Misplaced Pages

#182817

69-709: Dennis Martin, the Canadian-American son of William Martin, and his parents and siblings began a cross-country trek from Missouri to California in 1844. At a Jesuit priest's urgings, they had joined two other Irish families—the Murphys and the Sullivans—to leave Missouri in search of “Catholic institutions” in the West. The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party became the first pioneers to cross the Sierra Nevada into California. Their route

138-735: A chance at grand adventure and opportunity in California. He would become the first licensed physician in California. The largest family group in the party was headed by Martin Murphy, Sr. His family had 23 members. As Irish Catholics , the Murphy family, along with the Martin and Sullivan families, were seeking religious, economic, and political freedoms in the West. The group included James Miller (1814–1890), an Irishman, who would marry Martin Murphy, Sr.'s third daughter and settle at Rancho San Pedro, Santa Margarita y Las Gallinas near San Rafael . The party

207-487: A fellow Irishman, John Coppinger. Then Martin sought and found gold on the Mokelumne and Stanislaus Rivers in partnership with Daniel Murphy, his transcontinental companion, and Charles Maria Weber , the founder of Stockton . Quickly making his fortune in gold, Martin bought 1,500 acres of land north of San Francisquito Creek from his friend John Coppinger, the grantee of Rancho Cañada de Raymundo , for $ 1,500. This property

276-547: A link between the water level in Lake Cahuilla (now the Salton Sea ) and seismic activity along the southern San Andreas Fault. The study suggests that major earthquakes along this section of the fault coincided with high water levels in the lake. The hydrological load caused by high water levels can more than double the stress on the southern San Andreas Fault, which is likely sufficient for triggering earthquakes. This may explain

345-545: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake along the southern San Andreas Fault could cause about 1,800 deaths and $ 213 billion in damage. This scenario hypothesizes the potential effects of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas Fault in the San Francisco Bay Area. It aims to estimate the impacts on urban infrastructures along with the rebuilding efforts to both the landscape and economy. This study combines not only

414-568: A possible driver for the deformation of the Basin and Range , separation of the Baja California peninsula , and rotation of the Transverse Range . The main southern section of the San Andreas Fault proper has only existed for about 5 million years. The first known incarnation of the southern part of the fault was Clemens Well-Fenner- San Francisquito fault zone around 22–13 Ma. This system added

483-491: Is a combined effort from experts in the physical sciences, social sciences, and engineering both in the public and private sectors- ranging from urban planners to economists/business professionals. Not only does this study aim to estimate the impacts of the event, but aims to estimate the years of rebuilding and funding needed to recover communities from a potential disaster such as the HayWired Scenario. The first volume of

552-722: Is named for him. He and his wife, Elizabeth, treated the victims of the 1850 cholera epidemic in San Jose until they died of it in December 1850. Elizabeth's younger brother, Moses Schallenberger, settled in Santa Clara county and died in 1909. Schallenberger Elementary School in the San José Unified School District and Schallenberger Ridge just south of Donner Lake are named for him In 1846, Martin Murphy Sr. purchased

621-603: Is not clear. Several hypotheses have been offered and research is ongoing. One hypothesis – which gained interest following the Landers earthquake in 1992 – suggests the plate boundary may be shifting eastward away from the San Andreas towards Walker Lane. Assuming the plate boundary does not change as hypothesized, projected motion indicates that the landmass west of the San Andreas Fault, including Los Angeles, will eventually slide past San Francisco, then continue northwestward toward

690-848: Is now marked by the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center . Then he purchased the wooded slopes of the creek he named for himself from the Rancho Corte de Madera including much of the modern day Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve , the Ladera subdivision and the Webb Ranch. Martin established an upper and lower sawmill on Dennis Martin Creek, the lower mill about a half-mile downstream from Schilling Lake. Martin encouraged his relatives and friends in Canada and Missouri to join him, and many of these made up

759-551: Is the approximate location of the epicenter of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . The fault returns onshore at Bolinas Lagoon just north of Stinson Beach in Marin County . It returns underwater through the linear trough of Tomales Bay which separates the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland, runs just east of Bodega Head through Bodega Bay and back underwater, returning onshore at Fort Ross . (In this region around

