FEDSHRA Home Page - MOW Home Page - NARCOA Home Page - City of Folsom
Motorcar Operators West
May 2006 - Placerville Branch, ex-Southern Pacific Railroad Foothill Run.
May 2006 Placerville Branch: Folsom to shingle springs on Friday and Saturday; Sunday Shingle Springs to Missouri Flat Road. Period costumes from the late 1800's were encouraged.
Contact Bob Snyder for more information.
Quiet Streets and Country Lanes - Latrobe/El Dorado Hills
El Dorado
GoldA Page of El Dorado County History
The Railroad Made Latrobe
When looking back at the history of Latrobe, there is no escaping the town was a major railroad terminus during the Comstock commotion of the 1860’s.
According to Paolo Sioli in the 1883 "History of El Dorado County," "Latrobe is located in the lower part, far southwest, of the county where the character of the county in its transformation comes nearer to that of the plains of the Sacramento Valley. It is the youngest town acquisition of El Dorado County and owes its origin to the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad which established a station for the benefit of the neighboring Amador county here on the crossing of the roads. The town started on completion of the railroad in 1864 and was surveyed and plotted by Chief Engineer F.A. Bishop, who also suggested the name of the town, after Latrobe, the chief engineer in the construction of the first railroad in the United States."
According to a very good 1864 description of Latrobe, written February 20 in the " Sacramento Alta," Latrobe was "at the junction of the railway with the Cosumnes wagon road. The road completed to this point, all of the trade with the Washoe from Amador County must pass over it. And not only this but the business of the northern portion of Calaveras to say nothing of the track of lower El Dorado and Sacramento Counties, with our neighbors beyond the Sierra, must be transported over the Placerville Road."
Six months later, on June 2, 1865, the "Daily Alta" sent a correspondence on the rail from Freeport to Shingle Springs. Describing Latrobe, the writer said, "Like Freeport, Latrobe has sprung into existence by force of circumstances; its location is such that it will grow into importance and become an important shipping point for the immense farming products of the Cosumnes and surrounding valleys. Here the farmer will bring his hay and grain, the housewife her butter and eggs to sell to the trader who packs and ships to the mountains and Washoe. The present village consists of about one hundred buildings. I noted a stream flouring mill in operation. The railroad company have erected one of the finest passenger depots in the county as well as ample warehouses. The freighting business must be immense at this point, judging from the number of "mountain clippers" loading and departing. Several daily lines of stages also connect here from different points."
The Latrobe Post Office opened for business October 11, 1864 and continued in operation until May 31, 1921, when mail service for that area moved to Shingle Springs.
By 1880, Latrobe was a quiet hamlet, as described in the "Daily Bee" of December 24." A pleasant little village of about 150 inhabitants, on the Sacramento and Placerville Railroad, and about 35 miles from Sacramento. An old mining region, but now chiefly devoted to agriculture, J.H. Miller is the proprietor of the hotel and is the owner of a ranch continuing 4.23 acres.
Even though the village dwindled in size, it was still an important asset to the railroad. In March, 1888 the "Sacramento Union" described the "First Excursion to the Town of Placerville" when seven carloads of excursionists left this city for Placerville to join that people in the celebration of the railroad, which now connects the county seat of El Dorado with the capital of the State. Four hundred and twenty dignitaries and their wives accompanied the party. There was but little room left in the cars."
The train left Sacramento at 7 a.m. and went through Folsom. "At this point an additional engine was attached and soon as a double header they were climbing the foothills toward the town of Latrobe. The rolling hills in the neighborhood of White Rock are covered with a carpet of green bedecked with beautiful flowers upon which were seen feeding numerous dairy herds. The scenery in the neighborhood of Cothrin’s Grove, the famous picnic ground, never appeared to better advantage, the flora is just putting forth and the large spreading oaks are clothed with a new dress of green.
"A halt was made at Latrobe where a number of El Doradans joined the party. Here the band serenaded the hundreds of citizens who had congregated there and the excursionists took a sunbathe as they promenaded the neighborhood of Cothrin’s Grove, and the road on both sides is rapidly being put into orchards and vineyards.
Reprinted from the Mountain Democrat, April, 1996
Last updated 01/25/06 .
FEDSHRA
Home Page - MOW Home Page - NARCOA Home Page - City of Folsom