Taylors Bar, CA
County:
Calaveras
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Taylors Bar is a former settlement in Calaveras County, 6 miles (9.7 km) west-southwest of San Andreas, on the south side of the Calaveras River.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Teagle, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°26′10″N 117°38′29″W / 35.43611°N 117.64139°W / 35.43611 -117.64139
Elevation:
2,986 ft (910 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Teagle (also, Teague) is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the Southern Pacific Railroad 5 miles (8 km) north of Randsburg, at an elevation of 2986 ft (910 m). Teagle still appeared on maps in 1912.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Tehichipa, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Tehichipa, originally known as Williamsburg, was founded in 1869 by James Williams; while Williams originally named the town for himself, its name was changed to Tehichipa by 1872. The town was a shipping center for Owens Valley gold mines prior to the construction of a railroad in the area. However, when the Southern Pacific Railroad built a railroad in 1876, it bypassed Tehichipa, instead establishing a new town named “Tehachapi Summit”. The railroad caused Tehachapi Summit to grow at Tehichipa’s expense.
Remains:
A post office operated at Tehichipa from 1869 to 1877, when the service was transferred to Old Town.
Current Status:
Tehachapi Summit evolved into the city of Tehachapi, while Tehichipa ultimately died out. The only surviving building from Tehichipa, the Errea House, is now located in Tehachapi.
Remarks:
Tejon, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Tejon is a former settlement in southern Kern County, California.
Remains:
It was located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Lebec, on the Stockton – Los Angeles Road.
Current Status:
A post office operated at Tejon during part of 1895, before the service was transferred to Lebec.
Remarks:
Temescal, CA
County:
Alameda
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
37.837222°N 122.262222°W
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Temescal is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Oakland, California, located in North Oakland, and centered on Telegraph Avenue. The neighborhood derives its name from Temescal Creek, a significant watercourse in the city.
Remains:
Temescal was originally a separate village that had built up around the estate of Vicente Peralta, which was located near the modern intersections of Telegraph Avenue and Claremont Boulevard. (Vicente’s estate was part of the larger Peralta Grant that spanned 44,800 acres of land in the East Bay.) In 1897, the residents of Temescal voted to join the City of Oakland in an effort to gain access to higher-quality public schools and police services. At the time that the City of Oakland annexed Temescal, Temescal was considered to consist of all land north of 36th Street (the northern bound of the City of Oakland at the time) between the Emeryville city limit to the west and Broadway to the east.
Current Status:
Temescal is home to one of the few tool-lending libraries in the Bay Area—indeed, in the U.S. (The Berkeley Public Library also has a tool-lending library at their nearby South Branch.) The Temescal branch of the Oakland Public Library operates this facility, which lends tools, free of charge, to library patrons for repairs and home-improvement projects. The Tool Lending Library also has instructional materials (books, videos, etc.) and gives “how-to” workshops.
Remarks:
The word temescal derives from the word temescalli, which means “sweat house” in the Nahuatl language of the Mexica (“Aztec”) people of Mexico. It is surmised that the Peraltas or perhaps one of their ranch hands (vaqueros) had seen local indigenous (Ohlone) structures along the creek similar to those in other parts of New Spain which were called temescalli.
Terese, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°34′01″N 117°46′45″W / 35.56694°N 117.77917°W / 35.56694 -117.77917
Elevation:
2,697 ft (822 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Terese is a former settlement in Kern County, California.
Remains:
It was located in the Mojave Desert, on the Southern Pacific Railroad 6 miles (9.7 km) south-southeast of Inyokern, at an elevation of 2697 ft (822 m).
Current Status:
Terese still appeared on maps as of 1947.
Remarks:
2.5 miles (4 km) south-southeast of Terese was Terese Siding.
Terese Siding, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Terese Siding is a former settlement in Kern County, California, south-southeast of Inyokern.
Remains:
It was located in the Mojave Desert, on the Southern Pacific Railroad 2.5 miles (4 km) south-southeast of Terese.
Current Status:
Remarks:
Terra Cotta, CA
County:
Riverside
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
33°42′11″N 117°22′29″W / 33.70306°N 117.37472°W / 33.70306 -117.37472
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Terra Cotta, California is a former mining town in Riverside County. It was established in 1887, in the Warm Springs Valley northwest of the town of Lake Elsinore, and later incorporated into the City of Lake Elsinore.
