A piece of Gold Rush history will soon return to Prairie City Road, where community members and preservationists will gather on December 13 for the unveiling of a new California Historical Landmark plaque replacing one that was stolen several years ago. The ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the roadside marker on the east side of Prairie City Road in Folsom.
The California Landmark Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving California’s historic sites, is leading the effort in partnership with the Native Daughters and Sons of the Golden West, The Bill Beaver Project, and California State Parks. Together, the groups have worked to recreate and reinstall the state landmark plaque for Prairie City, designated California Historical Landmark No. 464.
The new marker commemorates the site of Prairie City, a once-thriving Gold Rush mining town that served nearby Rhoad’s Diggings, Alder Creek, and Willow Springs Hill. Mining activity began there in 1853 with the arrival of water from the Natoma Water & Mining Company ditch, which supported the development of a $50,000 quartz mill. During its peak in the 1850s, Prairie City was home to more than 1,000 residents, 15 stores, 10 boarding houses and hotels, and a school, with two daily stage lines operating through the community. By 1860, mining waned, and by 1880 only a school and a single cabin remained as the town faded into history.
“Across California, thieves are stealing stories for pennies on the plaque, and it takes small, determined groups like these, fighting an uphill battle, to keep California’s history alive at the places where it happened,” said Kyle Jarrett of the California Landmark Foundation.
The public is invited to attend the rededication ceremony, which will take place near 1937 Prairie City Road in present-day Folsom. Visitors are asked to park by driving past the marker site and taking the first uphill right turn into the Folsom High School parking lot. From there, attendees can walk down to the plaque location, which will be marked by United States and California flags.
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