Melones, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melones
|
|
|---|---|
|
Former settlement
|
|
 Melones
Location in California
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Calaveras County |
| Elevation | 955 ft (291 m) |
Melones was a small town in Calaveras County, California. Its name means "Melons" in Spanish. Today, you can't see Melones because it's underwater! It's covered by a big lake called New Melones Lake. The town was built near a ferry crossing. This ferry started in 1848, run by John W. Robinson and Stephen Mead. The town got its first name from this ferry. Melones was located at an elevation of 955 feet (291 meters).
History of Melones
Early Days of the Town
A post office first opened in 1879. It was called Robinsons Ferry back then. The name changed to Robinson's in 1895. Then, in 1902, it officially became Melones. The post office closed in 1932. It reopened for a short time in 1933. Finally, it closed permanently in 1942.
Melones in the Movies
Did you know Melones was once a movie set? In January 1923, a big film company, Paramount Pictures, came to town. They built a whole 1849-style mining camp there. This was for their movie called The Covered Wagon. The studio even brought a real train from 1897 to Melones. It traveled on the Angels Branch line.
Submerged Under the Lake
The town of Melones is now completely underwater. This happened when the New Melones Dam was finished. The dam began to fill with water on April 1, 1978. As the water rose, the old town of Melones disappeared beneath the new lake.