Remains:
Coal, along with clay deposits, was found on the site by John D. Huff in the late 1880s, and the Southern California Coal and Clay Company was formed to mine them. The townsite of Terra Cotta was laid out and was given a post office on October 26, 1887. In May 1893 its post office was closed and moved to Lake Elsinore. A plant for the manufacture of sewer and water pipes was built using coal to fire ceramic pipes in the four kilns. The finished product had to be shipped by wagon six miles through Lake Elsinore to the La Laguna rail station at the mouth of Railroad Canyon until 1896 when a spur line was built through Lake Elsinore and Terra Cotta to the new clay deposits in Alberhill. The coal mined was also used locally as fuel for the stamping mill at the Good Hope Mine and was shipped elsewhere in the state.
Current Status:
An old grid of dirt streets laid out through the sagebrush is all that remains of Terra Cotta. It can be accessed from Lakeshore Drive by Terra Cotta Road or from the I-15 freeway by Nichols Road.
Remarks:
Almost abandoned in 1901, Terra Cotta was revived in 1906 when the California Fireproof Construction Company built a new plant there to make ceramic pipes. In 1912, the plant was closed; by 1925, it was closed down, along with most of the buildings in the town. The clay mine in the townsite continued to be operated by the Pacific Clay Products Company until 1940 when they transferred all their operations to Alberhill.
Timbuctoo, CA
County:
Yuba
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
39°13′01″N 121°19′07″W / 39.21694°N 121.31861°W / 39.21694
Elevation:
397 ft (121 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Timbuctoo is an unincorporated community in Yuba County, California. It lies northwest of Smartsville, at an elevation of 397 ft (121 m).
Remains:
Timbuctoo was once the largest town in eastern Yuba County. Situated strategically on the Yuba River near its gold-bearing sandbars, yet perched high enough into the river’s surrounding hills to escape flood risk, the town enjoyed its heyday in the 1850s. Founded by the gold miners working the nearby river placer deposits, the town enjoyed further success with the introduction of hydraulic mining in 1854.
Current Status:
Unlike many of the mining camps that amounted to little more than tent shantytowns, the wealth flowing from Timbuctoo allowed for the construction of permanent buildings of wood and brick. Aside from the usual stores and businesses, the town’s amenities included a Wells Fargo office, saloons, a church, hotels, and a theater. The town was founded in 1855.
Remarks:
A post office opened in 1858.
Toolwass, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Toolwass is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Bakersfield.
Remains:
A post office operated at Toolwass from 1892 to 1899.
Current Status:
Remarks:
Tremont House, CA
County:
Calaveras
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Tremont House is a former settlement and waystation in Calaveras County, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Valley Springs.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Trescape, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°08′24″N 118°04′35″W / 35.14000°N 118.07639°W / 35.14000 -118.07639
Elevation:
2,625 ft (800 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Trescape (also, Trescope) is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the Southern Pacific Railroad 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Mojave, at an elevation of 2625 ft (800 m). Trescape still appeared on maps as of 1947.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Treves, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°19′43″N 118°47′23″W / 35.32861°N 118.78972°W / 35.32861 -118.78972
Elevation:
866 ft (264 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Treves (also, Sivert) is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the Southern Pacific Railroad 5 miles (8 km) east-southeast of Edison, at an elevation of 866 ft (264 m). Treves still appeared on maps as of 1914.
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Current Status:
Remarks:
Tule Station, CA
County:
Inyo
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
36° 35′ 0″ N, 117° 25′ 0″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Tule Station is a former settlement in Inyo County, California. It was located on the west shore of the Owens Lake 2 miles (3.2 km) south-southeast of Cerro Gordo Landing.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Tumco, CA
County:
Imperial
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
32° 52′ 47″ N, 114° 49′ 55″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Hedges, later renamed Tumco, is a locale, a ghost town, site of a former mining town, in Imperial County, California. It lies at an elevation of 617 ft / 188 meters along the Tumco Wash in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains. Nearby is the Hedges Cemetery at an elevation of 643 ft / 196 meters, at 32°53’04″N 114°49’52″W.
Remains:
Gold mining had been going on in the western Cargo Muchacho Mountains by the Spanish in the early 1780s until the Yuma Revolt ended mining there until the Mexicans returned to the area after 1823. Mexican miners prospected and mined there prior to 1848, the name of the mountains date from this period. Mining was conducted mostly by Sonoran miners familiar with dry washing techniques and using arrastras to extract gold from the ore taken from small mines scattered across the mountains. Lt. Williamson’s Pacific Railroad exploration party, passing the mountains in 1853 reported seeing several quartz veins from three inches to a foot or two in thickness there. Despite this report, no American miners began large-scale development of the mines until the Southern Pacific Railroad passed by the location to Yuma in 1877. Ogilby a railroad stop was founded nearby in 1877 and became the rail-head and supply point for the mines and camps in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains.
