Colfax's historic markers: Take a walk through history in a California railroad town

Colfax is home to an early station on America's Transcontinental Railroad. Just a minute off Interstate 80, find a series of historic markers that tell the story of this mid-1800s town. Take an easy, level stroll through Colfax's historic downtown to understand more about how towns throughout the Gold Rush country of the Sierras were shaped by gold and the coming rail transport. Note: This marker list begins walking from the southern end of Main Street to the northern end, crossing the street and returning with a stop by the train station. The final marker, Cape Horn, requires about a one-mile drive on Highway 174 toward Grass Valley and is worth the canyon view to the original railroad tracks. 1. Colfax Theatre (49 S. Main St.) The Colfax Theatre was opened in 1939 with 394 seats and was a replacement for an earlier Colfax Theatre, located on Depot Street, which burned down. It was renovated in 1988-89 to the plans of Sacramento architect Jay Hyde. 2. Memorial Hall (33 S. Main St.) City Hall, formerly a Memorial Hall in honor of World War I veterans with a cornerstone laid April 23, 1927, on the former site of W.H. Russell's Livery Stable. June 26, 1928, was under joint ownership as Colfax City Hall and the Placer County Courthouse. On Aug. 24, 2000, a time capsule was opened, and a new time capsule was sealed in the cornerstone on Sept. 10, 2000, to be opened in the year 2050. This plaque was dedicated by Gertrude Paul for the Colfax Area Historical Society on Dec. 1, 2000. 3. First brick building (Colfax Market, 2 N. Main St. and West Grass Valley St.) The first brick building opened in 1865 as a general merchandise store, established by Robert and William Wallace. 4. Colfax General Store (6 N. Main St.) This general merchandise store was established by Leopold and Josephine Lobner in 1867. 5. Murphy's Saloon (Known as the Pastime, 10 N. Main St.) Pastime Club, since 1925, was owned by Harry and Elvira Bianchi. It was formerly Murphy's Saloon in 1866, owned by Bernard Murphy. 6. and 7. IOOF Hall and Masons Lodge 51 (24 ½ N. Main St.) Built in 1867, the International Order of Odd Fellows occupied this building in 1889. The Free and Accepted Masons occupied this building in 1868. 8. Colfax Drug Store (30 N. Main St., now Railhead Saloon) One of California's oldest pharmacies, established in 1876, then owned by the Wayland family until 1996. 9. George's Club (34 N. Main) It was the Railhead Saloon from 1982-2020, owned by Gilbert and Pearl Dalpino, and formerly George's Club in 1946. Originally listed in 1865, Historic lot 6 block 3. 10. Jacob Keck Saloon (40 N. Main St.) Jacob Keck Sr. established this building as a saloon in 1865. 11. Jacob Keck Trading Post (46 N. Main St.) Jacob Keck Sr. established this building in 1865 as a trading post. 12. John Mischler Butcher Shop (54 North Main St.) One of the early town buildings was the Butcher Shop, constructed in 1875. 13. Monitor (N. Main and Depot St., median) A monitor (water cannon) sits in an island median at the intersection of N. Main and Depot St. It was used in hydraulic mining only a few miles east of town, at Gold Run. 14. Freight Depot (7 N. Main) Built circa 1880 by Central Pacific Railroad Company. Constructed of wood using standard S.P. design known as Freight House #2, exhibiting the Victorian-era stick style. This building is the only freight depot of this type remaining in Placer County. 15. First Transcontinental Railroad marker (East Grass Valley Street, on the right by Arbor Park when traveling south. Near the AMTRAK station.) The first train rode through Illinoistown (as Colfax was once known) in September 1865. The railroad became a vital link for traders, commerce and travel that joined the eastern and western halves of the United States. The advancement of the railroad opened expansion opportunities in the west, bringing more population and further enraging the Native Americans. Rail service ended slow and often-dangerous stagecoach rides. Today, Interstate 80 follows the train route through Placer County and across the Sierra Nevada. 16. Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad marker (East Grass Valley Street, on the right by Arbor Park, when traveling south. Near the AMTRAK station.) The Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot was 100 yards northeast of this spot. Built by John Flint Kidder between 1874-76, it ran 22 miles from Colfax to Nevada City via Grass Valley. Rails taken up in 1942. Sarah Kidder, widow of the builder, was the world's first woman railroad president, from 1901-13. 17. Blue Star Memorial Highway (East Grass Valley Street, on the right by Arbor Park when traveling south. Near the AMTRAK station.) A blue star plaque in Arbor Park in Colfax. Note: This marker is listed in Blue Star Memorial Highway Markers. 18. Schuyler Colfax statue and marker (Grass Valley Street, near Railroad St.) This is written on the dedication plaque at the base of Schuyler Colfax's monument: "Schuyler Colfax, Speaker of the House of Representatives, was asked by President Abraham Lincoln on April 14 to take a message to the miners of the west, that their prosperity is the prosperity of the nation. These may have been Lincoln's last words on public subjects, as he was shot later that evening at Ford Theater, Washington, D.C. "In May 1865 Colfax traveled 2,000 miles by stagecoach, reaching San Francisco on July 1, 1865. The slow journey emphasized the need for a railroad to the Pacific. Colfax traveled by special train on the new Central Pacific Railroad, 56 miles from Sacramento to Colfax, and along the working sections on horseback and by coach. Track was graded and laid and trains were running to the town of Colfax, named for the Speaker. The Transcontinental Railroad would unite the Atlantic regions and the Pacific regions of our nation. Colfax went on to be vice president under Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1873." 19. Colfax Amtrak Passenger Depot (99 Railroad St.) Colfax Amtrak Railroad Station, Visitor Center and Heritage Museum. The walking tour ends here. Drive about a mile to see the Cape Horn marker and enjoy the view across the canyon. 20. Cape Horn and Blue Star Highway marker (Highway CA-174, Red Frog Parking Lot, Colfax, CA) The Cape Horn Overlook has a bench provided by the Colfax Area Historical Society with plaques commemorating Cape Horn and the Central Pacific Railroad construction and the Blue Star By-Way, as listed in Blue Star Memorial Highway Markers. This marker inscription reads: "This marker is dedicated to the memory of thousands of Chinese who worked for Charles Crocker on the chairs to a point 1,332 feet above the canyon floor. The ledge created for the railbed was completed May 1866. They are honored for their work ethic, and timely completion of the Transcontinental Rails ending in Promontory, Utah, May 1869." – HMDB.org For more notes on history and markers, visit Colfax Area Historical Society colfaxhistory.org and the Historical Marker Database - HMDB.org.