Salmon Falls is a former settlement in

El Dorado County El Dorado County (), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185. The county seat is Placerville. The County is part of the Sacramento- Roseville- ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. It was located on the South Fork of the American River south-southwest of Pilot Hill, at an elevation of 469 feet (143 m). It was flooded by

Folsom Lake Folsom Lake is a reservoir on the American River in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, United States. It is located within Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento Counties. It is about northeast of Sacramento. The lake surface area is , it ...

. Nearby were waterfalls from which the place got its name. The site is now registered as

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

#571.

Overview

Mining began at Salmon Falls in 1848, and the town was founded in 1850. Laying out of the town began at Higgins Point in 1853. The post office arrived in 1851, and remained in operation until 1912, with closures during parts of 1875 and 1893. The population peaked at 3003 during the gold years. Hubert Howe Bancroft, ''History of California'', vol. 6 (1848–1959), p. 352, San Francisco: The History Company, 1888 Salmon Falls, California was an old mining town established along the banks of the American River at the mouth of Sweetwater Creek (northeast of present-day

Folsom, California Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is commonly known for Folsom State Prison, the song " Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash, as well as for Folsom Lake. The population was 80,454 at the 2020 census. Folsom is p ...

). Since the construction of

Folsom Dam Folsom Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the American River of Northern California in the United States, about northeast of Sacramento. The dam is high and long, flanked by earthen wing dams. It was completed in 1955, and officially opened t ...

in the 1950s (which created

) Salmon Falls is typically immersed in water throughout much of the year. However, at low-water levels old foundations, roads, and the old Salmon Falls Bridge are easily accessible. Remains from the local cemetery were exhumed and relocated along with remains from other town sites that were inundated by Folsom Lake after Folsom Dam was built (see Mormon Island).

References

External links

Salmon Falls Local History
Former settlements in El Dorado County, California Populated places established in 1850 1850 establishments in California Ghost towns in California Destroyed towns Submerged settlements in the United States California Historical Landmarks 1848 establishments in California {{California-ghost-town-stub