French Lake, California

Former settlement in California, United States

French Lake

Former settlement

Coordinates: 39°25′14″N 120°32′27″W﻿ / ﻿39.420556°N 120.540833°W﻿ / 39.420556; -120.540833
Country|  United States
State|  California
County| Nevada County

French Lake, California[1] located in Nevada County, was a California Gold Rush community, now uninhabited. It was located by a lake of the same name.

## Reservoir

[edit]

French Lake

Southwest shore of French Lake, 2010

French Lake

Location| Nevada County, California
Coordinates| 39°25′14″N 120°32′31″W﻿ / ﻿39.42056°N 120.54194°W﻿ / 39.42056; -120.54194﻿ (French Lake (lake))
Basin countries| United States
Surface elevation| 6,676 ft (2,035 m)

French Lake Reservoir, at an elevation of 7500’-6680’,[2] is part of a string of lakes, including Bowman Lake, Sawmill Lake, and Faucherie Lake to the northwest, as well as Meadow Lake and Fordyce Lake to the southeast. French Lake Road, used by the Nevada Irrigation District and not available for public use, skirts the lake's northwest perimeter before heading east to Meadow Lake Road. An unsigned road near the lake's southeastern banks veers northeast to Meadow Lake Road above English Mountain's now uninhabited Baltimore Town and Summit City in unincorporated Nevada County.[3][4]

## History

[edit]

Prior to the Maidu, French Lake was inhabited by the Martis people, a now extinct Native American tribe. The Martis' Meadow Lake Petroglyphs (also known as 4-Nev-3) are a historical landmark.[5]

In 1878, the world's first long-distance telephone line operated between French Lake and French Corral, California, 58 miles to the west, including the towns of North San Juan, and North Bloomfield on the phone route.[6][7] The phone line was used to pass information regarding water flow from French Lake for post-California Gold Rush hydraulic mining.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "French Lake, Nevada County, California CA". lake-maps.us. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
2. ^ sierraoutdoorrecreation
3. ^ "French Lake". sierraoutdoorrecreation.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
4. ^ "Pop place(s) in Nevada County, California". californiamaps.org. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
5. ^ "Meadow Lake Petroglyphs ** (added 1971 - Site - #71000169)". nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
6. ^ Brower, Maria E. (2006). Gold Rush Towns of Nevada County. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. p. 23\. ISBN 0-7385-4692-5.
7. ^ "French Corral Gold District". museumca.org. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008.

## External links

[edit]

* Society of California Pioneers photo, ca. 1860-1870 at University of California Libraries

* v
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Municipalities and communities of Nevada County, California, United States

County seat: Nevada City

Cities and towns|

* Grass Valley
* Nevada City
* Truckee

Nevada County map

CDPs|

* Alta Sierra
* Floriston
* Graniteville
* Kingvale‡
* Lake of the Pines
* Lake Wildwood
* North San Juan
* Penn Valley
* Rough and Ready
* Soda Springs
* Washington

Unincorporated
communities|

* Cedar Ridge
* Chicago Park
* French Corral
* Gaston
* Gold Flat
* Higgins Corner
* Hills Flat
* Hirschdale
* Lake City
* Mooney Flat
* Norden
* North Bloomfield
* North Columbia
* Peardale
* Polaris
* Relief
* Willow Valley
* Wolf
* You Bet

Ghost towns|

* Alpha
* Badger Hill
* Baltimore Town
* Birchville
* Blue Tent
* Boca
* Boston Ravine
* Brass Wire Bar
* Bridgeport
* Camp Spaulding
* Chalk Bluff
* Cherokee
* Coyoteville
* Democrat
* French Lake
* Glenbrook
* Gold Hill
* Hobart Mills
* Hunt's Hill
* Iceland
* Indian Springs
* Kentucky Flat
* Little York
* Maybert
* Meadow Lake
* Moores Flat
* Newtown
* Omega
* Orleans Flat
* Red Dog
* Remington Hill
* Rose's Corral
* Sebastopol
* Shands
* Snow Point
* Snow Tent
* Spenceville
* Sweetland
* Town Talk
* Tsekankan
* Union Hill
* Ustoma
* Waloupa
* Wokodot
* Woolsey Flat
* Yamako

Footnotes|

‡This CDP also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* California portal
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California Gold Rush

Geology|

* Gold in California

People|

* List of people associated with the California Gold Rush
* Californios
* Chinese Americans
* Five Joaquins Gang
* Women

Culture|

* Oh My Darling, Clementine
* Mursheen Durkin

Key California Gold sites|

* Sutter's Mill
* Reading's Bar
* Empire Mine

Early US mining|

* Comstock Lode
* Copper mining in Michigan

Part of a series on Gold mining
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