Rock Creek Road is a 14.6-mile rural highway located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Calaveras County. The corridor begins at California State Route 4 near Main Street in Copperopolis and extends west to County Route J14 (Milton Road) in Milton via Salt Spring Valley.
Rock Creek Road is one of the oldest highways in Calaveras County. The roadway came into common use during the 1850s to service the Madam Felix Mining District and early Salt Spring Valley Reservoir. In 1871 the corridor would begin to service stages departing the terminus of the Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad in Milton. Rock Creek Road would remain a major county highway through the 1930s until the railroad feeding it freight traffic went defunct in 1940.
Part 1; the history of Rock Creek Road
Much of Rock Creek Road passes through Salt Springs Valley. The valley was part of the Madam Felix Mining District which had sparse success for gold mining operators beginning in the 1850s. The towns of Hodson and Felix were accessible via stage road which followed Rock Creek east of Stockton. In 1857-1858 the valley would be first dammed by William H. Hanford as it was found it be more useful for cattle grazing.
The Royal Mill at Hobson can be seen in an undated photo from the Calaveras County Historical Society. Hobson was located approximately a mile west of Rock Creek Road on Littlejohn Creek.
Copperopolis was founded in 1860 by William K. Reed, Dr. Allen Blatchly and Thomas McCarty. The claims at Copperopolis were the second major copper strike in Calaveras County after those found at Telegraph City. By 1862 William K. Reed sold his interests in the Union Mine and constructed the namesake Reeds Turnpike to Stockton. This roadway would remain a franchise toll road until 1865 when it became a public highway. Reeds Turnpike would later be used as a basis for much of early California State Route 4 between Stockton and Copperopolis.
Reeds Turnpike turned out to be insufficient to haul copper ore from Copperopolis. This led to the incorporation of the Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad in October 1865. By 1871 what the line reached what was intended to be a temporary terminus in Milton. From Milton stages would depart east to Copperopolis along Rock Creek Road. The railroad was planned to be extended to Copperopolis but never extended east of Milton.
The 1873 Bancroft's Map of California displays the Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad extended (as planned) to Copperopolis via Rock Creek in error. The Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad operated as an independent entity until 1874 when it was leased to the Central Pacific Railroad. The line was fully acquired by the Central Pacific in 1885 and was consolidated into the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1888.
In 1880 the Salt Spring Valley Reservoir would be expanded which likely made any railroad extension to Copperopolis far more difficult. The Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad can be seen terminating at Milton and the beginning of Rock Creek Road on the 1882 Bancroft's Map of California.
Rock Creek Road can be seen extending from Milton to Copperopolis on the 1914 C.F. Weber Map of Calaveras County. The map displays the small community of Towers which is more commonly known as "Felix."
The 1935 Division of Highways Map of Calaveras County shows Rock Creek Road (dotted line) as a major local highway. California State Route 4 (solid red line) can be seen following the former Reeds Turnpike (adopted in 1931 as Legislative Route Number 75) to the south. The Rock Creek Bridge found currently along Rock Creek Road near Milton would be constructed in 1936.
The Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad would be abandoned by 1940 which would lead to a decline in Milton. Usage of Rock Creek Road would plummet as it became far practical to use California State Route 4 to reach Copperopolis. Post Office service in Milton closed in 1941 and the community has become a near ghost town.
The photo tour in this section begins at the terminus of westbound Felix Road at Rock Creek Road.
Rock Creek Road west of Felix Road is two lanes to the Salt Spring Valley Reservoir Campground. The earthen Salt Spring Valley Dam is the same earthen structure which has been in use since 1880.
Rock Creek Road follows the course of the namesake creek as a one lane road through Long Gulch. The roadway emerges onto the 1936 Rock Creek Bridge approaching Milton.
Rock Creek Road terminates at Milton Road (County Route J14) in the community of Milton.
The site of the Keystone Lodge can be found at Milton Road and Green Street which was once the terminus of the Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad. The Keystone Lodge was built in during the copper boom in Copperopolis during 1862 and was moved to Milton in 1881. It is unclear when the Keystone Lodge disappeared given the plaque discussing the history of the structure was erected during 1962.
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