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

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

By
The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

By
This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch.  While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley.  Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The Stockton Los Ange...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

By
Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California.  As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles.  US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street.  California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street.  US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton.   Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass.  Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...
Post a Comment
Read more