SECTION 10

#1733085183183

828-603: The Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche . Son Martin Murphy Jr. was the founder of the city of Sunnyvale . Sons John and Daniel struck gold in the Sierra, then made a fortune selling dry goods to local miners and Native Americans. The town they established in the Sierra foothills still bears the family name of Murphys . Helen Murphy, the youngest daughter of Martin Sr., married Charles Maria Weber ,

897-420: The 1994 Northridge earthquake ) occurs about once every 6.7 years statewide. The same report also estimated there is a 7% probability that an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or greater will occur in the next 30 years somewhere along the San Andreas Fault. A different USGS study in 2008 tried to assess the physical, social and economic consequences of a major earthquake in southern California. That study predicted that

966-656: The Aleutian Trench , over a period of perhaps twenty million years. The San Andreas began to form in the mid- Cenozoic about 30 Mya (million years ago). At this time, a spreading center between the Pacific plate and the Farallon plate (which is now mostly subducted, with remnants including the Juan de Fuca plate , Rivera plate , Cocos plate , and the Nazca plate ) was beginning to reach

1035-594: The California Gold Rush . The Stephens Party is significant in California history because they were the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada during the expansion of the American West . In 1844, they pioneered the first route at or near what was later named Donner Pass . The crossing was a year before the third expedition of John Charles Fremont , two years before the Donner Party , and five years before

1104-569: The Salton Sea . Here, the plate motion is being reorganized from right-lateral to divergent . In this region (known as the Salton Trough ), the plate boundary has been rifting and pulling apart, creating a new mid-ocean ridge that is an extension of the Gulf of California . Sediment deposited by the Colorado River is preventing the trough from being filled in with sea water from the gulf. The fault

1173-556: The San Francisco Bay Area several significant "sister faults" run more-or-less parallel, and each of these can create significantly destructive earthquakes.) From Fort Ross, the northern segment continues overland, forming in part a linear valley through which the Gualala River flows. It goes back offshore at Point Arena . After that, it runs underwater along the coast until it nears Cape Mendocino , where it begins to bend to

1242-465: The San Gabriel Fault as a primary focus of movement between 10–5 Ma. Currently, it is believed that the modern San Andreas will eventually transfer its motion toward a fault within the eastern California shear zone . This complicated evolution, especially along the southern segment, is mostly caused by either the "Big Bend" and/or a difference in the motion vector between the plates and the trend of

1311-663: The San Gabriel Mountains . These mountains are a result of movement along the San Andreas Fault and are commonly called the Transverse Range. In Palmdale , a portion of the fault is easily examined at a roadcut for the Antelope Valley Freeway . The fault continues northwest alongside the Elizabeth Lake Road to the town of Elizabeth Lake . As it passes the towns of Gorman , Tejon Pass and Frazier Park ,

1380-561: The San Jose / Cupertino area, where Stevens Creek [sic] is named for him. In 1862, he left the area, heading to Kern County in central California. He was the first non-native settler in what is today the city of Bakersfield . A state historic plaque in that city marks the approximate site of his homestead. Stephens died in Bakersfield in 1887. He was buried in Union Cemetery. His gravesite

1449-631: The Santa Cruz Mountains (the location of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989). Studies of the relative motions of the Pacific and North American plates have shown that only about 75 percent of the motion can be accounted for in the movements of the San Andreas and its various branch faults. The rest of the motion has been found in an area east of the Sierra Nevada mountains called the Walker Lane or Eastern California Shear Zone. The reason for this

SECTION 20

#1733085183183

1518-566: The Truckee River southward with the goal of reaching Sutter's Fort quickly and sending back help. They became the first European-Americans to set foot on the shore of Lake Tahoe on November 16 ( John C. Frémont had been the first European-American to only view it the previous February). They arrived at the fort on December 10. The rest of the party continued until reaching Truckey's (or Truckee) Lake (now Donner Lake ). Here, they left six of their eleven wagons because of difficulties getting

1587-603: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) have made variable predictions as to the risk of future seismic events. The ability to predict major earthquakes with sufficient precision to warrant increased precautions has remained elusive. The U.S. Geological Survey's most recent forecast, known as UCERF3 (Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast 3), released in November 2013, estimated that an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 M or greater (i.e. equal to or greater than

1656-573: The 1848–49 Gold Rush. Three other known European exploration crossings of the Sierra Nevada had previously occurred at points south of this however, including Fremont's second expedition the previous winter, at Carson Pass. The 50-member Stephens group left near present-day Council Bluffs, Iowa , on May 22, 1844. They departed with a larger group of Oregon -bound settlers in a train of 40 wagons. Fifty travelers left Iowa; 52 arrived in Sacramento with

