Woodfords, California
Encyclopedia
Woodfords is an unincorporated community in Alpine County
, California
, near Markleeville
. For census purposes, it is included in Alpine Village
. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) north-northwest of Markleeville
, at 38°46′40"N 119°49′19"W.
Woodfords holds title as the oldest non-native settlement in the entire region. Sam Brannan left supplies near a spring here in 1847 on his way to Salt Lake City, and Brannan Springs, as it was then called, was ideally positioned to take advantage of traffic on the booming road to California.
After a brief period during which the settlement was known as Carey's Mills, the Woodfords name came into common usage following the establishment of an official post office near a hotel by Daniel Woodford in 1849. Today, Woodfords continues to serve highway travelers, and is home to about 150 full time residents, while the Southern band of the Washo tribe has a small community in nearby Diamond Valley
.
Woodfords became a remount station of the Pony Express
on April 4, 1860, when Warren Upson scaled the mountains in a blinding snowstorm, reached Woodfords from Lake Tahoe
via Luther Pass
, and made his way down the eastern slope of the Sierra on his way to Carson City
. Five weeks later the Pony Express was rerouted by way of Echo Summit
and the Kingsbury Grade. The remount station is now California Historical Landmark
#805.
A post office opened in Carey's Mills in 1858, the name was changed to Woodfords in 1869, and was closed in 1914; the post office was re-established in 1962, only to close for good in 1974.
Alpine County, California
Alpine County is the smallest county, by population, in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010, it had a population of 1,175, all rural. There are no incorporated cities in the county. The county seat is Markleeville...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, near Markleeville
Markleeville, California
Markleeville is a census-designated place and the county seat of Alpine County, California. The population was 210 at the 2010 census, up from 197 at the 2000 census.The CDP of Markleeville also includes Woodfords....
. For census purposes, it is included in Alpine Village
Alpine Village, California
Alpine Village is a census-designated place in Alpine County, California, United States. The population was 114 at the 2010 census, down from 136 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) north-northwest of Markleeville
Markleeville, California
Markleeville is a census-designated place and the county seat of Alpine County, California. The population was 210 at the 2010 census, up from 197 at the 2000 census.The CDP of Markleeville also includes Woodfords....
, at 38°46′40"N 119°49′19"W.
Woodfords holds title as the oldest non-native settlement in the entire region. Sam Brannan left supplies near a spring here in 1847 on his way to Salt Lake City, and Brannan Springs, as it was then called, was ideally positioned to take advantage of traffic on the booming road to California.
After a brief period during which the settlement was known as Carey's Mills, the Woodfords name came into common usage following the establishment of an official post office near a hotel by Daniel Woodford in 1849. Today, Woodfords continues to serve highway travelers, and is home to about 150 full time residents, while the Southern band of the Washo tribe has a small community in nearby Diamond Valley
Diamond Valley
Diamond Valley is a basin located in central Nevada in the western United States, between the Sulphur Spring Range and the Diamond Mountains. The valley is located almost entirely within Eureka County, but the northern end crosses into Elko County. The valley is up to 12 miles wide and over 45...
.
Woodfords became a remount station of the Pony Express
Pony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
on April 4, 1860, when Warren Upson scaled the mountains in a blinding snowstorm, reached Woodfords from Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
via Luther Pass
Luther Pass
Luther Pass is a mountain pass in California in the Sierra Nevada, between the Carson River basin and Lake Tahoe. It is traversed by State Route 89 and lies on the boundary between Alpine County and El Dorado County...
, and made his way down the eastern slope of the Sierra on his way to Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
. Five weeks later the Pony Express was rerouted by way of Echo Summit
Echo Summit
Echo Summit is a mountain pass located in eastern El Dorado County, California, USA. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on U.S...
and the Kingsbury Grade. The remount station is now California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
#805.
A post office opened in Carey's Mills in 1858, the name was changed to Woodfords in 1869, and was closed in 1914; the post office was re-established in 1962, only to close for good in 1974.