Skip to main content

Former California State Route 4 in Vallecito

By

Vallecito is one of the oldest communities in Calaveras County having been founded by the Murphy's brothers in 1849.  When California State Route 4 was commissioned in 1934 it followed the existing highway corridor through Vallecito (then Vallecita) via Angels Road and Main Street.  The original corridor would persist until 1961 when Vallecito was bypassed to the north.  The 1961-era bypass of Vallecito was part of larger project which saw California State Route 4 also bypass Douglas Flat and Murphys. 

The original alignment of California State Route 4 in Vallecito can be seen in detail on the 1948 United States Geological Survey map of Columbia.  




Part 1; the history of California State Route 4 in Vallecito

What was to become Vallecito was founded in 1849 near gold claims of the Murphy's brothers.  Said mining camp was originally called "Murphys Diggings" but came to be called "Old Murphys Diggings" when more profitable claims were found to the northeast at what is now the community of Murphys.  Old Murphys Diggings would see a revival in 1852 when a large gold deposit was found in the center of town.  The community would be renamed as "Vallecita" in 1854 when it received Post Office Service. 

Vallecito was brought into the State Highway by 1924 Legislative Chapter 375 as Legislative Route Number 24.  Said legislation filled a gap in Legislative Route Number 24 (Alpine State Highway) from Calaveras Big Trees west to Angels Camp.  The original Alpine State Highway alignment through Vallecita was carried by Main Street and Angels Road.  

In the August 1934 California Highways & Public Works the initial Sign State Routes were announced.  California State Route 4 was announced as the highway crossing Ebbetts Pass via Legislative Route Number 24 and terminating at California State Route 89 (near the unbuilt segment of Legislative Route Number 23) near Markleeville.  California State Route 4 was signed through Vallecita along Main Street and Angels Road.  



California State Route 4 can be seen passing through Vallecita along Main Street and Angels Road on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Calaveras County (solid red line).  Main Street can be seen intersecting Parrots Ferry Road (dotted red line) towards Moaning Cave and the Stanislaus River.  The community would rename to Vallecito in 1940. 

The original alignment of California State Route 4 in Vallecito can be seen in detail on the 1948 United States Geological Survey map of Columbia.  

The November/December 1961 California Highways & Public Works announced a project to rebuild and straighten California State Route 4 between Angels Camp-Murphys had recently been completed.  The project bypassed Vallecito via a new alignment straying north of Angels Road and Main Street.  The new State Highway alignment tied into an extension of Parrotts Ferry Road which bypassed Vallecito to the east.  The same project also bypassed Main Street in Douglas Flat in addition to Main Street and Big Trees Road in Murphys.  




Part 2; a drive along Main Street in Vallecito

Modern Parrots Ferry Road (County Route E18 since 1974) bypasses Vallecito to the east.  Traffic wishing to access Vallecito is directed to use Main Street. 


Main Street continues north into Vallecito and picks up the original alignment of California State Route 4 at Angels Road.  Eastbound California State Route 4 would have used Main Street to head towards Douglas Flat and Murphys.  The westbound highway would have followed Angels Road towards Angels Camp.  






California State Route 4 would have utilized a tee-beam bridge at a branch of Coyote Creek along Main Street just east of Angels Road.  This tee-beam structure had been constructed in 1915 and was recently replaced.  This photo of the older structure by Mark Yashinsky is from the bridgehunter website.  


California State Route 4 would have followed Main Street to where it merges into the modern highway towards Douglas Flat. 




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Did Caltrans just kill the G26 cutout US Route shields?

By
The US Route System was formally created by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926.  Through the history of the system the only state to which has elected to maintain cutout US Route shields has been California.  The G26 series cutout US Route shields have become a favorite in the road enthusiast hobby and are generally considered to be much more visually pleasing than the standard Federal Highway Administration variant.  However, the G26 shield series appears to have been killed off on January 18, 2026, when Caltrans updated their Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  This blog will examine the history of the US Route shield specifications in California and what is happening with the 2026 changes.  The blog cover photo is facing towards the terminus of California State Route 136 and at a G26-2 specification US Route 395 shield.  In the background Mount Whitney can be seen in the Sierra Nevada range.   ...
3 comments
Read more

Three Points Road (Los Angeles County)

By
Three Points Road is a rural cutoff route which connects Pine Canyon Road (Los Angeles County Route N2) and California State Route 138 near Neenach of Antelope Valley.  Originally the community of Three Points (named for the junction Pine Canyon, Oakdale Canyon and Oakgrove Canyon) was served by 265th Avenue West.  The modern three-mile-long corridor of Three Points Road was developed by 1950 to serve as a softer transition to California State Route 138.  Part 1; the history of Three Points Road Three Points Road is named in reference to the community near the extinct Neenach Volcano known as Three Points.  Three Points itself is a reference to three canyons it sits in the middle of: Pine Canyon, Oakgrove Canyon and Oakdale Canyon.  Three Points was homesteaded by the Laffery family in 1892.  Nearby Gookins Lake was named after one of the Laffery family members.   Three Points (blue pin) can be seen at the intersection of Pine Canyon Road (now Los...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hawaii Route 50

By
Hawaii Route 50 is the longest Sign Route on the island of Kauai at 32.6 miles.  The entirety of Hawaii Route 50 is overlaid atop Kaumualii Highway from Lihue west to the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands. Hawaii Route 50 is one of the original 1955-era State Highway designations on Kauai.  Much of the Kaumualii Highway corridor was constructed during the sugar plantation boom of the late Hawaiian Kingdom.  The first tee beam bridge in Hawaii would be constructed along the Kaumualii Highway in 1911 at the Hanapepe.  Much of this highway would be modernized to two-lane standards through the 1930s and 1940s. This page is part of the Gribblenation Hawaii Roads series.  A compellation of all Hawaii-related media from both Gribblenation and RoadwayWiz can be found by clicking  here .  Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 50 and Kaumualii Highway Hawaii Route 50 is the longest highway on Kauai at 32.6 miles.  The highway begins at Rice Str...
Post a Comment
Read more