Carbona, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carbona, California
|
|
|---|---|
 Carbona, California
Location in California
Carbona, California
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Joaquin |
| Elevation | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
95304
|
| Area code(s) | 209 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1658219 |
Carbona is a small, unincorporated community located in San Joaquin County, California, in the United States. An unincorporated community means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Instead, it's governed by the county.
You can find Carbona about 3.1 miles (5.0 km) south of a bigger town called Tracy. Even though Carbona doesn't have its own post office building, mail for Carbona residents goes through the Tracy post office. However, it has its very own special ZIP code: 95304.
The Story of Carbona
A Railroad Stop
Long ago, Carbona started as a busy railroad station. This station was built at a special meeting point, or junction, where the main railroad line connected to a smaller track called a spur line.
This spur line belonged to the Alameda and San Joaquin Railroad. It was used to carry an important resource: coal!
Coal Mines and Old Towns
The spur line led to the Tesla coal mines, located in a place called Corral Hollow. Coal was a very important fuel back then, used to power trains, factories, and homes.
Trains would come to Carbona, then switch onto the spur line to pick up coal from Tesla. There were even towns like Carnegie and Tesla that grew up around these mines.
The End of an Era
However, the coal mining days didn't last forever. In 1911, a big flood hit the area. This flood caused a lot of damage, destroying the railroad line and other facilities.
Because of the damage, the Western Pacific Railroad closed the spur line in 1916. With the mines no longer operating and the railroad gone, the towns of Carnegie and Tesla were abandoned. Carbona, however, remained, though its role as a bustling railroad junction faded away.
