California Landmark Foundation

The California Landmark Foundation is raising money to replace the California Historical Landmark plaque for Prairie City in Sacramento County.

Prairie City sprung up for the reason most towns in the early 1850’s did, Gold. Once gold was found in the nearby rivers, the town boomed. The community once sat on the American River near present-day Folsom, California in Sacramento County.

A July 1853 article, in the Sacramento Daily Union, mentioned the city had about 1500 inhabitants at that time. But by 1960, the gold vanished and so did the residents. Prairie City is believed to have been located where the current subdivision of Prairie Oaks now stands.

In 1997, when the Prairie City Road off-ramp was being built, 12 bodies were unearthed; they were believed to be Prairie City residents. Their remains were relocated to the Mormon Island relocation cemetery, located south of Folsom Lake.

There is a lot of history at Mormon Island Cemetery. When the Folsom Dam was built in 1955, Mormon Island Cemetery was created as a replacement for several cemeteries that were submerged under Folsom Lake. The cemetery was built in 1954 by the Army Corps of Engineers and is one of the largest cemeteries in El Dorado County at approximately 5 acres. About half of the area is undeveloped and is being saved by the county for future relocations.

It’s quite possible that other Prairie City artifacts have yet to be discovered. Much of the land to the south of highway 50 is undeveloped. On November 5, 1950, a bronze plaque was dedicated on the side of Prairie City Road commemorating Prairie City as California Historical Landmark #464. Sometime in 2022, the plaque was stolen. Let’s replace the plaque at this historic site!

Since there has been previous vandalism at this site, we will be replacing the plaque with an Aluminum plaque and using strong bonding agents that were not available decades ago to deter vandals. The value of the Aluminum plaque is worthless, and in the locations where we have placed one, none have been stolen or vandalized.

This #GivingTueday let’s bring dignity and respect back to California Historical Landmark #464 – The Site of Prairie City. Your donations will go directly toward replacing this missing plaque, The California Landmark Foundation is run entirely by volunteers.

Whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps. Thank you for your support. I've included information about California Landmark Foundation below.

The California Landmark Foundation is a community-based, 501(c)(3) organization focused on maintaining and preserving California historical landmarks for future generations. With the help of our tireless volunteers, we organize fundraisers, maintain and replace California Historical Landmark markers and plaques, and educate the public about the importance of the history that built the great state of California.

#givingtuesday2024 #savethelandmarks #californiahistory

Location: East side of Prairie City Road 500' North of Highway 50, Folsom, CA. We are a community-based, 501(c)(3) organization focused on maintaining and preserving California historical landmarks for future generations.