound Road 209 approaches the Sierra Nevada foothills and intersects Road 208.





Northbound Road 209 enters the foothills and begins to follow the course of Cottonwood Creek.  An abandoned older alignment can be found in the brush approaching Craig Ranch.  








A second larger old alignment of Road 209 can be found north of Craig Ranch. 










Northbound Road 209 terminates at Road 406 where Bates Station once stood.  California State Route 41 would have originally continued on what is now eastbound Road 406 to Road 207.











Part 3; a drive along former California State Route 41 on Madera County Road 207

Modern California State Route 41 intersects the pre-1939 alignment on Road 207 south of Yosemite Springs Parkway near Coarsegold.


Road 207 passes through a valley filled with ranch lands and ascends to a closed gate at the boundary of the San Joaquin Experimental Range property.  Road 207 no longer connects as a through route to Road 406. 































Part 4; a drive along former California State Route 41 on Madera County Road 406

The southern part of Road 207 south of the San Joaquin Experimental Range is now signed as Red Top Mountain Road. 

Pre-1939 California State Route 41 followed Road 406 southwest to the site of Bates Station at Road 209.













Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

By
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

By
The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

By
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...
Post a Comment
Read more