Secret Town, California

Secret Town is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California.[1] It is located 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Colfax,[2] at an elevation of 2904 feet (885 m).[1]

Secret
Unincorporated community
Secret
Location in California
Secret
Secret (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°09′26″N 120°52′40″W
Country United States
State California
CountyPlacer County
Elevation2,904 ft (885 m)

Name

Secret Town has been noted for its unusual place name.[3] After miners discovered gold in this area, miners wanted to keep the location a secret, and hence the place has this unusual name.[4]

Railway bridge
Secret Town trestle, ca. 1870
Chinese laborers fill Secret Town trestle, 1877

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.[4]

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Secret Town, California
  2. 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.
  3. Thompson, George E. (1 July 2009). You Live Where?: Interesting and Unusual Facts about where We Live. iUniverse. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-4401-3421-0.
  4. Secret Town Fill. Explore APA Heritage - Chinese Heritage Sites of the American West.



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