Sacramento Placer and Nevada Railroad

From: "Chris Graves" caliron@cwnet.com

You may recall the Placer County Railroad War.

When the rails were pulled up in 1864, the town of Auburn Station disappeared – in the intervening 141 years, the old grade (with 4 exceptions) was lost to homes, orchards, roads, etc.

The lost has been found. In 1862 there was a California Supreme Court Decision, entitled Sacramento and Placer and Nevada Railroad vs C. F. Harland. Not only was the railroad mis named, but Mr. Harland's name was also, the result of which no one had a clue that this decision in 1862 revolved around the SP&N. ...

Using a Case Number, rather than a title, the case has been located in the California Archives. And in the carefully folded up packet, there is a map.

... with this map, one can quickly see Auburn Station, the Mountaineer House, Wild Wood Station, etc.

The SP & N ran between Folsom and Auburn Station between 1861 and 1864; rails were pulled up and relaid on the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad in '64. Wendell could give you correct dates and places, I am most likely off a bit in dates, noted above.

It's a fantastic story, and with the map now in my hands, all interested could know.

Map measures about 12 x 18 inches, has place names, townships and range and sections marked.

Wendell knows a lot more about this than I do ... When he was here for the History Channel filming, he and I went to a few of the places where the old grade is still visible. He would be a great resource for the map. The rail that Judah bought back in 1859 for his Calif. Eastern Extension (best have Wendell validate that name) ended up on the Sac. Placer Nevada, 550 tons would go about 6 1/2 miles. I have a piece of rail from Baldwin Dam on the old grade, that computes to 50 lbs to the yard, as well as a piece from the old Griffith Quarry that computes to 52 lbs to the yard. If memory serves, Judah's rail was 52 lb., best check with Wendell on that.

The map was so fragile the Archives would not let it for reproduction ... Map was not indexed in the Archives, those folks did not know that they had it.