Rail Road Flat is a Gold Rush era mining town that was settled by gold seekers in 1849, named for a wooden track which conveyed ore cars with waste rock to and from the diggings. A post office was established in 1857, and the first stamp mill erected in 1866. By 1872, five or six mills were operating, and at the turn of the century two stamp mills and one arrastra were still in operation.
The Clark Ditch was constructed to supply the placer mines of Rail Road Flat in 1856 and soon extended to the mines of Glencoe and Rich Gulch. Originating near Blue Mountain, it carried water from the South Fork of the Mokelumne over 55 miles, servicing two reservoirs and numerous downstream communities. Part of the Clark Ditch was purchased by the Calaveras Public Utilities District in the 1930s and water was converted from open ditch to pipe by 1976.
By Judith Marvin, 2002
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Website Accessibility Policy
Calaveras Heritage Council is fully committed to providing accessible facilities, elements and
channels of communication to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, Calaveras Heritage Council
has a policy of providing an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and
commercial screen reading software. All features of the website are coded to allow individuals with vision and
other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities. We welcome
feedback and can often resolve issues in a timely manner if they arise.
If you need any special assistance or accommodations:
Calaveras Heritage Council has designated a compliance officer for website disability-related accommodations.
The compliance officer has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best
practices. Contact our accessibility officer to report an issue.
Compliance Procedures and Reports
In addition to testing with users with a wide range of disabilities and coding our website to WCAG standards,
Calaveras Heritage Council regularly scans its website to ensure ongoing compliance, and makes timely
changes to any inaccessible changes, if any are found.
Linked Documents and Third Parties
Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites, such as state or federal agencies, that do
not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties included in our
agenda packets, for example. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties,
we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.