Skip to main content

Trimmer Springs Road (Fresno County)

By

Trimmer Springs Road is an approximately forty-mile rural highway located in Fresno County.  The corridor begins near in California State Route 180 in Centerville and extends to Blackrock Road at the Kings River in the Sierra Nevada range near the Pacific Gas & Electric Company town of Balch Camp. The roadway is named after the former Trimmer Springs Resort and was originally constructed to facilitate access to the Sanger Log Flume.  Trimmer Springs Road was heavily modified and elongated after construction of Pine Flat Dam broke ground in 1947.  




Part 1; the history of Trimmer Springs Road

Much of the original alignment of Trimmer Springs Road was constructed to facilitate access to the Sanger Log Flume.  

The Kings River Lumber Company had been established in 1888 in the form of a 30,000-acre purchase of forest lands in Converse Basin.  This purchase lied immediately west of Grant Grove and came to be known as "Millwood."  The company originally planned on constructing a railroad from Sanger to Converse Basin, but the terrain of Kings River Canyon proved too formidable of an engineering challenge.  

The Kings River Lumber Company shortly after incorporation began construction on the 54-mile Sanger Log Flume originating at Sequoia Lake of Millwood.  Said flume was complete months prior to the establishment of General Grant National Park and Sequoia National Park in mid-year 1890.  From Millwood the flume followed the course of Mill Flat Creek northwest to the Kings River near Rodgers Crossing.  The Kings River Lumber Company would reorganize in 1894 as the Sanger Lumber Company. 

From Sanger a roadway was constructed eastward alongside the Kings River to Mill Flat Creek to facilitate access to the Sanger Log Flume.  In 1889 Morris Trimmer would develop a resort along the Sanger Log Flume Road.  The Trimmer Springs resort would obtain Post Office Service originally the same year it opened.  By 1890 the postal service shuttered but it would reopen for a second time in 1892 and not close again until 1919.  The Sanger Log Flume Road east of Centerville would eventually come to be known as "Trimmer Springs Road" whereas the segment west to Sanger became known as "Rainbow Avenue." 

In 1905 the Sanger Log Company was purchased by Thomas Hume and Ira B. Bennett.  The logging operation was subsequently and rebranded as the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company.  Hume-Bennett would construct an arch concrete dam east of Millwood at Long Meadow which would be complete by November 1908.  An extension of the Sanger Log Flume was built east from Mill Flat Creek along the Kings River and Ten Mile Creek to the Hume Lake Reservoir.  

Trimmer Springs Road can be seen in detail on the 1911 Denny & Company map of Fresno County.  Trimmer Springs Road can be seen beginning in Centerville in Township 14 South, Range 23E.  The roadway is shown following the north bank of the Kings River alongside the Sanger Log Flume east to Trimmer Springs at Township 12 South, Range 25 East. 


Trimmer Springs Road east of the namesake resort is shown crossing to the south bank of the Kings River and following east to Mill Flat Creek in Township 12 South, Range 26 East.  The Sanger Log Flume can be seen branching to Sequoia Lake in Millwood and to Hume Lake.  


Cyclists can be seen along Trimmer Springs Road at the Trimmer Springs Resort below in a 1910-1915 era photo.  Notably the Sanger Log Flume can be seen overhead.  This photo is part of the Antique Images from the collection of Michael J. Semas Facebook page.  


Below is a another of the Trimmer Springs Resort and Sanger Log Flume taken circa 1909-1911.  This photo is also part of the Antique Images from the Collection of Michael J. Semas's Facebook page.  


During the waning years of the Sanger Lumber Flume the San Joaquin Light & Power Company (now Pacific Gas & Electric) would become interested in using the North Fork Kings River for hydroelectric interests.  A then new road was constructed north from Trimmer Springs Road near Kirch Flat to the future site of the Balch Powerhouse and the company town of Balch Camp.  Said roadway was completed in 1923 was known as Haas Road (is now known as Blackrock Road).  

Blackrock Road, Balch Camp and Dinkey Creek can be seen in a 1923 era photo from the Eastern Fresno County Historical Society Facebook page. 


In 1924 the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company would close due to financial losses and the Sanger Log Flume would be dismantled.  The Balch Powerhouse was completed during 1927 and kept interests along Trimmer Springs Road active.  Trimmer Springs Road can be seen as a minor county highway on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Fresno County.  


Trimmer Springs Road would be heavily modified and relocated by the construction of Pine Flat Dam project by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.  Funding for the concrete gravity dam was released by then President Harry Truman on February 18, 1947, and construction would break ground on May 27, 1947.  

Trimmer Springs Road was relocated north of Piedra north of the site of Pine Flat Dam along the Hughes Creek Road towards the Sunnyside Mine.  A new alignment was constructed north above the banks of the pending Pine Flat Reservoir the general site of Trimmer Springs where it intersected Maxon Road.  Much of the elongation of Trimmer Springs Road was built east of Maxon Road as the new alignment to take advantage of shorter crossings at Sycamore Creek and Big Creek.  The new alignment continued along the north bank of the Kings River via Cottonwood Ridge and crossed to what is now Blackrock Road near Kirch Flat.  

