French Lake, California

French Lake, California (coord|39.420556|N|120.540833|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title), [cite web |url=http://www.lake-maps.us/california/french-lake-english-mountain-quad.shtml |title=French Lake, Nevada County, California CA |accessdate=2008-08-14 |publisher=lake-maps.us] located in Nevada County, was a California Gold Rush community, now uninhabited. It was located by a lake of the same name.

Infobox lake
lake_name = French Lake
image_lake =
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location = Nevada County, California
coords = coord|39|25|14|N|120|32|31|W|region:US-CA_type:waterbody_source:gnis|name=French Lake (lake)
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basin_countries = United States
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elevation = convert|6676|ft|abbr=on
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frozen = French Lake, at an elevation of 7500’-6680’, [sierraoutdoorrecreation] is part of a string of lakes, the largest of which includes Bowman Lake, Sawmill Lake, and Faucherie Lake to the northwest, while Meadow Lake and Fordyce Lake are to the southeast. French Lake Road, used by the Nevada Irrigation District, skirts the lake's northwest perimeter before heading east to Meadow Lake Road. An unsigned road near the lake's southeastern banks veers northeast to Meadow Lake Road above English Mountain's now uninhabited Baltimore Town and Summit City in unincorporated Nevada County. [cite web |url=http://www.sierraoutdoorrecreation.com/Activities/Boating_Lakes_Reservoirs.cfm |title=French Lake |accessdate=2008-08-14 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=sierraoutdoorrecreation.com] [cite web |url=http://californiamaps.org/map.php?county=Nevada&type=pop |title=Pop place(s) in Nevada County, California. |accessdate=2008-08-14 |publisher=californiamaps.org]

History

Prior to the Maidu, French Lake was inhabited by the Martis people, a now extinct Native American tribe. The Martis' Meadow Lake Petroglyphs (also known as 4-Nev-3) are a historical landmark. [cite web |url=http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/CA/Nevada/state.html |title=Meadow Lake Petroglyphs ** (added 1971 - Site - #71000169) |accessdate=2008-08-14 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com]

In 1878, the world's first long-distance telephone line operated between French Lake and French Corral, California, 58 miles to the west, including the towns of North San Juan, and North Bloomfield on the phone route. [cite book |pages=p. 23 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=QKBh_CIbMLQC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=%22French+Lake%22++%22gold+rush%22&source=web&ots=iyAFhDyD0J&sig=80nXR4jWHtHDgkEtg7EPrLlXVvA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result |title=Gold Rush Towns of Nevada County |last=Brower |first=Maria E. |year=2006 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |location=Charleston |isbn=0738546925] [cite web |url=http://www.museumca.org/goldrush/dist-frenchcorral.html |title=French Corral Gold District |accessdate=2008-08-14 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=museumca.org] The phone line was used to pass information regarding water flow from French Lake for post-California Gold Rush hydraulic mining.

References

External links

* [http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt038nc117/?layout=metadata&brand=calisphere Society of California Pioneers photo, ca. 1860-1870] at University of California Libraries