Unincorporated community in California, United States
| Secret | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
  SecretLocation in CaliforniaShow map of California SecretSecret (the United States)Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates: 39°09′26″N 120°52′40″W / 39.15722°N 120.87778°W / 39.15722; -120.87778 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Placer County |
| Elevation | 2,904 ft (885 m) |
Secret Town was a historical mining town in Placer County, California. It was located 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Colfax, at an elevation of 2904 feet (885 m).
Name
After gold was discovered in this area, miners wanted to keep the location a secret, hence the unusual name.
Railway bridge
Secret Town was the site of a very long trestle railroad bridge. The 1100 ft (335 m) long and 95 ft (29 m) high Secret Town wooden trestle on the Central Pacific Railroad's grade, like most of the other trestles of the line, was filled in with earth and rock after the railroad opened to traffic and could afford to send Chinese laborers back to improve the right-of-way by reducing the risk of catching fire from smokestack sparks as steam locomotives crossed.
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Secret Town trestle, ca. 1870
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Chinese laborers fill Secret Town trestle, 1877
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References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Secret Town, California
- Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 553. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
- ^ Secret Town Fill. Explore APA Heritage - Chinese Heritage Sites of the American West.
| Municipalities and communities of Placer County, California, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Auburn | ||
| Cities and towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities |
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| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This CDP also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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