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West Westfall Road (Mariposa County)

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West Westfall Road is a six-mile rural dirt surface highway located in southern Mariposa County.  As presently configured West Westfall Road begins at White Rock Road near the White Rock ghost town and terminates at Preston Road near the ruins of the Goodview Mine copper smelter.  This roadway was likely developed during the 1870s amid the copper mining boom at Copper Hill.  The corridor is named after Sierra Nevada foothill pioneer Fremont Westfall who used to raise cattle in the White Rock area.  




Part 1; the history of West Westfall Road

Mariposa County was incorporated on February 18, 1850, as one of the original counties following California becoming an American state.  Mariposa County initially was by far the largest county by area in California which was centered around mining claims in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  The original county seat was the now ghost town of Aqua Fria.

During the early days of Mariposa County two major highways were established between San Joaquin Valley and the major mining communities to the east of the Sierra Nevada foothills.  The northern route was what would become the Burckhalter Toll Road which was aligned over what is now mostly Bear Valley Road.  The southernly route followed the Mariposa River (now Mariposa Creek) from the town of Bridgeport via the community of White Rock.  This southern route is what is now known in modern times as "White Rock Road." 

The Mariposa River Road can be seen spanning from Mariposa southwest towards what would become the Stockton-Los Angeles Road on the 1852 C.D. Gibbs Map of the Southern Mines.  White Rock is shown to be known at the time as "Guadalupe" and was located north of Texas Ranch.  In 1852 White Rock is shown to be the southernmost established community in the current boundaries of Mariposa County.  


Beginning in the 1860s southern Mariposa County would see a copper mining boom.  Most of the mines were centered around Green Mountain and Copper Hill.  During November 1876 residents of Mariposa County would petition for a roadway to be constructed from then Fresno County mining town of Buchanan (now part of Madera County) northwest over the Chowchilla River to the Stockton-Los Angeles Road (more commonly known at the time as the Millerton Road).  The petition for this copper belt roadway appears the Public Highway records of Mariposa County.  This petition definitely included what is now Preston Road but likely also what is now West Westfall Road.   


The southern Mariposa County copper belt road would be worked by miners through the 1880s.  The region would gradually transition lands mostly used by cattle grazing.  What is now West Westfall Road is named after Sierra Nevada foothill pioneer Fremont Westfall.  Westfall was born in Kansas in 1861 and would later move to the Mariposa area in 1882.  Westfall was mostly known for supplying the Grub Gulch mine in what is now Madera County and raising cattle in the White Rock area.  

West Westfall Road is shown as a primitive rural highway on the 1920 United States Geological Survey map of Indian Gulch.  The Westfall corridor can be seen branching from White Rock Road below (marked by blue pin). 


The same map displays West Westfall Road passing by the Copper Hill mining area.  The blue pin marks where the roadway terminates at Preston Road. 




Part 2; a drive on West Westfall Road

The southbound beginning of West Westfall Road can be found at White Rock Road near the former town site of White Rock.  One of the few remaining pieces of evidence of the small community is White Rock Cemetery which was established in 1861.  





As southbound West Westfall Road begins traffic is advised Raymond is 15 miles away.  The journey to Raymond includes all 6 miles of West Westfall Road, Preston Road, Ben Hur Road and Madera County Road 613.





Southbound West Westfall Road travels though the countryside in the Sierra Nevada foothills flanking Copper Hill.  There are no homes located on the corridor but rather there are a couple ranching properties which are bounded by cattle guards.  West Westfall Road terminates at Preston Road.


































The ruins of the Goodview Mine copper smelter can be found at the southwest corner of West Westfall Road and Preston Road.  


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