Current Status:
Hedges began as the Gold Rock mining camp, that grew up around the Gold Rock Mine discovered by Peter Walters in 1884. He soon thereafter sold out to developers who renamed the mine the Golden Cross in 1892. In 1893, Golden Cross Mining and Milling Company began a development program bringing in a stamp mill to work the ore in the local mines. The camp grew into a town amidst the mines, named Hedges, in honor of the firm’s vice president C. L. Hedges. The town was renamed Tumco in 1910, for The United Mines Company, the company that bought the Gold Cross mining company from its previous owners. The Tumco Mine operated from 1892 until 1917, and again from 1937 until 1942. The town in the late 1800s had a population of several thousand by 1942 it only had 30.
Remarks:
Una Siding, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Una Siding is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Una.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Unadilla, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Unadilla is a former settlement in Kern County, California, United States. It was located 24 miles (39 km) southeast of Bakersfield. A post office operated in Unadilla from 1892 to 1899.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Vaca Adobe, CA
County:
Tulare
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
36° 3′ 7.99″ N, 119° 57′ 51.66″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Vaca Adobe or Vaca Dugout is a former settlement in what was then Tulare County, now Kings County, California. It was located at a stopping place on the eastern route of the El Camino Viejo about 3 miles north of the site of what is now Kettleman City close to the shore of Tulare Lake. The adobe at the site was known as the Vaca Dugout, and was built in 1863 by vaqueros Juan Perria and Pablo Vaca. In 1863, California was in the midst of the severe 1863-64 drought that would kill most of the cattle in the southern part of the state. Tulare Lake and the tules marshes around it were some of the few places cattle could get feed and water. The adobe was the headquarters for the vaqueros who were tending the herds in the vicinity.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Vaccaro, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°11′40″N 118°48′55″W / 35.19444°N 118.81528°W / 35.19444 -118.81528
Elevation:
423 ft (129 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Vaccaro is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the railroad 1.25 miles (2.0 km) south-southeast of Arvin, at an elevation of 423 ft (129 m). Vaccaro still appeared on maps as of 1933.
Remains:
Vaccaro is within the boundaries of the Mountain View Oil Field, and gives its name to the southeasternmost of the oil field’s discontiguous areas. The area was discovered in 1937, and remains productive.
Current Status:
Remarks:
Vallecito, CA
County:
San Diego
Zip Code:
95229, 95251
Latitude / Longitude:
32°58′34″N 116°21′1″W / 32.97611°N 116.35028°W / 32.97611
Elevation:
1,762 ft (537 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Vallecito (“Little Valley” in Spanish; formerly, Murphy’s Old Diggings, Valacito, Vallicita, Vallicito) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 442 at the 2010 census, up from 427 at the 2000 census. The town is registered as California Historical Landmark #273. Nearby is Moaning Cavern, the largest cave chamber in California, which the Miwok Indians used as a burial ground.
Remains:
Vallecito was one of California’s important early-day mining towns. Gold was discovered here by the Murphy brothers in 1849, and it was originally called “Murphys Diggings,” which became “Murphys Old Diggings” when they moved on to greener pastures at “Murphys New Diggings” (which became the town of Murphys). The town was revitalized in 1852 when extremely rich deposits of gold were discovered running practically through the center of town. A post office was established in 1854, which is still in use today.
Current Status:
The Vallecito Bell, cast at Troy, New York in 1853, was brought around Cape Horn. It was purchased from the ship with funds contributed by early-day residents and brought to Vallecito to be erected in a large oak tree in 1854. It was used to call the people together until February 16, 1939, when a severe wind blew the old tree down.
Remarks:
The first post office opened in 1854 as Vallicita; the town’s name was changed to Vallecito in 1940.
