hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

ROADS AND MAII& 143
due chiefly to the lack of roads, did not encourage the
opening of anything beyond rude and circuitous trails.
Under United States control these multiplied in a
more direct and expeditious form, to be quickly followed
by regular roads, which were constructed partly
by private companies, partly by local and state authorities,
and extended within a few years to the remote
northern frontier. Costly blasting and filling, corduroy
and planking, with imposing suspension bridges, marked
the substantial nature of the work, 81 and regular and
bustling traffic sprang up where shortly before roamed
only wild beasts and savages.
Under Mexican rule mails depended on the irregular
arrival of supply vessels and couriers and the convenience
of commandants. The United States military
authorities improved upon this by the establishment
of a regular service between their posts, open also to
the public, 82 and by sending occasional messengers to
81 Ferries were rapidly replaced by bridges. Little, Stat., MS., 12-13, built
several in 1850, one of which, at Coloma, costing $20,000, paid for itself within
90 days. Murderer's bar had a wire-rope suspension bridge in 1854. Hist.
El Dor., 126. Concerning some costly bridges in the mining region, see Placer
TimtA, May 27, 1850; Sac. Union, Jan. 29, Apr. 10, May 10, June 14, July 3,
Aug. 7-S, Nov. 19, 1855; Atta Cal, Oct. 6, 1856, etc. In 1856 it was even jiroposed
to bridge S. F. bay, a project revived several times. S. F. Coil, Oct.
15, 22, 27, Nov. 4. Several private plank roads existed, one being opened
between S. F. and the mission early in 1851; another from Sacramento
toward Auburn later. Id., March 1, 1853. By 1856 there were about 117
bridges, costing over half a million, and $300,000 was invested in ferries. Cat
Routes and Roads, 15-16. Concerning turnpike, roads, see Sac Union, Jan.
16, Feb. 20-1, Sept 25, 1855. In May 1850 a road was cut to Georgetown
from Coloma, Pac News, May 29, 1850; and in 1852 the legislature agitated
for a road from Sac. to the northern counties, so as to keep trade within Cal.,
and subsequently asked congress for $150,000 to open a military highway.
Cal. Jour. Ass., 1852, p. 528; Statute*, 1852, 305; U. S. Oov. Doc., Cong. 34,
Seas. 1, Sen. Misc. Doc. 8. A Sacramento-Yreka wagon-road was much used
in 1856. For later roads, see reports of surveyors in Cal Jour. AM., app.,
and under railways for routes eastward. In Sac Union, Apr. 30, June 3, 30,
Dec. 23,1856. It was then proposed to open another between Hum bold t Bay
and Petaluma. S. F. Bulletin, May 31, Aug. 27, 1856; Mt Herald, Dec. 2,
1&>4; Pac R. R. Rep., vi.; Abbot's Rept, 54; Haves' Misc., 59; AUa Cal., May
28, 1853, with allusions to other long roads. Elarly legislative steps for such
in CaL Jour. Sen. and Ass., 1850, and following years. The road eastward
across the Sierra will be considered under the transcontinental railroad surveys.
For leading CaL branches of it, see Hist. Placer and El Dorado. List
of leading roads in Cal Register, 1857, 151-2. Roads to Mt Diablo and Yosemite
were completed in 1874.
* CaL Star, Apr. 17, May 29,1847; Cal\fornian, June 5, 1847. Bimonthly
to San Diego, two soldiers meeting half-way and exchanging mails. It took
a fortnight for each to go and return. Irregularity crept in after Aug. 1845,