Kaweah Post Office, Kaweah Colony

The colonists could not secure title because Congress took the land. The Kaweah Colony filed claims to the Giant Forest from 1886, cut an eighteen-mile road up the mountain by hand, and named the largest sequoia for Karl Marx; it already carried General Sherman's name, and the colonists objected to his Indian wars. In 1890, as the road was finished, Congress made their timber part of Sequoia National Park, their claims were rejected, and they became trespassers. The Park Service used their road for years. The post office, moved from its first spot, still stands.

What the plaque says

Kaweah Post Office The Kaweah Cooperative Colony was a utopian project started in 1886. For several years it attracted international attention and many settlers came here and actually did much to further their ideals. Unable to secure title to the land, and because of internal difficulties, the organization ceased to exist after 1892, leaving as one of its tangible reminders the Kaweah Post Office. Marker placed by California Centennials Commission Base furnished by Tulare County Historical Society October 24, 1948

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Charter Oak or Election Tree — 16 mi
• Butterfield Stage Route — 21 mi
• Tulare Assembly Center — 30 mi