Mormon Island, California, Sacramento County is a fascinating ghost town that once thrived during the California Gold Rush. Today, it lies submerged beneath the waters of Folsom Lake, offering a haunting reminder of its vibrant past. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Sacramento County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 38.7070° N, 121.1525° W
Elevation: 466 feet (142 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: 1848
Disestablished: 1955
Comments: Mormon Island was established by a group of Mormon prospectors who discovered gold in the area in 1848. It quickly grew into a bustling community, complete with businesses, schools, and homes, becoming one of the largest mining camps in the region.
Remains: When Folsom Lake’s water levels drop during droughts, remnants of the town, such as stone foundations and old roads, occasionally reemerge, drawing visitors and historians alike to explore its ghostly past.
Early in March 1848, W. Sidney, S. Willis, and Wilford Hudson, members of the Mormon Battalion, set out from Sutter’s Fort to hunt deer. Stopping on the south fork of the American River, they found gold. They told their story on returning to the fort, and soon about 150 Mormons and other miners flocked to the site, which was named Mormon Island.
This was the first major gold strike in California after James W. Marshall’s discovery at Coloma. The population of the town in 1853 was more than 2,500. It had four hotels, three dry-goods stores, five general merchandise stores, an express office, and many small shops. The first ball in Sacramento County was held here on December 25, 1849.
A fire destroyed the town in 1856, and it was never rebuilt. The community dwindled after the California gold rush and only a scattered few families were left in the 1940s.
Current Status: The town is submerged under Folsom Lake and is not accessible for much of the year. However, it remains a point of interest for those interested in California’s Gold Rush history and occasionally surfaces during low water levels.
Remarks: Mormon Island symbolizes the transient nature of boomtowns during the Gold Rush era. Its history is preserved through photographs, records, and the occasional physical remnants that surface, reminding us of the once-thriving community that played a significant role in California’s development.
What was left of Mormon Island was eventually razed as the Folsom Dam project was set to flood the town. The only visible remnant of this community is Mormon Island Cemetery, a relocation cemetery located south of the lake on the dry side of Mormon Island Dam (off of Green Valley Road in Folsom, California Ghost Townlifornia).
The cemetery also contains remains exhumed from other cemeteries that were inundated by the creation of Folsom Lake, as well as relocated graves from Prairie City, which were unearthed during the construction of an on-ramp to U.S. Route 50 from Prairie City Road.
