The Fremont Railroad In December of 1858, as John C. Fremont was finally gaining complete control over all the ownership and mineral rights issues to the “Las Mariposas Grant”, Fremont began work on a new water-powered mill on the Merced River. This new mill was built to support the Pine Tree and Josephine mines. Fremont had already spent millions of dollars in court cases to have the “Las Mariposas Grant” legitimized. This new building project would be an expensive gamble, but also promised much wealth if the mines could be made to produce the gold that was hidden in the quartz rock. Fremont hired 100 men at $3.00 a day to begin construction of a wagon road down the 1400 foot grade to the mill site. 120 more men were requested to supplement the first work force. 300,000 feet of lumber were purchased from the Coulterville side of the river for the construction of the mill and the wooden dam to provide the water power. By June of 1859, the mill was running full blast with 16 stamps running 24 hours a day. Newspaper accounts said that the mill was realizing $500 per day and some accounts said up to $11,000 a week. In September the mill had increased to 48 stamps. Getting the ore down to the mill was first done by large wagons that would travel down the ridge at a very steep angle. This proved to be very dangerous and too costly to continue. When the road down to the mill was finished, ox and mule wagons traveled the four miles to the mill, but this proved too expensive and slow. Fremont came up with the idea of putting in a railroad to take the ore to down to the mill. On July 10th of 1860, the construction of the railroad began on the graded road. A large force of men was engaged, six gangs working at a time, besides the force of carpenters employed on the bridges, ties and cars, and all completed under a broiling sun, of from 108 to 112 degrees Fahrenheit. This gigantic enterprise was built under the immediate superintendence of Major Max Strobel a topographical engineer. Within 26 days the entire railroad was up and running. Ore cars containing two ton of ore each could roll down to the mill powered only by gravity and be pulled back up the same track by mules. Double track were installed in several locations to allow up and down movement on the same line. The newspapers named the project the “Pioneer Mountain Railroad” and stated that only a man of Fremont’s enterprise and energy could complete such a task. On August 1st a large ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the railroad. Visitors from Mariposa, Coulterville, Hornitos, Solomons Gulch, Princeton, Carson, French Camp, Aqua Fria, Bull Creek and the various surrounding camps and towns, poured into Bear Valley. At 11 oclock, every means conveyance to be had was impressed into the service to head to the Pine Tree Mine. At the Mine, 19 ore cars waited to transport the party, which included forty ladies, to the mill. At 1o’clock, with the sound of cannon fire, the ore cars left the mine on their downward trek to the mill. In the foremost car Miss Lillie Fremont, the hostess of the celebration, was seated. A flag of red and white which read “Las Mariposas.” was posted. Descending slowly and carefully, sweeping around the series of curves and rumbling across the trestle work at Cape Horn the cars descended. The view was animating—the wild grandeur of the scenery, almost in its native crudeness, the narrow, trail-like path of the rail, the moving cars, stirring cheers, merry greetings, fluttering of banners, and the roar of cannon, and this eventful descent of Mount Bullion, this four mile corkscrewing down a mountain, a memorable affair. The Merced River and Benton Mills were reached at a quarter to two, the journey occupying but 45 minutes. Beneath the trestle works, a large canvas arbor, decorated with evergreens, covered the two refreshment tables, one hundred feet in length each, on which was spread an ample cold collection of delicacies, flanked with piles of luscious fruits. A platoon of lager casks and a huge pile of Sitka ice flanked their line with a punch of lemonade amidst a miniature sea of ice. Toasts to the success of Fremont’s Railroad were made by all the dignitaries. After the celebration at the mill was over, everyone loaded back up in the ore cars and their pulled by mules made the assent up to the Pine Tree Mine. Then off to Bear Valley’s Oso House for a ball and supper to conclude the event. The most noteworthy part of the whole event was that Col. John C. Fremont and his wife were not present. Jessie was at her home in San Francisco and John had left a week prior to visit the tin mines in Temescal. In June of 1860, Trenor W. Parks was brought in to manage the “Las Mariposas Grant”. In April of 1875, the rails and ties of the railroad were removed and the bed graded back to a wagon road.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 15:37:19 +0000
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