Gribblenation

Laton is a small unincorporated community in southern Fresno County which was founded by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1890.  Laton functionally serves as a continuation of the ghost town of Kingston which was located on the south bank of the Kings River in what is now Kings County.   Historically Laton was served by the 1873-Kingston Bridge which collapsed in 1908.  Since the destruction of the Kingston Bridge the corridor of Fowler Avenue has become increasingly the predominant north/south highway in Laton which has been continuously modernized.  The cover photo of this blog is a view at an abandoned portion of early Fowler Avenue north of downtown Laton and Murphy Slough.   The street grid of Laton can be seen below on the 1927 United States Geological Survey map.  Northern Fowler Avenue can be seen entering downtown along the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and terminating at Latonia Street.  Latonia Street is sho...

The Klamath Tour Thru Tree is a Coastal Redwood tunnel tree located off California State Route 169 in Klamath Glen.  This particular tree is 167.54 feet high which makes it far smaller than the more famous Chandlier Tree in Leggett.  The Klamath Tour Thru Tree was carved during May 1976 which allows it to facilitate passage by larger vehicles than the Chandlier Tree.  The Klamath Tour Thru Tree is one of the most popular tourism spots in Del Norte County and draws approximately 60,000 vehicles annually. Part 1; the history of the Klamath Tour Thru Tree The Klamath Tour Thru Tree is located off of California State Route 169 near the interchange with US Route 101 in Klamath Glen.  The tree is a 167.54 foot high Coastal Redwood which was part of a grove spared when the area around Klamath Glen was logged in 1967.  The Klamath Tour Thru Tree is thought to be approximately 750 years old.  In May 1976 retired Air Force Major and Del Notre County Supervisor Harold...

Browns Valley Road is an approximately 3.5-mile rural highway corridor located in the Corralitos area of the Santa Cruz Mountains.  This short corridor begins at Eureka Canyon Road in Corralitos and extends northeast to Hazel Dell Road.  Browns Valley Road is historically significant as it was the site of construction of a major highway truss bridge over Corralitos Creek in 1893 (seen as the cover photo).  The 1893 Corralitos Creek Bridge was destroyed by flooding in November 1950 and replaced.  The 1950-era span itself was replaced by the current bridge carrying Browns Valley Road in 2002.  Part 1; the history of Browns Valley Road Browns Valley Road is located in the Corralitos area mostly east of Corralitos Creek.  Much of this roadway follows Browns Creek northeast of the confluence with Corralitos Creek through Green Valley to Hazel Dell Road.  The roadway name appears to co-opt both the name of Browns Creek and Green Valley.  The area now co...

The Chandelier Tree and Drive-Thru Tree Park are notable attractions which were located on early US Route 101 (Redwood Highway) in Leggett.  The Chandelier Tree is a 276 foot high Coastal Redwood which had a tunnel carved into the trunk circa 1936-1937 by the Underwood family.  Despite Leggett being bypassed by modern US Route 101 in early the 1970s and replaced with California State Route 271 Drive-Thru Tree Park remains a popular stopping point for travelers in northern Mendocino County.   Part 1; the history of the Chandelier Tree The Chandelier Tree is a Coastal Redwood located in the community of Leggett along the southern segment of California State Route 271 (formerly US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway).  The Coastal Redwood grove the tree is located in was purchased by Charles and Hazel Underwood in 1922.  Underwoods carved a tunnel through the Chandelier Tree either in 1936 or 1937 as the central feature of Drive-Thru Tree Park.  Chandelier...