Tracks & Trails of the American West
Hey all, and welcome back! Time to dive into the Nobles Emigrant Trail. Let’s start with some basic background – the who, what, where, when, and why. The Nobles Emigrant Trail was a pioneer wagon road that brought settlers into northern California. It was established in 1851 by William Nobles as a shorter, less-arduous option... Continue Reading →
Hey all! For the next few posts of Off the Rails I’ll be touring a portion of the Nobles Emigrant Trail. The route was established by William H. Nobles in 1851 as a shortcut into the upper Sacramento Valley from the existing Applegate and Lassen Trails as they crossed into California from Nevada. The trail... Continue Reading →
Hello all! It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted any writing here, but that’s more to do with the state of the world and shifting focus than lack of interest. This page was originally put together to extend my writing on historic rail in San Diego, and to support my book Images of Rail:... Continue Reading →
I had the opportunity to visit the Western Railway Museum this summer, while on a road trip through northern California. WRM is located about midway between Sacramento and Oakland, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta area. Aside from the main visitor center, the complex includes a heritage rail line, over 50 historic cars, car barns and... Continue Reading →
Did you know the City of San Diego had a local public rail transportation system as early as 1886? PanGIS occasionally uncovers remnants of this network buried beneath the streets. Using route maps and contemporaneous photographs, GIS Intern Rhiannon Killian created a story map outlining the rail networks and history of early San Diego public... Continue Reading →
