Merced Falls, California
Encyclopedia
Merced Falls is an unincorporated community
in Merced County
, California
. It is located on the north bank of the Merced River
6 miles (9.7 km) east of Snelling
, at an elevation of 348 feet (106 m).
A post office operated at Merced Falls from 1856 to 1957. The town was founded here because in the California Gold Rush, the three main crossings of the Merced River on the Stockton - Los Angeles Road
were located within 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream of Merced Falls: Belts Ferry (later Murray's Ferry), Young's Ferry, and Phillips' Ferry.
Merced Falls was named for a set of rapids on the Merced River which was used in the 1890s to power several watermill
s located in the town. A pair of sawmill
s in Merced Falls cut wood for the Yosemite and Sugar Pine Lumber Company, which shipped lumber down from the Sierra Nevada on the Yosemite Valley Railroad
. The city continued to function well into the 1920s as a hub for tourists travelling into Yosemite Valley
via the railroad. With the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad
north-south across the Central Valley, many towns including Merced Falls that were not on the railroad fell into disrepair. The rapids themselves were inundated by McSwain Dam, built across the Merced River in the 1960s. Merced Falls is now surrounded by irrigated
farmland, and the community itself is almost abandoned.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Merced County
Merced County, California
Merced County , is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of Fresno and southeast of San Jose. As of the 2010 census, the population was 255,793, up from 210,554 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Merced...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located on the north bank of the Merced River
Merced River
The Merced River , in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, and the...
6 miles (9.7 km) east of Snelling
Snelling, California
Snelling is a census-designated place in Merced County, California. It is located on the north bank of the Merced River north of Merced, at an elevation of 256 feet . The population was 231 at the 2010 census....
, at an elevation of 348 feet (106 m).
A post office operated at Merced Falls from 1856 to 1957. The town was founded here because in the California Gold Rush, the three main crossings of the Merced River on the Stockton - Los Angeles Road
Stockton - Los Angeles Road
Stockton-Los Angeles Road, also known as the Millerton Road, Stockton-Mariposa Road, Stockton-Fort Miller Road or the Stockton-Visalia Road was established about 1853 following the discovery of gold on the Kern River in Old Tulare County...
were located within 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream of Merced Falls: Belts Ferry (later Murray's Ferry), Young's Ferry, and Phillips' Ferry.
Merced Falls was named for a set of rapids on the Merced River which was used in the 1890s to power several watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s located in the town. A pair of sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s in Merced Falls cut wood for the Yosemite and Sugar Pine Lumber Company, which shipped lumber down from the Sierra Nevada on the Yosemite Valley Railroad
Yosemite Valley Railroad
The Yosemite Valley Railroad was a short-line railroad operating from 1907 to 1945 in the state of California, mostly following the Merced River from Merced to Yosemite National Park, carrying a mixture of passenger and freight traffic...
. The city continued to function well into the 1920s as a hub for tourists travelling into Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
via the railroad. With the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
north-south across the Central Valley, many towns including Merced Falls that were not on the railroad fell into disrepair. The rapids themselves were inundated by McSwain Dam, built across the Merced River in the 1960s. Merced Falls is now surrounded by irrigated
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
farmland, and the community itself is almost abandoned.