The Great Floods of the San Gabriel Mountains

by Cecile Page Vargo

          California, land of little rain. Some years are so dry one forgets what moisture is. Then comes the rain years, and at times it's as if God turned the faucet on and forgot to turn it off. Yearly rain averages can be hard to calculate for this reason. Recent January 2005 rains dumped more water in a few days than all of 2004. Throughout recorded history this is not uncommon. Unfortunately these dry periods followed by short periods of  large amounts of rainfall make many areas of California ripe for catastrophic floods. The San Gabriel Mountains north of the City of Los Angeles, and the communities that built up in and around the mountain have been molded and shaped by the great rainfalls and the destruction they caused.  

Cars detour around a portion of Big Tujunga Road washed out by the waters of Big Tujunga Creek in January, 2005.

 Part I:  Camps & Resorts Rise and  Fall With The Flood Waters  

 Eldoradoville

           "There has been some excitement this past week about the new gold diggings on the headwaters of the San Gabriel. We have met persons who have been out prospecting and although they found gold of the best quality, differ very much as the regards the richness of the mines. The Crab Hollow diggings are now considered the best and will pay from two to five cents to the pan. It is understood that if the river can be turned from its present bed, some rich leads may be found and big piles realized." The Los Angeles Star, September 21, 1854 . 

          The lure of gold brought men to the San Gabriel Canyon, with the big rush coming in 1859. The first mining camp was set up to supply needs of the miners and a place for them to spend their gold.  Prospect Bar was located four miles up the East Fork, near the stream and Cattle Canyon. The Little Falls Company, and McClure & Company were just two of many mining operations that sprang up. "The former have constructed a flume several hundred feet in length, and of sufficient capacity to carry the waters of the San Gabriel at a high stage...The later of the parties named above are engaged in putting up a hydraulic pump for the purpose of washing a hill claim." The Southern Vineyard, August 23, 1859

           "A dam has been constructed which lays bare a large section of the river bed, which they have found quite rich…" The Star, November 5, 1859

          By December 3rd, the Star was describing devastation caused by heavy rainfall a few weeks after the construction of the dam: "We regret to have to record the total demolition of the  mining works in the San Gabriel Canyon...So tremendous was the force of the torrent rushing down, that it swept away as chaff all the mining works erected on the river--dams, wheels sluices, everything, in fact. The amount of damage sustained by miners cannot be calculated."  

          Within a month, San Gabriel Canyon prospectors had rebuilt their dams, waterwheels and sluices, and gold was being pulled out once again. The Eldoradoville Mining District was formed by March of 1860, and the town of Eldoradoville took Prospect Bar's place. Eldoradoville was a rowdy town with no law, just the justice of a knife or pistol. Three stores, and  half dozen saloons accommodated the miners needs. By August 1861, the Wells Fargo & Company reported shipments of gold from their Los Angeles office, averaging $15,000 in a six month period, primarily from the San Gabriel Canyon mines.

          The night of January 17th-18th, 1862   Eldoradoville was hit by a torrential cloudburst once again. The East Fork turned into a flood of churning gray water intent on destroying everything in it came across. The residents of the town managed to climb the hillsides to safety, but the town was washed away. Shacks, whiskey barrels, groceries, beds, roulette wheels, sluices, long toms, wing dams and China pumps were swept into the floodplain of the San Gabriel Valley. Eldoradoville was destroyed by the same forces of nature that had hit Prospect Bar; only mud and debris remained. The boom mining days on the East Fork of the San Gabriel River were gone.

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Our Tours with Ecological 4-Wheeling Adventures

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Explore Historic California!

     Not too many years ago, the family station wagon was the magic carpet to adventure. Today, that family station wagon is likely to be a four wheel drive sport utility vehicle or pick up truck. SUV's and other 4x4's are one of the best selling classes of vehicles. Ironically, industry statistics show that once purchased, few owners will dare to drive their vehicles off the paved highway. Click your mouse through our website and enjoy our armchair adventures and the histories behind them. If you are interested in taking one of our guided tours with your vehicle, please visit our ECOLOGICAL 4-WHEELING ADVENTURES.

     Several years ago, we bought our first SUV. We went to a one-night class at a local community college entitled "How to 4-Wheel Drive" by Harry Lewellyn. The following weekend we attended the hands-on day tour. We liked what we were doing so much that we began going out nearly every weekend and learned how to negotiate a variety of dirt roads. Our spare time was spent doing research on the history and ecology of our favorite areas. A one-day outing turned into 16 years of leading others on mini-vacations throughout Southern California and the Owens Valley.

     Our 4WD outings involve driving on easy to moderate dirt roads and are ideally suited to novice and intermediate level drivers. All tours are suitable for stock vehicles in good condition, although some tours do have vehicle size restrictions.

     Our tours are operated under permits issued by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and other authorities.

     We share our knowledge of the backcountry over the CB radio with our guests. We frequently stop to explore mining areas, old and new, and ponder the rocks, plants and animals we may encounter. We'll occasionally visit an old cabin or deserted mountain lookout.

     California has a fascinating history, from geologic unrest and prehistoric petroglyph scribes to the "Radium Queen of the Mojave" and the "Human Mole of Black Mountain." Load up your 4X, fasten your seatbelts and get ready to explore historic California.

Roger, Cecile and Marty