1725-593: The Bridal Trail and an easy walk to Lake Schilling along the wooded 3/4 mile Schilling Lake Trail. The preserve is accessed from the south side of La Honda Road (Highway 84), 1.6 miles past its intersection with Portola Road in Woodside. Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party The Stephens–Townsend–Murphy Party consisted of ten families who migrated from Iowa to California prior to the Mexican–American War and

1794-587: The California economy within the first 6 months post-recovery from the event through estimates of "utility outages, property damages, and supply chain disruptions resulting in an estimated $ 44 billion of gross state product (GSP) losses, or translated at 4% of the California economy"(Wein et al.). This study also projects the recovery of jobs lost in highly impacted areas, such as Alameda County, could take up to 10 years to fully recover job losses and possible economic recession. Trajectories for economic recovery are improved by reconstruction but also delayed with impacts to

1863-661: The HayWired Scenario study was released in 2017, with consistent continuations and contributions by engineers. This continuation was published in the second volume, Engineering Implications, in 2018. As of the 2021 Fact sheet update, there are several estimates on damages ranging from the approximate people affected at home, work, effects of lifeline infrastructures such as telecommunications, and more. This group of scientists have worked together to create estimates of how hazards such as liquefaction, landslides, and fire ignition will impact access to utilities, transportation, and general emergency services. This study goes into detail about

1932-463: The San Andreas fault has reached a sufficient stress level for an earthquake of magnitude greater than 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale to occur. This study also found that the risk of a large earthquake may be increasing more rapidly than scientists had previously believed. Moreover, the risk is currently concentrated on the southern section of the fault, i.e. the region around Los Angeles, because strong earthquakes have occurred relatively recently on

2001-704: The Stephens party, as there were two births along the way. Elisha Stephens was elected captain of the wagon train because he had spent several years as a mountain man and beaver hunter in the Pacific Northwest . He also had skills as a blacksmith . He had worked at the Potawatomi Council Bluffs US Indian Subagency before resigning to go to California. Dr. John Townsend, his wife Elizabeth, and her younger brother Moses Schallenberger, were also going west. A man of vision, Townsend wanted

2070-571: The Thornewood Open Space Preserve where it is met by an ephemeral stream that drains Schilling Lake. Shortly after crossing under Old La Honda Road the creek reaches the San Andreas Fault zone and crosses Portola Road where the ground becomes nearly level and it is one of a nexus of half a dozen creeks that coalesce in a large freshwater marsh to form Corte Madera Creek . Dennis Martin Creek flows into Sausal Creek just upstream of

2139-560: The U.S. state of California . It forms part of the tectonic boundary between the Pacific plate and the North American plate . Traditionally, for scientific purposes, the fault has been classified into three main segments (northern, central, and southern), each with different characteristics and a different degree of earthquake risk. The average slip rate along the entire fault ranges from 20 to 35 mm (0.79 to 1.38 in) per year. In

Martin Creek (Sausal Creek tributary) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2208-574: The abnormally long period of time since the last major earthquake in the region since the lake has dried up. The San Andreas Fault System has been the subject of a flood of studies. In particular, scientific research performed during the last 23 years has given rise to about 3,400 publications. A study published in 2006 in the journal Nature by Yuri Fialko, an associate professor at the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Scripps Institution of Oceanography , found that

2277-1177: The central ( 1857 ) and northern ( 1906 ) segments of the fault, while the southern section has not seen any similar rupture for at least 300 years. According to this study, a major earthquake on that southern section of the San Andreas fault would result in major damage to the Palm Springs – Indio metropolitan area and other cities in San Bernardino , Riverside and Imperial counties in California, and Mexicali Municipality in Baja California . It would be strongly felt (and potentially cause significant damage) throughout much of Southern California , including densely populated areas of Los Angeles County , Ventura County , Orange County , San Diego County , Ensenada Municipality and Tijuana Municipality , Baja California, San Luis Rio Colorado in Sonora and Yuma, Arizona . Older buildings would be especially prone to damage or collapse, as would buildings built on unconsolidated gravel or in coastal areas where water tables are high (and thus subject to soil liquefaction ). Of

