French Lake, California
Encyclopedia
French Lake, California located in Nevada County
, was a California Gold Rush
community, now uninhabited. It was located by a lake of the same name.
French Lake, at an elevation of 7500’-6680’, is part of a string of lakes, including Bowman Lake, Sawmill Lake, and Faucherie Lake to the northwest, as well as Meadow Lake and Fordyce Lake to the southeast. French Lake Road, used by the Nevada Irrigation District and not available for public use, skirts the lake's northwest perimeter before heading east to Meadow Lake Road. An unsigned road near the lake's southeastern banks veers northeast to Meadow Lake Road above English Mountain's now uninhabited Baltimore Town and Summit City in unincorporated Nevada County.
, French Lake was inhabited by the Martis people
, a now extinct Native American tribe. The Martis' Meadow Lake Petroglyphs
(also known as 4-Nev-3) are a historical landmark.
In 1878, the world's first long-distance telephone line
operated between French Lake and French Corral, California, 58 miles to the west, including the towns of North San Juan
, and North Bloomfield
on the phone route. The phone line was used to pass information regarding water flow from French Lake for post-California Gold Rush
hydraulic mining
.
Nevada County, California
Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of California, in the Mother Lode country. As of 2010 its population was 98,764. The county seat is Nevada City.-History:Nevada County was created in 1851 from parts of Yuba County....
, was a California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
community, now uninhabited. It was located by a lake of the same name.
French Lake, at an elevation of 7500’-6680’, is part of a string of lakes, including Bowman Lake, Sawmill Lake, and Faucherie Lake to the northwest, as well as Meadow Lake and Fordyce Lake to the southeast. French Lake Road, used by the Nevada Irrigation District and not available for public use, skirts the lake's northwest perimeter before heading east to Meadow Lake Road. An unsigned road near the lake's southeastern banks veers northeast to Meadow Lake Road above English Mountain's now uninhabited Baltimore Town and Summit City in unincorporated Nevada County.
History
Prior to the MaiduMaidu
The Maidu are a group of Native Americans who live in Northern California. They reside in the central Sierra Nevada, in the drainage area of the Feather and American Rivers...
, French Lake was inhabited by the Martis people
Martis people
The Martis were a group of Native Americans who lived in Northern California on both the eastern and western sides of the Sierra Nevada. The Martis complex lasted from 2000 BCE to 500 CE, during the Middle Archaic era. Evidence of Martis habitation has been found from Carson River and Reno, Nevada...
, a now extinct Native American tribe. The Martis' Meadow Lake Petroglyphs
Meadow Lake Petroglyphs
The Meadow Lake Petroglyphs are located in a restricted area by French Lake, California in the Tahoe National Forest. Attributed to the Martis people, they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The prehistoric rock art is significant for the period of 1499 BC to 1000 AD....
(also known as 4-Nev-3) are a historical landmark.
In 1878, the world's first long-distance telephone line
First long-distance telephone line
The world's first long-distance telephone line, established in 1877, connected French Corral with Bowman Lake at the headwaters of the Yuba River...
operated between French Lake and French Corral, California, 58 miles to the west, including the towns of North San Juan
North San Juan, California
North San Juan is a census-designated place in Nevada County, California, United States, along State Route 49 on the San Juan Ridge in Gold Country. The zip code is 95960...
, and North Bloomfield
North Bloomfield, California
North Bloomfield is a small unincorporated community located in Nevada County, California, United States, northeast of Nevada City, California....
on the phone route. The phone line was used to pass information regarding water flow from French Lake for post-California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold.-Precursor - ground...
.
External links
- http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt038nc117/?layout=metadata&brand=calisphereSociety of California PioneersSociety of California PioneersThe Society of California Pioneers and its members are listed in the Annals of San Francisco of 1855. The key stipulation seems to be that they arrived in California prior to December 31, 1849. Since this was a membership organization, it lists only a portion of the pioneers that came to...
photo, ca. 1860-1870] at University of California LibrariesUniversity of California LibrariesThe University of California operates the largest academic library system in the world. It manages more than 34 million items in 100 libraries on ten campuses. The purpose of these libraries is to assist research and instruction on the University of California campuses...