Sheldon Grist Mill - Sloughhouse, California

DATE VISITED:  04/11/2015

HISTORICAL SITE:  Sheldon Grist Mill Site

LOCATION:  12700 Meiss Road, Sloughhouse, Sacramento Co., CA

MARKER #:  439

DEDICATED:  September 26, 1997

"Site of grist mill built by Jared Dixon (Joaquin) Sheldon 1846-47 on Omochumnes Rancho, granted to him by Mexican government 1843. Sheldon born Vermont January 8, 1813, came to California 1832. Sheldon shot July 11, 1851, by miners in quarrel over dam he built which flooded miners' claims."

**closer look below

MARKER PLACED BY:  California Centennials Commission. Base furnished by Liberty Parlor No. 213 NativeDaughters and Elk Grove Parlor No. 41 Native Sons of the Golden West. 

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:  This stop occurred quite by happenstance. Driving down Hwy 16, I had told Daniel to be on the watch out for any historical monuments. 

I had looked in my rear view mirror and the receding mountains were beautiful. I asked Daniel to get a picture and suggested he aim the camera into the mirror on his side. He took a great picture of the mirror! We have to try this again....I'm still not sure it wouldn't have worked but a curve in the Highway, and the view was gone.

After we passed one going about 75...ummm, I mean 65, I told Daniel I wasn't very impressed with his co-piloting. Within a few miles we saw a sign announcing another monument. With a quick check that Daniel was game, I pulled into the parking lot of the Sloughhouse Inn.

Interesting thing about Jared Dixon Joaquin Sheldon's name... Dixon is a town, Joaquin is a county and Sheldon is a Street. 

Sheldon came to the area after receiving a land grant from the Mexican Government. "Omochumnes Rancho" was about 14,000 acres encompassing Sloughhouse & Rancho Murieta.

In 1845, Sheldon built a grist mill to mill wheat for Captain John Sutter on the Consumnes River.

The grinding stones were originally cut from a place called Stony Creek, about 25 miles from Sutter Fort. Archaeologists and geologists suspect they probably came from the area of present day Rocklin.

Sheldon was known for getting along with the Indians, employing local Miwoks. True or not, it was said that Indians on the Great Plain nursed Sheldon back to health when his companions abandoned him and that he hid with American Indians after a dispute with Mexicans near present day Los Angeles.

In 1850 and 1851, the area had a problem with horse and cattle thieves. As was normal for the time, vigilante groups meted out justice and locals, including Sheldon, took law into their own hands. Sheldon was known to be involved in several cases of whippings and hangings.

In 1851, Sheldon purchased land above Sloughhouse in order to use the river to irrigate crops and built a dam. Miners who had unrecorded gold mining claims on Sheldon's land had a bit of a problem from the flooding caused by Sheldon's dam. On July 12, 1851, Sheldon and his workers were in a faceoff with about 150 miners. When the shooting stopped, Sheldon and 2 others were killed.

I had a great day with Daniel and hopefully there are plenty of other opportunities to spend an afternoon with my son. Thank you Daniel!

 

1st Passenger Railroad Terminal - Folsom, California

DATE VISITED:  03/08/2015

HISTORICAL SITE:  Terminal of 1st Passenger Railroad

LOCATION:  Sutter St. & Reading St., Folsom, Sacramento Co., CA

MARKER #:  558

 

DEDICATED:  December 30, 1956

"Competition of the Sacramento Valley Railroad from Sacramento to Folsom was celebrated here February 22, 1856, by enthusiastic residents of both cities. The new line, 22 miles in length, was commenced February 12, 1855, and was built by Theodore Dehone Judah, noted pioneer engineer." 

**closer look below

Marker Placed By:  Erected by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Sacramento County Historical Society

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:  Solo again, this was my return trip to Folsom since Dana and I didn't get to all the sites last weekend. I think Folsom has really embraced their history because you can find markers describing all kinds of things around Sutter Street. After parking, I was walking past the corner of Sutter and Leidesdorff when my path was blocked by 3 elderly ladies all walking their little dogs.  Cute though the dogs were, funny were the women who were scolding their dogs and kept turning to keep their dogs leashes from tangling up their legs.

The passenger railroad was supposed to go from Sacramento to Marysville by way of Folsom, but ended up stopping once the rails got to Folsom. This really benefited Folsom because they became not only home for railroad workers but also a hub for businesses related to the maintenance of the railroad and those who would ship using the rails.

 

An interesting little piece of information is that the President of the Sacramento Valley Railroad was no other than the future General for the Union forces during the Civil War, William Tecumseh Sherman.

The plaza, besides being where the terminal stood, also has a turntable where the rail cars were turned for the return trip to Sacramento. I guess the original brickwork still exists but the turntable itself is a replica. 

" Leidesdorff Plaza. Dedicated to the memory of William Alexander Leidesdorff. Early California pioneer, civic leader, merchant, trader, and owner of 35, 000 acre rancho "Rio De Los Americanos" in the Folsom area. Born 1810 in Danish West Indies of negro and Danish parents. Died 1848 in San Francisco. Dedicated May, 1966 by Negro Museum and Library Association of Sacramento, Inc."

 

At each end of Sutter Street are a pair these pillars declaring the following....

"Folsom City: In 1827 "bible totin'" Jed Smith camped here. In 1850, these diggins' became known as Negro Bar. Then named Granite City after the rocks, and in 1855 Joseph Folsom lent his name to this fair city. Also in 1855 Folsom hired Theodore "Crazy" Judah to lay out a route for the Sacramento Valley Railroad between Sacramento and Folsom, the foothill metropolis. Judah later surveyed and planned the route for the Central Pacific over the Sierra Nevada. In 1868 Folsom Prison was started and "opened" in 1880. In its day it was hailed as a model prison and was the first to light with electricity. We hereby declare Joseph Folsom an honorary clamper and dedicate the plaque to his memory.  Plaque placed by New Helvetia, Chapter #5, E Clampus Vitus on August 8, 1981 and so recorded"

I've seen "New Helvetia" before and was curious...what is it? It's a version of "Nueva Helvetia" which basically stands for "New Switzerland" and was the name of the 48,000 acre rancho granted to John Sutter by the Governor of Mexico and encompasses present day Sacramento. The current organization is dedicated to the study and preservation of Western Heritage, especially the Mother Lode and gold regions. 

 

The "Wells Fargo" office also held the Assay offices of Palmer and Day as well as the Pony Express Stop. The current building is a reconstruction but some original material was retrieved and used.

"Early day assay office and home of Wells Fargo and Co., 1860. Marker placed by Fern Parlor No 123, Native Daughters Golden West. September 25, 1932"