2346-426: The common route by 85 miles (137 km) and seven days. This cutoff, later popularized in a guide book, was used heavily by miners heading to the California Gold Rush . In the Sierra Nevada they encountered snow and on November 14, 1844, the party split. Six of the party, Elizabeth Townsend, her servant Francis, Oliver Magnan, and the siblings, Ellen (or Helen), John, and Daniel Murphy, set off on horseback following

2415-513: The construction industry. A 2008 paper, studying past earthquakes along the Pacific coastal zone, found a correlation in time between seismic events on the northern San Andreas Fault and the southern part of the Cascadia subduction zone (which stretches from Vancouver Island to Northern California). Scientists believe quakes on the Cascadia subduction zone may have triggered most of the major quakes on

2484-605: The creek has been blocked since 1890 by Searsville Dam . According to local historian Dorothy Regnery's notes from her 1966 interview with Edgar H. Batchelder, who was 2 years old when his father became caretaker of Searsville dam in 1897, his "favorite place to fish for trout was in Dennis Martin Creek." Hiking trails are available in the 167 acre Thornewood Open Space Preserve, part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District system, including

2553-505: The early population of the historic mill town of Searsville, inundated by Searsville Dam in 1892. After financial misfortune and land disputes typical of the era, his lands were bought by Leland Stanford in November, 1882. Dennis Martin died in June 1890 and was buried at the St. Dennis Cemetery (Martin had built his own church) on his former property (by then Stanford's). The creek's watershed includes

2622-635: The eastern side of the fault. The effect is expressed as the Coast Ranges. The northwest movement of the Pacific plate is also creating significant compressional forces which are especially pronounced where the North American plate has forced the San Andreas to jog westward. This has led to the formation of the Transverse Ranges in Southern California, and to a lesser but still significant extent,

2691-453: The era, his lands were bought by Leland Stanford in November, 1882. Dennis Martin died in June 1890 and was buried at the St. Denis Cemetery (Martin had built his own church) on his former property (then Stanford's). Woodside's Dennis Martin Creek is named for him. San Andreas Fault The San Andreas Fault is a continental right-lateral strike-slip transform fault that extends roughly 1,200 kilometers (750 mi) through

2760-506: The fault and its surrounding branches. The fault was first identified in Northern California by UC Berkeley geology professor Andrew Lawson in 1895 and named by him after the surrounding San Andreas valley. Eleven years later, Lawson discovered that the San Andreas Fault stretched southward into southern California after reviewing the effects of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . Large-scale (hundreds of miles) lateral movement along

2829-544: The fault begins to bend northward, forming the "Big Bend". This restraining bend is thought to be where the fault locks up in Southern California , with an earthquake-recurrence interval of roughly 140–160 years. Northwest of Frazier Park, the fault runs through the Carrizo Plain , a long, treeless plain where much of the fault is plainly visible. The Elkhorn Scarp defines the fault trace along much of its length within

Martin Creek (Sausal Creek tributary) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2898-530: The fault from 2004 to 2007. The aim was to collect core samples and make direct geophysical and geochemical observations to better understand fault behavior at depth. The northern segment of the fault runs from Hollister , through the Santa Cruz Mountains , epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , then up the San Francisco Peninsula , where it was first identified by Professor Lawson in 1895, then offshore at Daly City near Mussel Rock . This

2967-452: The fault he previously discovered. He concluded that the fault must have been the origin of the earthquake. This line ran through San Andreas Lake , a sag pond . The lake was created from an extensional step over in the fault, which created a natural depression where water could settle. A common misconception is that Lawson named the fault after this lake. However, according to some of his reports from 1895 and 1908, he actually named it after

3036-627: The fault was first proposed in a 1953 paper by geologists Mason Hill and Thomas Dibblee . This idea, which was considered radical at the time, has since been vindicated by modern plate tectonics . Seismologists discovered that the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield in central California consistently produces a magnitude 6.0 earthquake approximately once every 22 years. Following recorded seismic events in 1857, 1881, 1901, 1922, 1934, and 1966, scientists predicted that another earthquake should occur in Parkfield in 1993. It eventually occurred in 2004 . Due to

3105-457: The founder of the city of Stockton . Dennis Martin also struck gold in the Sierra and purchased ranch properties from the grantees of Rancho Cañada de Raymundo and Rancho Corte de Madera which include much of the modern day back lands of Stanford University , including the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center , Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve , the Ladera subdivision and the Webb Ranch. After financial misfortune and land disputes typical of