Valley Wells, CA
County:
Inyo
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°49′42″N 117°19′54″W / 35.82833°N 117.33167°W / 35.82833 -117.33167
Elevation:
1,749 ft (533 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Valley Wells is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California. It lies at an elevation of 1,749 ft (533 m). Prior to 2010, for census purposes, it was part of Homewood Canyon-Valley Wells CDP. The 2010 census reported that the population was zero. The town is now registered as California Historical Landmark #443; in 1849, several groups of midwestern emigrants settled here to secure water from nearby Searles Lake.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Vanderbilt, CA
County:
San Bernardino
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°19′38″N 115°14′59″W / 35.32722°N 115.24972°W / 35.32722 -115.24972
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Vanderbilt was a short-lived gold mining town located in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It existed between 1893 and 1895. At its peak, it may have had a population of about 400 people. In January 1891, an Indian named Robert Black struck gold ore on the north slope of the New York Mountains, about 40 miles north of Goffs, California, on the Santa Fé Railway. A mining camp soon was established at nearby Vanderbilt Spring. The discovery of additional gold-rich veins in the fall of 1892 set off a rush to the area.
Remains:
By January 1893, 150 people were living at Vanderbilt camp, which contained 50 tents, two stores, one saloon, three restaurants, a lodging house, a blacksmith shop, and a stable. A post office was established in February 1893. In May, W. A. Nash was appointed justice of the peace. Rail service to Manvel, five-miles to the south, commenced that August. Vanderbilt probably reached its peak in 1894 with a population of about four hundred. The business district contained three saloons; two barbers; a Chinese restaurant and two other eating houses; two meat markets; a stationery and fruit store; one lodging-house; two blacksmiths; and three well-stocked general stores. William McFarlane, one of the pioneers of Ivanpah, owned an interest in one of them, in which he ran the post office, and owned a drugstore.
Current Status:
In 1894 two ten-stamp mills were constructed to serve the two principal mines in the district, the Gold Bronze and Boomerang. At nearly the same time the mills were completed, water was struck in the mines. After hitting the water, the character of the ore changed and being unable to recover the gold in the ore, the mills were shut down. By the end of 1895, most businesses were closed and most of the population had abandoned Vanderbilt.
Remarks:
According to Earp Historians, Virgil Earp, famed brother of Wyatt Earp who was also involved in the Gunfight behind the OK Corral, owned the only two-story building in this town. It operated as a hotel and saloon, and according to Allie Earp, Church services and Dances were also held inside.
Vaughn, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Vaughn is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located 5 miles (8 km) south of Isabella.
Remains:
A post office operated at Vaughn from 1897 to 1906, when the service was transferred to Bodfish. The name honors Edward Vaughn, its first postmaster.
Current Status:
Remarks:
Vernette, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Vernette is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the railroad 1 mile (1.6 km) north-northwest of Fellows.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Warren, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°06′49″N 118°12′18″W / 35.11361°N 118.20500°W / 35.11361 -118.20500
Elevation:
3,317 ft (1,011 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Warren is a former settlement in Kern County, California.
Remains:
It was located on the Union Pacific Railroad en route to Searles, California, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-northwest of Mojave, in the Mojave Desert. at an elevation of 3317 ft (1011 m).
Current Status:
Warren still appeared on maps as of 1947.
Remarks:
Water Station, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Water Station is a former settlement in Kern County, California.
Remains:
It was located 7.5 miles (12 km) northeast of Mojave in the Mojave Desert.
Current Status:
The place, with natural springs, was a ranch and stagecoach station in the lower eastern side of historic Tehachapi Pass.
Remarks:
Wenger, CA
County:
Mariposa
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Wenger is a former settlement in Mariposa County, California. It was located 15 miles (24 km) east of Coulterville.
Remains:
A post office operated at Wenger from 1882 to 1883. The name honors Frederick Wenger, its first postmaster.
Current Status:
Remarks:
West Baker, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
35°02′37″N 117°41′37″W / 35.04361°N 117.69361°W / 35.04361 -117.69361
Elevation:
2,447 ft (746 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
West Baker is a former settlement in Kern County, California.
Remains:
It was located 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Boron and 1.25 miles (2 km) west of Baker, Kern County, California, at an elevation of 2447 ft (746 m).
Current Status:
Remarks:
Westville, CA
County:
Placer
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
39°10′30″N 120°38′53″W / 39.17500°N 120.64806°W / 39.17500 -120.64806
Elevation:
1,600 m (5,249 ft)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Westville is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California. Westville is located 14 miles (22.5 km) northeast of Foresthill. It lies at an elevation of 5249 ft (1600 m).
Remains:
The Westville post office operated from 1889 to 1919. The name honors the first postmaster, George C. West.
Current Status:
Remarks:
White Mountain City, CA
County:
Inyo
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
37° 24′ 41.94″ N, 117° 59′ 51.22″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
White Mountain City is a former small mining settlement, now in Inyo County, California. It was founded in 1861 on the east slope of the White Mountains, at the lower reaches of Wyman Creek 2.91 miles north of Deep Springs, in Deep Springs Valley.
