Skip to main content

Jackson Gate Road

By


Jackson Gate Road is a short two-mile corridor which connects California State Route 49 in Martell east to Main Street in Jackson.  The corridor was once the main highway into the city of Jackson during the Gold Rush era.  Jackson Gate Road served a small community of the same name which was located near the Kennedy Mine.  




Part 1; the history of Jackson Gate Road

Jackson was founded during 1848 and is named in honor of Colonial Alden Jackson.  Upon Amador County being created during 1854 Jackson was selected as the County Seat.  The community would incorporate as a city on December 5, 1905. 

Jackson is one of the longest lasting mining communities in California.  Two of the more notable mines around Jackson were the Kennedy Mine and Argonaut Mine.  The Kennedy Mine once had the deepest mine shaft in North America at approximately 5,900 feet.  The Argonaut Mine reached a depth of approximately 5,500 feet but was more well known for a 1922 fire which killed over 40 miners.  Both the Kennedy Mine and Argonaut Mine closed in 1942 when gold was determined not to be a metal essential during World War II.


The Kennedy Mine is located north of Jackson along a roadway corridor known as "Jackson Gate."  The mine and a community bearing the name Jackson Gate can be seen north of Jackson on the 1882 Bancroft's map of California.  At the time the Jackson Gate Road was the main highway to/from Jackson.  


In 1902 the Ione & Eastern Railroad proposed to build a line from Ione to Sutter Creek along with a future extension to Volcano.  The line only extended east to Sunnybrook before going into Bankruptcy.  The line was purchased by the Amador Central Railroad in 1904 and was extended to Martell.  The terminus of the line included a large switching yard which was present the western terminus of Jackson Gate Road.  

State Highway service to Jackson began with the passage of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act which defined what would become Legislative Route Number 34 (LRN 34).  The initial definition of LRN 34 was:

"From LRN 4 near Arno to Jackson"

The definition of what would become LRN 34 was extended from Jackson over Carson Pass to Hope Valley by way of legislative action taken during 1911:

"The certain road commencing at the Calaveras big tree grove located in Calaveras County thence running to Dorington in said county, thence E-ly following what is known as the Big Tree and Carson Valley Turnpike to Mt. Bullion in Alpine Cty, thence along the county road to Markleeville in Alpine Cty, thence along that certain road via Kirkwood, Silver Lake, Pine Grove and Irishtown to Jackson in Amador Cty, including therewith the road from Picketts in Hope Valley connecting with the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, a state highway, at Osgood's Place in El Dorado Cty, and a road from Mt. Bullion via Loupe in Alpine Cty to Junction in Mono County connecting with the Sonora and Mono State Highway is hereby declared and established a state highway and shall be designated and known as "Alpine State Highway""

LRN 34 can be seen passing through Jackson on the 1917 California State Automobile Association Map.  Prior to 1933 the State of California was prohibited from maintaining highways within incorporated cities.  The through route in Jackson for eastbound LRN 34 appears to have always entered Jackson via Sutter Street which passed by the active mines in the city.  The through route through Jackson for LRN 34 eastbound towards Carson Pass would have been via Main Street, Water Street and Broadway. 


In time the corridor through Jackson would become part of LRN 65 then later California State Routes 49 and 88.  The corridor of Jackson Gate Road would be relegated to a backroad alternative to the established state highways in the community.  In 2004 the Amador Central Railroad was shuttered.  The switching yard present along Jackson Gate Road was removed during late year 2009.  



Part 2; a drive on Jackson Gate Road

Eastbound Jackson Gate Road begins at a traffic light along California State Route 49 in Martell.  From southbound California State Route 49 traffic must turn left to access Jackson Gate Road.  A right-hand turn takes traffic west onto Martell Road.  


Jackson Gate Road passes the site of the Amador Central switching yard which is now called Depot Storage and Parking.  





Jackson Gate Road descends through the terrain to the single-lane Oneida Creek Bridge within the Jackson city limit.  










Jackson Gate Road terminates at Kennedy Tailings Wheels Park and the road ahead continues as Main Street into downtown Jackson.  Said park houses the Kennedy Mine wheels which were almost in continuous use during mining operations from 1914 through 1942.  




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