Green Valley Road Historical Tour, Part 3

We continue our historical tour of the old Coloma Road, today known as Green Valley Road. Our last historical place of interest was the old Dormody Place, also known as Green Springs House, located to the south, on the old alignment of the road. Now we head east on Green Valley Road towards the Pleasant Grove House, which still stands, barely.

The Pleasant Grove House today.

The Pleasant Grove House through the years has had many names, including the Missouri-Kentucky Hotel, Mt. Pleasant House, Rust Place, Six-Mile House, and the Dixon Ranch. Rufus Hitchcock built the house sometime around 1850 or 1851, with wood that was transported by ship around Cape Horn, South America, to San Francisco.

1858 photo of William Rust Family. Courtesy Rescue Historical Society

Between July 1st, 1860 and October 1861, this place was a Pony Express remount and relay station. Riders heading east from Folsom would stop, as well as riders headed west from Placerville. There are a state monument and Pony Express monument in front of the old place.

Now we head further east to check out the Rust Family Cemetary, which has sat on a lonely hilltop since 1887. You can spot the cemetery by the metal chain than surrounds the plot. Right now, there is intense building all around the cemetery. It's being preserved, but will soon occupy that lonely hilltop with new homes.

Just up the road from the Rust Cemetery, the old alignment leaves the present route for a short distance, and we come to the site of the Lorain Ranch and Store, where John Lorain and his family lived. John was a school teacher in Clarksville and would walk the 3.5 miles down Bass Lake Road each school day. In 1900, John's son Charles, along with his wife, Julia Rust, opened the Charles A. Lorain Cash Grocery Store. About twice a week, John took their vegetables down to the Folsom goldfields to sell.

The Lorain Cash Grocery Store. Photo courtesy, Rescue Historical Society.

Let's continue our trip up Green Valley Road to the site of the 1900's Zentgraf Store site, located near the present-day Green Valley School on Bass Lake Road. George Zentgraf built a bar and store here. The building eventually burned down, with rumors suggesting it was because the last owner tried to lure customers in with ladies working the saloon.

The Green Valley Road History Tour

Interactive map of the the area discussed in Part 3 of our Green Valley Road Tour.

Our last stop of this part of our tour is the location of the Rohlfing Store, also known as the Sam Ripley Store, and J. Evans’ store. It was located across the road from the Zentgraf Store, at the intersection of Bass Lake Road and Green Valley, where the apartments are now. Not much is else is known about this old stop along the road.

This post concludes part 3 of our Green Valley Road Historical Tour. We will continue our Green Valley Road Historical Tour with part 4, soon.

Green Valley Road History Tour, Part 2

We continue our Green Valley Road history tour, Part 2. We are now on Malcolm-Dixon Road, which was the old route before the re-alignment of Green Valley Road. Just after turning onto Malcolm-Dixon Road, we come to the site of an old roadhouse named "New York." The New York House, located on the south side of the road near New York Creek, has quite the history.

The information for the New York House comes from Doug Noble's Green Valley Road history. The New York House, owned by Constantine Hicks, a carpenter from Vermont, had quite a reputation having been involved in a scandal concerning election fraud, as well as trying to claim "squatters rights" on 640 acres of surrounding land. He was defeated in part by the Central Pacific Railroad, which owned land intended for the transcontinental railroad, which eventually passed through Placer County to the north.

The story of Constantine Hicks gets brutal after this when his daughter eloped with a "hired hand." Hicks and friends overtook the man at the Rolling Hills house down the hill, horsewhipped him to death, then took the body back to the New York house and buried him on a hill across the road.

Live Oak School.

Continuing our journey, we come to the Live Oak School, which is still standing! The photograph at the top of the page shows the 1895-96 class with the teacher, Miss Donovan. L-R front row: Pete Leik, Annie Hughes(later Mrs. Louis Mettie), John Hughes, Frank Koffman, ___ Courtamarsh, &___Courtamarsh. 2nd row: Luke Avery, Maggie Hughes, Annie Leik, Lizzy Ricker, Lilly Orr, Cora Avery, Kitty Ricker, MamieGrace, and the teacher Miss Donavon.

The area around the schoolhouse has been approved for development by the county, with 2.2 acres around the school, as well as the building being preserved for history, while the rest will be developed.

The Green Valley Road History Tour

We now head up the old road where it will eventually lead us back to Green Valley Road, where we will turn left and head up the hill and the site of the Green Spring House, located on the south side (right side as your driving) of Green Valley Road, on a old alignment of the road. The Green Springs House was built by Rufus Hitchcock, who would run the place until 1851 when he died of smallpox. William Dormody ran it until he died in 1876 when his widow Sarah F. Dormody took it over. According to history, it was a favorite place to hold weddings.

Take Green-Valley Road towards Rescue, and our next stop on our tour, Deer Valley Road. We will discuss that in part 3 of our Green Valley Road history tour.

Tour map found here.