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White Rock Road (Mariposa County)

Started by Max Rockatansky, August 16, 2024, 07:42:38 PM

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Max Rockatansky

I attempted White Rock Road today in Mariposa County.  This happens to be one of the oldest highway corridors in continuous use in California.  It might also have a new contended for the worst asphalt surface segment I've been on in this state.  One I got to the dirt portion things picked up.

The synopsis I wrote on the Gribblenation Facebook page:

"Pictured in Photo 1 is a scan of the 1882 Bancroft's Map of California which depicts White Rock Road in Mariposa County.  The corridor was one of the two original highways to/from San Joaquin Valley which serviced the mining communities of Mariposa County in Sierra Nevada foothills.  This map displays White Rock Road originating at the Stockton-Los Angeles Road (labeled Forty Mile Road) northeast to Bridgeport.  From Bridgeport branching roadways are shown connecting to the communities of Aqua Fria (the original County Seat) and Mariposa.

The demise of White Rock Road as the primary north/south highway in Mariposa County would begin with the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.  Said act defined and extension of Legislative Route Number 18 west from Mariposa to the city of Merced.  The entirety of the State Highway corridor (including the Merced River Canyon to El Portal) would be surveyed by 1913.  Construction of the 38-mile State Highway corridor between Merced-Mariposa would begin during December 1915 and would be complete by May 1918.  Today much of this corridor is known as "Old Highway 18" in Mariposa County and lies south of modern California State Route 140.

Upon being replaced the corridor of White Rock Road would decline as a significant highway.  The corridor had numerous established ranches along it which led to it being actively maintained by Mariposa County.  The corridor extends south through Merced County and ends at the Chowchilla River where it becomes Madera County Road 19.

Photos 2-45 depicts the northeast journey along the final unsurfaced ten miles of White Rock Road from the 1861 White Rock Cemetery to Old Highway 18 at the site of Bridgeport.  Unlike the paved portions of White Rock Road, the unsurfaced segment is in a moderately good state of repair and can accommodate low clearance vehicles.  The corridor follows the course of Mariposa Creek (formerly Mariposa River) and can be narrow at times."

Along with a link to the above reference post:

https://www.facebook.com/gribblenation/posts/pfbid0t1uqzxoEHoabZMYo1jt4rJJoGbAx2umZ14ghGWADPi4wW79QuJEysEzzc5ZssvVMl

A link to the full photo album I took along White Rock Road from Santa Fe Avenue in Merced County to Old Highway 18 in Mariposa County:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBDJcb



Max Rockatansky

It seems the Mariposa Creek Bridge near the north terminus of White Rock Road is a repurposed Yosemite Valley Railroad turntable (from Merced Falls).  The structure is showing as being installed in 1968 through numerous sources including OG Bridgehunter:

https://web.archive.org/web/20211208064824/https://bridgehunter.com/ca/mariposa/bh77726/

The bridge in question:

https://flic.kr/p/2qajjsn

https://flic.kr/p/2qajjsH

From the Yosemite Valley Railroad history page in photo 3:

https://www.yosemitevalleyrr.com/prototype/remaining/




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