Crabtree Road is an approximately 7.3-mile-long rural highway located in eastern Stanislaus County. The corridor begins at California State Route 132 near Roberts Ferry and terminates near the Sierra Railway siding site of Warnerville at Copperstown Road. Crabtree Road as it currently exists opened in 1920 following the completion of the Dry Creek Pratt truss bridge (pictured as the blog cover photo). The purpose of the roadway was to provide a direct connection between Roberts Ferry and the numerous Sierra Railway siding locations.
Part 1; the history of Crabtree Road
The purpose of Crabtree Road was to connect the communities of Roberts Ferry at the Tuolumne River and Warnerville at the Sierra Railway. No roadway is shown connecting the two communities on the 1906 Stanislaus Land & Abstract Company map. A roadway north of Roberts Ferry towards Dry Creek is shown to be present at the time.
Warnerville is one of many sidings which were established by the Sierra Railway after the company incorporated during February 1897. The company quickly constructed a line east of Oakdale to Chinese Camp by November 1897. The company would plot Occidential, Paulsell, Warnerville, Copperstown and Chinese siding during the initial run of line construction. The line would later be extended east of Jamestown to the community of Tuolumne by 1900.
Robert's Ferry (now Roberts Ferry) was originally located approximately 3/8th of a mile downstream from the present Roberts Ferry Covered Bridge. Doctor B.D. Horr established a ferry crossing of the Tuolumne River during 1850 at the height of the California Gold Rush. The ferry established by Doctor Horr was sold to a man named Dickenson and later a man named Osborn. John W. Roberts later purchased the ferry on the Tuolumne River in 1862. During 1865 John Roberts moved the ferry location at the Tuolumne River to the present location of the Roberts Ferry Covered Bridge. Robert's Ferry was known as the primary crossing of the Tuolumne River on the Stockton-Los Angeles Road (displayed as the Old Stockton-Mariposa Road).
The existing road north of Roberts Ferry was completed to Warnerville in 1920 following the completion of the Dry Creek Pratt truss bridge. The corridor appears as Crabtree Road on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Stanislaus County.
Part 2; a drive on Crabtree Road
Northbound Crabtree Road begins a short distance east of Roberts Ferry at California State Route 132.
As Crabtree Road begins traffic is warned about the weight limits of the Dry Creek Bridge approximately five miles ahead.
Crabtree Road crosses the Modesto Main Canal short distance north of California State Route 132.
Crabtree Road winds through the terrain of the Sierra Nevada foothills north of Modesto Main Canal and approaches Dry Creek. The roadway narrows to a single lane at the Dry Creek Bridge and traffic is managed by a stop sign.
Crabtree Road continues north and crosses the tracks of the now Sierra Railroad where it intersects Warnerville Road at the Warnerville town site. Warnerville is almost a true ghost town as few homes remain adjacent to the still existing siding facility. Crabtree Road continues a short distance north and terminates at Copperstown Road near Maxwell Cemetary.
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