Gribblenation

In 1971 New Don Pedro Dam was completed which raised the level of the Don Pedro Reservoir.  Near Bonds Flat within southern Tuolumne County the expanding reservoir required California State Route 132 to be relocated uphill.  During periods of low water in the reservoir the original alignment of California State Route 132 can be seen at Postmile TUO R5.265.  This blog will explore the history of California State Route 132 in the Bonds Flat area and the ruins that can be found in the Don Pedro Reservoir.  The history of California State Route 132 at the Don Pedro Reservoir O What was to become California State Route 132 was added the state highway system by 1933 Legislative Chapter 767 as Legislative Route Number 110 .  The original definition of Legislative Route Number 110 carried to from the "Fresno-Tracy Westside Highway to the Sonora-Mariposa Road via Modesto."  The entire corridor of Legislative Route Number 110 was assigned as California State Route 13...

When US Route 466 was created during October 1933 it was aligned through Tehachapi Pass at Cameron siding.  The then new US Route would inherit the alignment of the Tehachapi Pass Highway which was constructed concurrent with the Southern Pacific Railroad 1876.  US Route 466 at Tehachapi Pass would be realigned onto an expressway grade during 1957 which bypassed a bottleneck prone jog by Cameron Road.  Modern Cameron Road from California State Route 58 at Exit 159 west to the crossing the railroad crossing at the former siding carries the original alignment US Route 466.  The original eastern terminus of Cameron Road was located at US Route 466 at Tehachapi Pass a short distance after crossing the Southern Pacific Railroad.  This original eastern terminus is clearly displayed on the 1943 United States Geological Survey map.   Part 1-Part 4 of the US Route 466 Legacy Series can be found below: Legacy of US Route 466 Part 1: California State Route 46 Leg...

Mount Gaines Road is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Hornitos in Mariposa County.  The origin of Mount Gaines Road is at Bear Valley Road (County Route J16) and the corridor extends southward 4.3 miles to Hornitos Road.  The entirety of Mount Gaines Road is comprised of a dirt surface and crosses El Dorado Creek via a normally dry ford.   Mount Gaines Road is named after the Mount Gaines Mine which was struck in 1868.  The Mount Gaines Mine is one of the last remaining claims which was tied to the ghost town of Quartzburg.  Quartzburg was founded around quartz-based mining claims in 1847 was an active community until the 1860s.  The nearby city of Hornitos would attract most of the residents from Quartzburg along with much of the mining business.  The Mount Gaines Mine for a time was defunct and reopened as a wholesale quarry in 2003.   Part 1; the history of Mount Gaines Road Mount Gaines Road is named after the Mount Gaines...