Remains:
White Mountain City and Roachville, settlements east of the White Mountains from Owens Valley, were used for a California election fraud in the fall of 1861. The Warm Springs precinct covering these sparsely populated settlements was populated with an additional 521 voters culled from the passenger list of a steamship that had recently arrived in San Francisco.
Current Status:
Remarks:
Willard, CA
County:
Riverside
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
33° 39′ 41″ N, 117° 22′ 44″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Willard is a former populated place in Riverside County, California. It was located at the west corner of Lake Elsinore. It had its own post office located in the former Laguna Butterfeild Stage Station, at 32912 Macy Avenue, from November 18, 1898, until September 30, 1902, when it was absorbed by the Elsinore post office. Willard was later incorporated into the City of Lake Elsinore. The old post office was torn down in 1964.
Remains:
Current Status:
Today three palm trees still grow in front of the site along Macy Avenue in front of the property.
Remarks:
The Willard Fault, part of the Elsinore Fault Zone is named for this former town.
Wingo, CA
County:
Sonoma
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
38°13′46″N 122°26′23″W / 38.22944°N 122.43972°W / 38.22944 -122.43972
Elevation:
1 ft (0.3 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Wingo is a ghost town located in Sonoma County, California in the United States. It can be found on older maps as a dot along the sloughs of Sonoma Creek, south of the city of Sonoma and east of Schellville.
Remains:
Formerly known as “Norfolk”, it was given the name Wingo by the Railroad. Now a ghost town of a few barns, cabins, and a train trestle, it was once a bustling town that served as a stop for steamer passengers from San Francisco. Wingo and its surrounding area of 738 acres have become a part of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area overseen by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Current Status:
Formerly open to tidal action, the area was diked to create agricultural lands. During winter rains natural seasonal ponds are created. Since this area is on a major migration route for many species of birds, efforts are being made to create more seasonal and permanent freshwater ponds and to plant crops and grasses for wildlife.
Remarks:
Wildlife that can be seen in and around Wingo include: Golden Eagles, American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, owls, California Quail, Ring-necked Pheasant, bitterns, Turkey Vultures, coyotes, Cottontail Rabbit, shorebirds, ducks, kingfishers, herons, egrets, Mourning Doves, woodpeckers, swallows, songbirds and others.
Winter Garden, CA
County:
Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Winter Garden is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located south of Alameda. It flourished during 1888 and 1889.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Wiskala, CA
County:
Mariposa
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Wiskala (also, Wis-kul-la and Wisoulla) is a former Awani settlement in Mariposa County, California. It was located at the foot of Royal Arches in Yosemite Valley.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Woolsey Flat, CA
County:
Nevada
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
39°24′41″N 120°52′05″W / 39.41139°N 120.86806°W / 39.41139 -120.86806
Elevation:
4,199 ft (1,280 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Woolsey Flat is a former settlement in Nevada County, California. Woolsey Flat is located 4 miles (6.4 km) north-northeast of North Bloomfield. It is situated at an elevation of 4,199 ft (1,280 m) above sea level.
Remains:
There is another nearby feature with this name, located 8.5 miles (13.7 km) northeast North Bloomfield at 39°27’00″N 120°46’35″W.
Current Status:
Remarks:
Wrights, CA
County:
Santa Clara
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
37°08′21″N 121°56′49″W / 37.13917°N 121.94694°W / 37.13917
Elevation:
991 ft (302 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Wrights, California (also known as Wrights Station) is a ghost town in unincorporated west Santa Clara County, California. It is located near Summit Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, on the north bank of Los Gatos Creek, east of State Route 17.
Remains:
The National Weather Service maintained a cooperative weather station on the site of Wrights until May 31, 1986, which recorded rainfall and snowfall. The weather station was 1,600 ft (490 m) above sea level. The location is on the San Andreas Fault, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and it experienced considerable damage in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Geologists observed a lateral displacement of 4.6 ft (1.4 m) at Wrights.
