El Portal HRS 2011
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El Portal Administrative Site Historic Resource Survey with Assessments and Recommendations Yosemite National Park Resources Management and Science History, Architecture and Landscapes June 15, 2011 Contents List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 5 DESCRIPTION OF SITE ........................................................................................................................ 7 SITE HISTORY .................................................................................................................................... 11 American Indian Occupation ............................................................................................................. 11 European American Occupation ........................................................................................................ 11 Early European American Occupation ........................................................................................... 11 Railroad ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Tourism ......................................................................................................................................... 17 Timber ........................................................................................................................................... 20 Mining ........................................................................................................................................... 22 National Park Service and Residential ............................................................................................ 25 Land Acquisition by the National Park Service .............................................................................. 30 CHRONOLOGY ................................................................................................................................... 35 EXISTING CONDITIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................... 41 European American Occupation ........................................................................................................ 41 James Hennessey’s Ranch .............................................................................................................. 41 Railroad............................................................................................................................................. 42 Bagby Stationhouse, Water Tanks and Turntable ........................................................................... 42 Hetch Hetchy Railroad Engine No.6 .............................................................................................. 44 Yosemite Valley Railroad Caboose No. 15 ..................................................................................... 44 Yosemite Valley Railroad Employee Residences ........................................................................... 45 Standard Oil Structures .................................................................................................................. 45 Railroad Remnants......................................................................................................................... 47 Tourism ............................................................................................................................................. 48 Proposed El Portal Hotel and Motor Lodge Historic District .......................................................... 48 Del Portal Hotel ............................................................................................................................. 50 Foresta Road .................................................................................................................................. 50 Mining .............................................................................................................................................. 51 Proposed National Lead Company Historic District ....................................................................... 51 El Portal Mines and Ruins .............................................................................................................. 54 Rancheria Flat................................................................................................................................ 54 Other Areas ....................................................................................................................................... 59 Warehouse/Administrative Building .............................................................................................. 59 Yosemite Wastewater Treatment Facility ....................................................................................... 60 Sand and Gravel Quarry ................................................................................................................. 60 List of Figures Figure 1- View north across the Merced River towards the Murchison House and Barium Mine. ............................... 4 Figure 2- Map and prominent place names of the El Portal Administrative Site. ......................................................... 6 Figure 3 - Detailed map of the eastern portion of the El Portal Administrative Site (NPS 2011) ................................. 9 Figure 4 - Detailed map of the western portion of the El Portal Administrative Site (NPS 2011) .............................. 10 Figure 5 – Rustic railroad station elevation drawing (Burgess 2007) .......................................................................... 13 Figure 6 - El Portal train station with shed in background, circa 1924 (Burgess 2007) .............................................. 13 Figure 7 - Mining Claim map of El Portal, 1914 (NPS eTIC) ..................................................................................... 14 Figure 8 - Diagram plans of El Portal railroad yards (Burgess 2007).......................................................................... 16 Figure 9 - Foresta Road was part of the "Triangle Road" for auto-touring (HABS 1991, CA-117)............................ 19 Figure 10 - El Portal Incline, views from across the river towards the south (Burgess 2007) ..................................... 21 Figure 11 - Aerial photograph of north Barium Mine and mill site at center and the south side mine below. Rancheria Flat site to the west (left) of the north side mine and mill (NPS 1958) ...................................................... 22 Figure 12 - Remains of old tungsten mill (NPS 2011) ................................................................................................ 24 Figure 13- View of Murchison House complex 2011 (NPS 2011) .............................................................................. 24 Figure 14 - Site of former recreational housing on Sierra National Forest site (NPS, 2011) ...................................... 26 Figure 15 - Upper El Portal homes on former Stanislaus National Forest land (NPS 2011) ....................................... 26 Figure 16 - View of complete Mission 66 homes in Rancheria Flat (NPS 1961) ........................................................ 28 Figure 17 - Original plan for the Transportation Museum (NPS 1966) ....................................................................... 29 Figure 18 - View of cafe/restaurant and the temporary location of the Shay Locomotive (NPS 1963) ...................... 30 Figure 19 – Detail of Yosemite National Park land status map, 1986 (NPS 1986) ..................................................... 31 Figure 20 – Abbieville and Hennessey Ranch site with fruit tree locations in red (NPS 2011) .................................. 41 Figure 21 – Bagby Train Station, now Yosemite Conservancy offices (NPS 2011) ................................................... 42 Figure 22 - El Portal showing eligible sites for the National Register in pink, and existing sites in red (NPS 2011) . 43 Figure 23 - View of Hetch Hetchy Railroad Engine No. 6 (Shay Engine) in foreground, with Caboose behind it and Bagby Water Tanks to the left (NPS 2011) ................................................................................................................. 43 Figure 24 - Yosemite Valley Railroad Employee house, middle (NPS 2011) ............................................................. 44 Figure 25 - Yosemite Valley Railroad Employee house, east (NPS 2011) .................................................................. 44 Figure 26 - Standard Oil offices, now Vegetation and Ecological Restoration offices (NPS 2011) ............................ 45 Figure 27 - Existing bulk oil storage tanks likely built 1945, south of Foresta Road, the former railroad grade (NPS 2011) ............................................................................................................................................................................ 46 Figure 28 - Former El Portal Hotel, now Yosemite Institute offices and dormitory (NPS 2011) ................................ 48 Figure 29 - Former motor inn guest rooms, now NPS seasonal housing (NPS 2011) ................................................. 49 Figure 30 - Former coffeehouse, now the El Portal Market