3174-593: The frequency of predictable activity, Parkfield has become one of the most important areas in the world for large earthquake research. In 2004, work began just north of Parkfield on the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). The goal of SAFOD is to drill a hole nearly 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) into the Earth's crust and into the San Andreas Fault. An array of sensors will be installed to record earthquakes that happen near this area. A 2023 study found

3243-433: The geological impacts/effects of the event, but also the societal impacts such as property damage, economic rebuilding, and aims at estimating damages if cities increased risk-reduction. It was developed for preparedness geared towards Bay Area residents and as a warning with an attempt to encourage local policy makers to create infrastructure and protections that would further risk reduction and resilience-building. This study

3312-466: The historic Thornewood House, a 1920s estate built by Julian Thorne and surrounded by 3.5 acres of landscaping and gorgeous valley views. This 87-acre estate was willed to the Sierra Club Foundation and later given to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District . Currently, the house and 10-acre private leasehold are closed and under restoration. Schilling Lake is named for August Schilling,

3381-551: The north, the fault terminates offshore near Eureka, California , at the Mendocino triple junction , where three tectonic plates meet. The Cascadia subduction zone intersects the San Andreas fault at the Mendocino triple junction. It has been hypothesized that a major earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone could trigger a rupture along the San Andreas Fault. In the south, the fault terminates near Bombay Beach, California , in

3450-462: The party spent the winter in the upper Yuba River valley, until most of the men were enticed to fight with Captain John Sutter for Mexican California Governor Manuel Micheltorena , in exchange for promises of land grants. Instead of joining them, Dennis Martin returned to the upper Yuba with supplies for the women and children. On learning of Moses Schallenberger's plight, 23-year-old Martin crossed

3519-533: The party, after crossing the pass, continued until snow made it impossible to travel with wagons on the upper Yuba River valley. They set up camp, and, on December 6, seventeen of the adult men pushed on to find help, while the women, children, and two adult men remained in camp. Most of the men in the advance party were then enticed or coerced to fight with Captain John Sutter for Mexican California Governor Manuel Micheltorena in exchange for promises of land grants. Instead of joining Sutter, Dennis Martin returned to

SECTION 50

#1733085183183

3588-485: The plain. The southern segment, which stretches from Parkfield in Monterey County all the way to the Salton Sea , is capable of an 8.1-magnitude earthquake. At its closest, this fault passes about 35 miles (56 km) to the northeast of Los Angeles. Such a large earthquake on this southern segment would kill thousands of people in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and surrounding areas, and cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. The Pacific plate , to

3657-525: The reservoir area at the Family Farm Road bridge. From there Sausal Creek is joined by Corte Madera Creek just before entering Searsville Reservoir . Old maps show that Dennis Martin Creek and Alambique Creek , both tributaries of Sausal Creek , surrounded the historic town of Searsville before it was inundated by the Searsville Dam and Reservoir . Dennis Martin Creek and the other Corte Madera Creek tributaries and mainstem were historically steelhead trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) streams; however, access to

3726-437: The snow melted. They quickly built a cabin (later used by the Donner Party), but soon realized that it would be very difficult for them to survive the winter. They set out after the party ahead of them on makeshift snowshoes, but after the first day, the youngest, eighteen-year-old Moses Schallenberger realized he could not press on and returned to the wagons. He survived only by trapping High Sierra foxes for food. The rest of

3795-416: The snowbound Sierras in mid-winter to rescue Schallenberger at Donner Lake in February, 1845. He showed Schallenberger how to construct proper snowshoes and the two successfully recrossed the Sierras to the Central Valley. Martin worked for Captain John A. Sutter in the summer of 1845, who sent him to supervise three Indians cutting redwood on the San Francisco Peninsula. While so employed, Dennis Martin met

3864-526: The specific populations to be hardest impacted by a potential earthquake of a 7.0 magnitude, specifically in the San Francisco Bay Area. This includes intensified hardships for those with low-income, racially and culturally-diverse populations, and people with literacy hardships that would significantly "increase their risk of displacement and add to recovery challenges" (Wein et al.). In addition to societal and landscape impacts, this study looks at potential business interruptions. This portion estimates impacts to

3933-412: The study, Fialko stated: All these data suggest that the fault is ready for the next big earthquake but exactly when the triggering will happen and when the earthquake will occur we cannot tell. It could be tomorrow or it could be 10 years or more from now. Nevertheless, in the 18 years since that publication there has not been a substantial quake in the Los Angeles area, and two major reports issued by