Current Status:
Wrights has so completely disappeared that today no trace remains, except the ruins of the old tunnel. Some building foundations and debris from the town can still be found in the dense woods. Satellite and ground photographs show thick overgrowth and forest on the site. The surrounding area is now only sparsely settled. The name of the community lives on in “Wrights Station Road”, which runs through the redwood forest from Morrill Road to Cathermola Road (also known as Metcalf Road on some maps), north of Summit Road. Wrights Station Road crosses Los Gatos Creek on a historic bridge with iron railings (possibly dating from the 1920s), ending at the site of the town. Lake Elsman, a reservoir, is near the site of Wrights. Several miles of the original Los Gatos – Santa Cruz narrow gauge railroad have been preserved in Santa Cruz County and trains operate year-round as a tourist attraction known as the Santa Cruz, Big Trees, and Pacific Railway.
Remarks:
In the 1870s a toll road was built over the mountains from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz that was utilized by stagecoaches. Then, a narrow-gauge railroad from Alameda was constructed along the same route, beginning in 1877, by San Francisco capitalists James Fair and Alfred E. Davis, who headed the South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPCRR). One of the stops along the line, just below the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains, was adjacent to the property of James Richards Wright, who had a residence/hotel known as Arbor Villa in Burrell near the summit, and he maintained commercial orchards of fruit trees and grapes. The small community that sprouted around this stop on the railroad became known as Wright’s Station, or simply Wrights. The Rev. Wright was the patriarch of a large family that had moved to California from Ohio and the younger brother of the well-known abolitionist Elizur Wright. One of his sons, Frank Vincent Wright, later married Susie Davis, the daughter of SPCRR president Alfred Davis, and another son, Sumner Banks Wright, moved to southern California and established a town in the San Bernardino mountains known as Wrightwood, today a ski resort.
Wycoff, CA
County:
Yolo
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
38°51′33″N 121°56′44″W / 38.85917°N 121.94556°W / 38.85917 -121.94556
Elevation:
56 ft (17 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Wycoff is a former settlement in Yolo County, California. It was located on the Southern Pacific Railroad 5.5 miles (9 km) northwest of Zamora, at an elevation of 56 ft (17 m). It still appeared on maps as of 1907.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Yaqui Camp, CA
County:
Calaveras
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Yaqui Camp is a former settlement in Calaveras County, 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of San Andreas, on Willow Creek.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
You Bet, CA
County:
Nevada
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
39°12′33″N 120°54′00″W / 39.20917°N 120.90000°W / 39.20917 -120.90000
Elevation:
2,910 ft (887 m)
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
You Bet is a small unincorporated community in Nevada County, California. You Bet is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills, 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Grass Valley and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of Chicago Park.
Remains:
The mining town of You Bet was established during the California Gold Rush, principally by miners from across Birdseye Canyon in the nearby town of Waloupa. Waloupa had been founded just to the south in 1852. As its diggings played out, miners began moving about half a mile to the north, to the other side of Birdseye Canyon. Lazarus Beard opened a saloon there in 1857. According to local lore, the Waloupa miners gathered one day in Beard’s saloon to name the new town. His favorite phrase was “you bet”. Whenever Beard was asked about a proposed name, he would reply “you bet.” After much drinking, the miners decided that You Bet sounded just right.
Current Status:
Today, You Bet is a community of about 50 residences located within a radius of a few miles from the old mining town. It has a community church, but no commercial establishments. It was declared a California Historical Landmark in 1975. All that remains of the Gold Rush era are the scarred diggings, some of the ditches, and the historic cemetery, which contains gravestones dating back to the 1860s. Interments were resumed in the 1990s. The last remaining historic building, the old schoolhouse, was reportedly dismantled in the 1960s by squatters looking for lumber.
Remarks:
The town grew quickly. Soon, several stage lines connected it with Nevada City and other mining areas. By 1864, the town had 40–50 buildings, including hotels, stores, shops, and saloons. That year, a schoolhouse was built between Red Dog, a mining town about 1 mile to the north, and You Bet with monies raised by subscription. A post office was established in 1868 and served the community until 1903.
Yosemite Mill, CA
County:
Mariposa
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
37°12′59″N 119°44′23″W / 37.21644°N 119.73967°W / 37.21644 -119.73967
Elevation:
Time Zone:
Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
Yosemite Mill is a former settlement in Mariposa County, California. It was located near the modern-day site of Clearing House. Yosemite Mill still appeared on maps as of 1867.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
Zurich, CA
County: Inyo
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37°10′58″N 118°15′36″W / 37.18278°N 118.26000°W / 37.18278 -118.26000
Elevation: 3,934 ft (1,199 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Zurich (formerly, Alvord and Station) is a former settlement in Inyo County, California. It was a stop of the Carson and Colorado Railway. It is located 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Big Pine, at an elevation of 3934 ft (1199 m).
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:
