Prairie City was a gold-mining community that once sat on the
American River
The American River is a List of rivers of California, river in California that runs from the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada mountain range to its confluence with the Sacramento River in downtown Sacramento. Via the Sacramento River, it ...
in the
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
foothills, near present-day
Folsom Folsom may refer to:
People
* Folsom (surname)
Places in the United States
* Folsom, Perry County, Alabama
* Folsom, Randolph County, Alabama
* Folsom, California
* Folsom, Georgia
* Folsom, Louisiana
* Folsom, Missouri
* Folsom, New Jers ...
in
Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County () is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,585,055. Its county seat is Sacramento, California, Sacramento, which has been the List ...
, near Prairie City Road, Sacramento.
The mining village was first announced in June 1853 in the ''
Sacramento Daily Union''. A July article mentions that the city has about 1500 inhabitants.
What was left of the town is believed to be covered in river rocks, from gold dredging of the
American River
The American River is a List of rivers of California, river in California that runs from the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada mountain range to its confluence with the Sacramento River in downtown Sacramento. Via the Sacramento River, it ...
in the early 1900s.
When construction was being performed for the freeway on-ramp near an
Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer compo ...
building, a few bodies were unearthed during construction. Though the names of these people are unknown, it is assumed they were Prairie City residents. Their skeletal remains were re-buried in the
Mormon Island relocation cemetery, south of
Folsom Lake
Folsom Lake is a reservoir on the American River in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, United States. Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, which encompasses the lake, is one of the most visited parks in the California park system.
Locate ...
.
Present day
The general site of Prairie City is a
California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
(#464).
[
The Folsom subdivision Prairie Oaks was named for it, because it is believed that the city once stood in this general area.
]
See also
* California Historical Landmarks in Sacramento County, California
*
References
External links
Prairie City History, pictures
{{California Gold Rush
Former settlements in Sacramento County, California
Mining communities of the California Gold Rush
American River (California)
California Historical Landmarks