Valley Springs

This line kept working for ninety-eight years, which is longer than the gold did. A three-foot narrow gauge reached here from Brack's Landing on the Mokelumne in April 1885, built for $409,570, and Southern Pacific widened it to standard gauge around 1904. In 1925 it was pushed thirteen miles further east to serve the Calaveras Cement Company. Passengers stopped riding about 1932, but freight kept moving until the plant closed, and the last rail shipment of cement went out in 1983.

What the plaque says

VALLEY SPRING THE ORIGINAL THREE FOOT NARROW GAUGE LINE WAS BUILT BY THE SAN JOAQUIN & SIERRA NEVADA RAILROAD, EXTENDING FROM BRACK'S LANDING ON THE MOKELUMNE RIVER, EAST TO VALLEY SPRING. THE DEPOT AND TURNTABLE WERE BUILT AROUND THE TIME OF COMPLETION OF THE LAST SECTION, WHICH WAS FINISHED IN APRIL 1885, AT A TOTAL COST OF $409,570.00. THE LINE WAS CHANGED TO STANDARD GAUGE BY SOUTHERN PACIFIC AROUND 1904. IT WAS THEN EXTENDED 13 MILES FURTHER EAST TO KENTUCKY HOUSE TO SERVICE THE CALAVERAS CEMENT COMPANY IN 1925. PASSENGER SERVICE ENDED AROUND 1932 BUT THE LINE CONTINUED TO SERVE AS A FREIGHT LINE, UNTIL THE CLOSURE OF THE CEMENT PLANT. THE LAST RAIL SHIPMENT OF CEMENT WAS IN 1983. DEDICATED BY MATUCA CHAPTER #1849 E CLAMPUS VITUS MAY 30, 1993 (5998) CREDO QUIA ABSURDUM

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Columbia State Historic Park — 25 mi
  The Gem of the Southern Mines, still open for business on a car-free Gold Rush main street.

More markers nearby

• Campo Seco — 2.8 mi
• Stone Corral — 4.7 mi
• Double Springs — 4.9 mi
• Camanche — 5.1 mi