Pino Grande, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pino Grande
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 Pino Grande
Location in California
Pino Grande
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | El Dorado County |
| Elevation | 4,022 ft (1,226 m) |
Pino Grande is a small, unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California. The name "Pino Grande" comes from Spanish and means "Large Pine." It is located about 8 miles (13 km) north-northwest of Pollock Pines. This area sits at an elevation of 4022 feet (1226 meters) above sea level. An unincorporated community is a place that doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it is managed by the county.
History of Pino Grande
Pino Grande has a history tied to the lumber industry. A post office served the community for several years. It first opened in 1892 and closed in 1899. Later, it reopened in 1902 and operated until 1909. The community's name was sometimes spelled as "Pinogrande" in the past.
Pino Grande: A Company Town
Pino Grande was once a very busy place for the Michigan-California Lumber Company. This company had a large mill here where they processed wood. Besides the mill, Pino Grande was like a small company town. A company town is a place where a company owns most of the homes and businesses. It provides services for its workers.
In Pino Grande, there were many cabins for the workers to live in. There was also a hospital to care for people who got sick or hurt. A school was available for the children of the workers. The town also had a building for cooks, machine shops, and storage sheds. Everything was set up to support the lumber operations and the people who worked there.
The Pino Grande Railroad
The lumber company built a special narrow-gauge railway to help with their work. A narrow-gauge railway has tracks that are closer together than standard railway tracks. This type of railway is often used in places with difficult terrain.
The Pino Grande Railroad was very important for moving timber. It traveled through the rugged Georgetown Divide area. This railway hauled huge amounts of Ponderosa and Sugar Pine trees. These trees were cut down from the forests in El Dorado County. The railway helped transport the wood from the forests to the mill.
Today, the mill, the camp, and the entire railway system are gone. This includes the tracks, bridges (called trestles), engines, and all the train cars. The area where Pino Grande once stood is now part of the Eldorado National Forest.
