Skip to main content

Silver Bar Road (Mariposa County)

By

Silver Bar Road is seven-mile loop of Ben Hur Road in the Sierra Nevada foothills southern Mariposa County.  This mostly dirt surface rural corridor is named after the Silver Bar Mine which once located in the vicinity of Lookout Mountain.  John Hite was known to have petitioned the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors to construct a roadway local silver mines in 1885 but was met with rejection.  Nonetheless modern Silver Bar Road appears on maps shortly after Hite's petition. 




Part 1; the history of Silver Bar Road

Silver Bar Road is named after the Silver Bar Mine.  The historic location of the Silver Bar Mine location is not fully clear other than it was located a short distance from Lookout Mountain northeast of the community of Ben Hur.  The Silver Bar Mine and Silver Lane Mine are the only two known significant silver strikes within Mariposa County.  Numerous modern mining claims filed as "Silver Bar" are centered around property near the intersection of Old Oak Road and Ashworth Road. 

Ben Hur itself was a small community was had been established in 1859 by Morgan Quick and originally was known as Rancheria Place.  The ranch at what became Ben Hur was owned and operated by the Quick family of Mariposa County for six generations.  Post Office service would operate in the community from 1890-1902 and 1904-1951.  The community's name is a reference to the 1880 novel Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. 

Wealthy Mariposa County resident John Hite filed for a petition to the Board of Supervisors to construct a public highway to the silver mining region near Becknell's corral (namesake of Becknell Creek) during July 1885.  The Board of Supervisors would deny this petition in August 1885.  




Silver Bar Road does appear as a loop of Ben Hur Road on the 1912 United States Geological Survey map of Mariposa (terminus points marked by blue pins).  Silver Bar Road is shown to pass by the lands of Larew Ranch a short distance south of Lookout Mountain.  Becknell Creek is originating near the southern terminus of Silver Bar Road. 



Silver Bar Road is shown (Township 6 South, Range 18 East) as a minor loop of Ben Hur Road on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Mariposa County. 




Part 2; a drive on Silver Bar Road

Southbound Silver Bar Road begins as a surfaced highway at Ben Hur Road in the Mormon Bar area.  


Southbound Silver Bar Road becomes a dirt highway a short distance past Dusty Oak Road. 











Silver Bar Road passes east of Lookout Mountain and intersects Ashworth Road. 







Southbound Silver Bar Road continues as a dirt highway through several rural ranching properties and reaches a terminus at Ben Hur Road a short distance from the site of Ben Hur ghost town. 

































Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former California State Route 180 in Centerville

By
Centerville is one of the oldest communities in what is now Fresno County having been founded as Scottsburg in 1854.  The Centerville community has historically been tied to the history of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road and the Squaw Valley Road.  The Squaw Valley Road would later be known as Dunlap Road and became a component of California State Route 180 in August 1934.  By the 1940s the corridor was renamed Kings Canyon Road in reference to Kings Canyon National Park.  For the majority of the life of California State Route 180 in Centerville, it has not strayed far from Kings Canyon Road.  This changed in 2020 when California State Route 180 was relocated onto the Kings Canyon Expressway.  This blog serves as an overview of the history of California State Route 180 and general evolution of highways in Centerville.  California State Route 180 can be seen passing through Centerville and Minkler below on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Fresno Count...
Post a Comment
Read more

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Thurmond

By
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is best known for whitewater rafting and other forms of adventure tourism.  Yet, found in the hollows and isolated valleys are quiet farms and former coal mining towns.  Well off the beaten path and isolated from much of its surroundings, Thurmond provides a unique view into Central West Virginia's industrial past. Thurmond began as a railroad town in the late 1800s.  Sparked by the arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and the local coal industry, Thurmond quickly grew into a sizeable transportation and coal center.  When it incorporated as a town in 1903, Thurmond was a full-fledged community - home to two banks, two hotels, and many other services and stores. A CSX freight train passes the old coaling tower in Thurmond.  It was here that many steam locomotives would refill and refuel. Thurmond was home to a C&O railyard which serviced the numerous steam engines passing through the narrow valley.  Thu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Buc-ee's - The Overzealous Beaver

By
If you've followed this website long enough, you know that we're not that impressed with Buc-ee's.  I shrugged when I visited the St. Augustine, Florida location in April 2022 .  It may have rustled a feather or two, but I did say I wasn't opposed to going to one again.  In fact, a few months later I did in Denton, Texas.  An old high school friend mentioned that they liked Buc-ee's for filling up their RV because of the space and the numerous gas pumps.  So, when I helped my brother move from Baton Rouge to Denver, and the U-Haul needed to be filled up, I must admit Buc-ee's was the perfect spot.  I have not been to a Buc-ee's since then. Recently, Buc-ee's has brought lawsuits against three smaller convenience store brands that have caught national attention.  Two in Ohio and one in Georgia. Teddy's Market's logo is the key to a legal battle between Buc-ee's and the small Georgia chain.  Teddy's is fighting back, calling Buc-ee's a...
Post a Comment
Read more