4002-444: The subduction zone off the western coast of North America. As the relative motion between the Pacific and North American plates was different from the relative motion between the Farallon and North American plates, the spreading ridge began to be "subducted", creating a new relative motion and a new style of deformation along the plate boundaries. These geological features are what are chiefly seen along San Andreas Fault. It also includes

4071-450: The surrounding San Andreas Valley. Following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Lawson also concluded that the fault extended all the way into Southern California . In 1953, geologist Thomas Dibblee concluded that hundreds of miles of lateral movement could occur along the fault. A National Science Foundation funded project called the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) near Parkfield, California , involved drilling through

4140-447: The upper Yuba with supplies for the women and children. Upon learning of the plight of Moses Schallenberger, twenty-three-year-old Martin set out to cross the snowbound Sierra Nevada in mid-winter (February, 1845) to rescue Schallenberger at Donner Lake. Upon reaching the lake, Martin showed Schallenberger how to construct proper snowshoes and then the two crossed the Sierra successfully to the Central Valley. Elisha Stephens settled in

4209-408: The wagons over the pass and carried on with the remaining five. At one point they had to unhitch the wagons and haul them up a cliff with makeshift pulleys while the oxen were led through a narrow slot. On November 25 they managed to reach the top of the pass. Three men, Joseph Foster, Allan Montgomery, and Moses Schallenberger, returned to the abandoned wagons with the intent of watching over them until

SECTION 60

#1733085183183

4278-420: The west of the fault, is moving in a northwest direction while the North American plate to the east is moving toward the southwest, but relatively southeast under the influence of plate tectonics . The rate of slippage averages about 33 to 37 millimeters (1.3 to 1.5 in) a year across California. The southwestward motion of the North American plate towards the Pacific is creating compressional forces along

4347-423: The west, terminating at the Mendocino triple junction . The central segment of the San Andreas Fault runs in a northwestern direction from Parkfield to Hollister . While the southern section of the fault and the parts through Parkfield experience earthquakes, the rest of the central section of the fault exhibits a phenomenon called aseismic creep , where the fault slips continuously without causing earthquakes. It

4416-413: The “King of Spice”, who founded A. Schilling & Company in San Francisco in 1881. Schilling purchased the land from Julian Thorne, who purchased it from Edward Preston (attorney), who purchased it from the pioneer and lumberman, Dennis Martin. Martin Creek drains second growth coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ) forest as it descends the northeastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It traverses

4485-461: Was discovered in 2009 by members of the Kern County Genealogical Society. On May 1, 2010, the Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA) California/Nevada Chapter in cooperation with the Kern County Historical Society (KCHS) installed a historical plaque at the gravesite of Elisha Stephens. John Townsend was California's first licensed physician and was, for a short time in 1848, alcade or mayor of San Francisco ; Townsend Street in San Francisco

4554-425: Was first identified in 1895 by Professor Andrew Lawson of UC Berkeley . In the wake of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , Lawson was tasked with deciphering the origin of the earthquake. He began by surveying and mapping offsets (such as fences or roads that had been sliced in half) along surface ruptures. When the location of these offsets were plotted on a map, he noted that they made a near perfect line on top of

4623-400: Was formed by a transform boundary. The southern segment (also known as the Mojave segment) begins near Bombay Beach, California . Box Canyon, near the Salton Sea , contains upturned strata associated with that section of the fault. The fault then runs along the southern base of the San Bernardino Mountains , crosses through Cajon Pass and continues northwest along the northern base of

4692-401: Was guided by mountain men Caleb Greenwood and Isaac Hitchcock. In Wyoming , Hitchcock, who had been "trapping and trading" in California in 1832, led the party west from the Big Sandy River to the Green River on a bypass of Fort Bridger that came to be known as the Sublette-Greenwood Cutoff . This bypass covered a dangerous 40 miles (64 km) without water for livestock, but shortened

4761-429: Was the same chosen by the ill-fated Donner Party two years later. On reaching Truckey's Lake (now Donner Lake ) on November 14, 1844, the party left six of their eleven wagons because of difficulties getting them over what would become Donner Pass . Eighteen-year-old Moses Schallenberger spent the winter there alone, watching over the wagons, surviving the impassably deep snows by trapping foxes for food. The rest of

#182817