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Former California State Route 4 in Murphys

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Murphys is one of the oldest communities in Calaveras County and historically tied to the history of the Big Trees Road to Ebbetts Pass.  When California State Route 4 was commissioned in 1934 it followed the existing Alpine State Highway corridor through the community via Main Street and Big Trees Road.  Murphys would be bypassed in 1961 when the current highway alignment east of downtown was constructed.  The same project corridor would also bypass nearby Douglas Flat and Vallecito.  

The 1948 United States Geological Survey map of Columbia displays California State Route 4 passing through Murphys in detail.  The highway corridor is shown passing through via Main Street and Big Trees Road.  




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

The history of Vallecito and Murphys are strongly tied together.  Both were founded by John and Daniel Murphy during the California Gold Rush.  What became Vallecito was plotted first as Murphy's Diggings.  The brothers would found another gold mining camp a short time later to the northeast which was initially known as New Murphy's Diggings.  New Murphy's Diggings would receive Post Office Service in 1851 and would be renamed as Murphy's.  The community's name would be shortened to just "Murphy" in 1894. 

The community of Murphys is heavily tied historically to the Big Trees Road over Ebbetts Pass.  The pass is suspected to have been possibly regularly used by the Miwok and Washoe tribes as a foot path over the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  The 1827 Jedediah Smith Expedition possibly used Ebbetts Pass to leave California.  

Major John Ebbetts claimed to have traversed Ebbetts Pass during April of 1851 with pack mules during the height of the California Gold Rush.  John Ebbetts initially believed that the route he had located would be suitable for a transcontinental railroad but later found it unsuitable when he later returned to survey it.  John Ebbetts intended to return to survey his namesake pass for a wagon road but was killed during the explosion of the steamboat Secretary in San Pablo Bay in 1854.  For the outset the pass discovered by John Ebbetts was referred to by his name although it would not be formally adopted by the U.S. Geological Survey until 1893. 

Ebbetts Pass can be seen on the 1857 Britton & Rey's Road Map of California in what was what Amador County.  Note: the road over Carson Pass can be seen north of Ebbetts Pass in El Dorado County. 

In 1856 an immigrant road was constructed from Murphy's east to Ebbetts Pass.  This early immigrant road diverged from modern California State Route 4 in Hermit Valley and cut north towards the Carson Pass Road in Hope Valley.  This early route over Ebbetts Pass is depicted in the September 1950 California Highways & Public Works article titled "Crossing the Sierra." 



In 1858 Konigsberg was founded by Norwegian Miners near potential silver claims east of Ebbetts Pass along Silver Creek.  The growth of Konigsberg was spurred by the Comstock Lode Rush out of Nevada by 1859.  Konigsberg’s outward growth spawned nearby communities eastward on Silver Creek and the East Fork Carson River such as Centerville, Mount Bullion, Monitor (technically on Monitor Creek), and Markleeville.  The growth around Konigsberg led to a franchise toll road company known as the “Big Tree & Carson Valley Turnpike Company being formed in the winter of 1861-62.   Construction of the "Big Trees Roads" (named after the Calaveras Grove of Redwood Sequoias) over Ebbetts Pass began in June of 1862.  Substantial detail on the construction of the Big Trees Road can be found on Scenic4.org sourced from the Alpine County Museum.

The Big Tree & Carson Valley Turnpike entered into a financial agreement with Harvey Blood and Jonathan Curtis of Grizzly Bear Valley in 1864 to pay back taxes which continued to fund construction of the Big Trees Road.  The Big Trees Road was completed to Silver Mountain City by 1864 and largely followed the course of modern California State Route 4 from what is now Calaveras Big Trees State Park east to Markleeville.  The Big Trees Road can be seen traversing Alpine County by way of Ebbetts Pass on the 1873 Bancroft's Map of California, Arizona, and Nevada.  

Harvey Blood died in 1910 which led to the Big Trees Road being added to the State Highway System as the "Alpine State Highway" under Legislative Chapter.  The Alpine State Highway was assigned as Legislative Route Number 24. 

"The certain road commencing at the Calaveras big tree grove located in Calaveras County thence running to Dorrington in said county, thence E-ly following what is known as the Big Tree and Carson Valley Turnpike to Mt. Bullion in Alpine Cty, thence along county road to Markleeville in Alpine Cty, thence along that certain road via Kirkwood, Silver Lake, Pine Grove and Irishtown to Jackson in Amador Cty, including therewith the road from Picketts in Hope Valley connecting with the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, a state highway, at Osgood's Place in El Dorado Cty, and the road from Mt Bullion via Loupe in Alpine Cty to Junction in Mono County connecting with the Sonora and Mono State Highway is hereby declared and established a state highway and shall be designated and known as "Alpine State Highway"

Murphys 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 from Calaveras Big Trees west to Angels Camp.  The original Alpine State Highway alignment through Murphys was carried by Main Street and Big Trees 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 Murphys along Main Street and Big Trees Road.  



California State Route 4 can be seen passing through Murphys along Main Street and Big Trees Road on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Calaveras County (solid red line).  The map shows Murphys as "Murphy."  The community's name would formally change back in 1935.  

The 1948 United States Geological Survey map of Columbia displays California State Route 4 passing through Murphys in detail.  The highway corridor is shown passing through via Main Street and Big Trees Road.  

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 Murphys via a new alignment straying east of Main Street and Big Trees Road.  The same project corridor also bypassed early alignments through Douglas Flat and Vallecito.   




Part 2; a drive along the original alignment of California State Route 4 in Murphys

From modern eastbound California State Route 4 traffic wishing to access downtown Murphys is directed to follow Main Street into the heart of the community.  Traffic is also advised Mercer Cavern can be accessed by passing through downtown.

The original eastbound alignment of California State Route 4 would have entered downtown Murphys via Main Street and made a right-hand turn on Big Trees Road towards Ebbetts Pass.  






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