Skip to main content

Marsh Creek Road

By

Marsh Creek Road is an approximately twenty-one-mile rural highway in the Diablo Range of Contra Costa County, California.  The roadway begins in the city of Clayton near Mount Diablo and follows the namesake Marsh Creek to the outskirts of Discovery Bay.  Since 2012 a portion of Marsh Creek Road between Vasco Road and Byron Road has been signed as part of California State Route 4.  The highway is named after Alta California settler John Marsh who settled in the area during 1838.  




Part 1; the history of Marsh Creek Road

Marsh Creek and the namesake road are named after Alta California settler John Marsh.  John Marsh would acquire Rancho Los Meganos from Jose Noriega during 1838.  John Marsh would construct his home along the creek that would later bear his name after California became an American state.  

In 1857 John Clayton would plot a town north of Mount Diablo bearing his last name.  Clayton would begin to boom with the rise of coal mining in eastern Contra County.  The community would obtain Postal Service during 1861.   Clayton was also located near Jerimah Morgan's ranch known as Morgan Territory which had been plotted near the source of Marsh Creek in 1857.  

The 1882 Bancroft Map of California depicts a road extending east from Clayton towards the coal mines of Nortonville and Stewartville.  No established road can be seen following Marsh Creek through Morgan Territory east towards Byron and Brentwood.


The 1896 United States Geological Survey Map of Mount Diablo displays Marsh Creek Road originating in Clayton and spanning east near Morgan Territory towards Marsh Ranch.  It is likely that the road continued east to Byron.  




The 1914 C.F. Weber Map of Contra Costa County depicts Marsh Creek Road connecting Clayton east to Byron by way of Morgan Territory.  



During 1927 the privately owned Marsh Creek Springs Park was developed along Marsh Creek Road north of Morgan Territory.  The 1935 Division of Highways Map of Contra Costa County depicts Marsh Creek Road as a major rural highway connecting Clayton to near California State Route 4 south of Brentwood.  The highway is shown to be realigned away from Byron following Marsh Creek and Dry Creek. 


The realigned eastern segment of Marsh Creek Road can be seen in detail on the 1940 United States Geological Survey map of Byron.  The older alignment to Byron appears as Kellogg Road and is now named Camino Diablo.  March Creek Road is shown terminating at Bixler Road near what is now Discovery Bay.  


Marsh Creek Springs would suffer substantial flooding in 1957 and 1962.  These floods led eventually led to the park permanently closing and the abandonment of several building.  

During 2012 the California State Route 4 bypass of Brentwood was complete.  The eastern end of the freeway emptied onto Marsh Creek Road near Vasco Road.  The new alignment of California State Route 4 followed Marsh Creek Road east to Byron Highway where it continues through the San Joaquin River Delta.  

The present overlay of California State Route 4 on Marsh Creek Road between Vasco Road and Byron Highway appears on the 2018 United States Geological Survey map of Brentwood. 





Part 2; a drive on Marsh Creek Road

Below Morgan Territory Road can observed with a northern terminus at Marsh Creek Road near Clayton.  


Eastbound Marsh Creek Road follows the namesake creek past the former location of Marsh Creek Springs.  The road emerges onto a bluff overlooking the ruins of the Marsh Creek Hotel.  Marsh Creek Road is displayed as Contra Costa County Route 106 on roadside callboxes.  

























Marsh Creek Road reaches Camino Diablo at a Y Junction located five miles from Brentwood and Byron.  As noted in Part 1, Marsh Creek Road originally continued east to Byron.  








Part 3; California State Route 4 on Marsh Creek Road near Brentwood

At Post Mile CC R44.367 CA 4 westbound intersects County Route J4 on Byron Highway.






California State Route 4 briefly swings northward on Byron Highway before turning west onto Marsh Creek Road.


 


California State Route 4 westbound continues on Marsh Creek Road to Vasco Road at Post Mile CC R37.987.  Brentwood is signed as four miles to the west as California State Route 4 turns right onto Vasco Road.









California State Route 4 westbound quickly becomes a two-lane freeway which is known as the John Marsh Heritage Highway.  California State Route 4 westbound Exit 35 accesses Balfour Road.







Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

By
Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

By
The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old NC 10 - The Central Highway: Old Fort to Black Mountain through the Royal Gorge

By
A unique way of tracing the remnants of the Central Highway is through the mountainous terrain of Eastern Buncombe and Western McDowell Counties.  From the east on US 70, you reach the base of Blue Ridge Mountains at the town of Old Fort.  Old Fort is a tiny rail town that the old Central Highway and now US 70 goes through.  The Central Highway can be followed via a right onto Mill Creek Road from US 70.  Follow the highway as it takes you closer to the mountains.  When Mill Creek Road bears right to head towards Andrews Geyser stay straight until the road ends at a gate.  The nearby Piney Grove Church can be used for parking.  At this point, the old Central Highway began a 3.5 mile climb of the mountain to Swannanoa Gap.  NC 10 and later US 70 travelers followed this road for over 30 years until a new and modern four lane US 70 was built to the south.  This same four lane road would eventually become Interstate 40.    The Centra...
Post a Comment
Read more