The completed Pine Flat Dam was dedicated on May 22, 1954.  The modern alignment of Trimmer Springs Road east of Piedra can be seen on the 1962 United States Geological Survey map of Fresno.  




Part 2; a drive on along Trimmer Springs Road

Pictured below is the Blackrock Road Bailey Bridge along what used to be part of Trimmer Springs Road.  This Bailey Bridge was installed at the Kings River in 1946. Bailey Bridges were designed during World War II to be used as portable spans. The design required no special tools to install, and the structures are generally light enough to be hauled by truck. Similar spans were used extensively in northern California after the 1964 Christmas Floods and along the many washed out State Highways. It is rare to see Bailey Bridges in use as permanent structures.






Below eastward Sequoia National Forest Road 12S01 (Davis Road) can be seen facing east of the Blackrock Road Bailey Bridge.  This dirt roadway once carried Trimmer Springs Road to Mill Flat Creek.  Modern Forest Road 12S01 now climbs southward towards California State Route 180 in the Dunlap area.  


Blackrock Road west of the Bailey Bridge passes the confluence of the Kings River and North Fork Kings River. 




Blackrock Road becomes the Fresno County maintained Trimmer Springs Road at the Kings River Bridge near Kirsch Flat.  Trimmer Springs Road crosses the north bank of the Kings River in Sierra National Forest.  





Westbound Trimmer Springs Road passes Kirch Flat Campground.  




Trimmer Springs Road passes a Pacific Gas & Electric Company penstock which feeds water from the Kings River back up to the Blackrock Reservoir on the North Fork. 










Trimmer Springs Road turns away from the Kings River and climbs over Cottonwood Ridge.  Much of the Pine Flat Reservoir can be viewed as the highway crests the ridge.  





















Trimmer Springs Road turns north along Big Creek Cove and crosses the Big Creek Bridge.  























Trimmer Springs Road intersects Dinkey-Trimmer Road upon crossing Big Creek.  This highway is largely maintained as Forest Road 10S069 and was once signed as Forest Route 9.  The corridor continues north to as an all-vehicle access road to Bretz Mill.  


Westbound Trimmer Springs Road continues along the north flank of the Pine Flat Reservoir.  The highway swings north again at Sycamore Cove and crosses the Sycamore Creek Bridge.  

















Trimmer Springs Road continues west to the Trimmer Recreation Area and intersects Maxon Road.  The actual Trimmer Springs Resort site is located below in the reservoir along the original highway alignment.  Maxon Road is named after a hotel which was once located in the vicinity of the Trimmer Springs Resort.  


















An abandoned building at the Trimmer Recreation Area entrance road.  


Trimmer Springs Road continues west to the Lakeside Recreation Area.  




























Trimmer Springs Road next passes the Island Park Recreation Area. 



Westbound Trimmer Springs Road passes the "I Forgot Store" at Sunnyslope Road.  










Trimmer Springs Road begins to descend from the Sierra Nevada foothills and passes the original corridor alignment at Pine Flat Road.  Pine Flat Road is now the access road to the namesake dam.  











Trimmer Springs Road west of Pine Flat Road intersects Piedra Road.  Sanger is signed as being 14 miles away whereas Fresno is signed as 26 miles.  




Trimmer Springs Road picks up the general course of the Kings River and descends westward into San Joaquin Valley.  










Westbound Trimmer Springs Road makes a left hand turn approaching Belmont Avenue.  








Trimmer Springs Road jogs southwest towards Centerville and ends at Olive Avenue.  Until recently the highway ended at California State Route 180 (Kings Canyon Road) which once permitted easy access to the continuation highway known as Rainbow Avenue.  















Part 3; a drive along the continuation of Trimmer Springs Road via Rainbow Avenue

Pictured below is eastbound Kings Canyon Road in Centerville facing Rainbow Avenue.  Trimmer Springs Road until 2019 began on the left just past the International Order of Odd Fellows Building.  During said year the Kings Canyon Expressway opened as a bypass of Centerville.  Centerville is one of the oldest communities in Fresno County having been founded as Scottsburg in 1854.  By 1858 Poole's Ferry was established on the Kings River near the community along the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The original town site was destroyed by floods in 1867 and relocated to the current site. 


Rainbow Avenue tracks southwest from Centerville to 8th Street in Sanger following the course of the former Sanger Log Flume.  The corridor passes Sanger Cemetary which was founded in the 1850s as Kings River Cemetary.  The corridor ends in the Sanger neighborhood which was built over the former Sanger Lumber Company lumber yard.  














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

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

By
Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80.   This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.  Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range.  The first documented wagon crossi...
Post a Comment
Read more