History In Our Backyard
The Stoneridge Neighborhood, Roseville CA
By Christina Richter
August 2021
History In Our Backyard
“The land may change, but the history never will.”
The Stoneridge Community in Roseville spans much of the distance between East Roseville Parkway and Sierra College Boulevard. Today, beautiful homes can be seen along the hillsides, many with views of the canyon and seasonal waterways. It is barely reminiscent of what it used to be.
Land deeds and maps tell us that Charlotte Pitcher, Roseville’s first postmistress, at one time owned this acreage, and that it was also a part of the expansive Johnson Ranch. Back in those days this area was a full three miles outside of city boundaries. From about 1907 forward, local citizens especially appreciated this acreage as it housed the well-known railroad water reservoir.
The reservoir was built to accommodate the large amounts of water necessary to power massive steam locomotives. Roseville was a water station, a place where trains stopped to replenish their water, along with wood for fuel. The Roseville railroad reservoir was built at an elevation that accommodated a wooden flume, or ditch, that carried water down the hillside to the railyards.
For decades it was also a kids paradise. Although it was quite the hike, this ranchland with a body of water, provided a place where families and adventurous children could safely visit for an outing.
It was a place where they enjoyed camping, bull frogging, swimming, hiking and fishing. Scout troops planned outings with specific badge-earning tasks in mind. During these times teenage boys wanting some target practice, might throw a shot gun over the handlebars on their bikes, take off for the day, with the only instruction to be home by dinner.
Before the ranches it was a gentle, rolling hillside where Maidu Indians lived. No doubt children of that time also ran and played along the creeks and hid out in the hills. As evidence of these early inhabitants, a grinding rock preservation area is maintained by the city, just off Miners Ravine Trail at the foot of the neighborhood.
Gold miners made their way through these hills as well. Evidence of their presence is seen in the mounds of tailings along the hiking trails and beside the seasonal streams. Not enough gold was ever found to be significant, but records show that once a “Page Placer Mine” was lawfully claimed in acreage nearby.
The history of the land where we live is barely evident in today’s world. The railroad reservoir was filled in decades ago for safety reasons. Many of the grinding rocks are covered over with development, and evidence of the gold miners’ efforts mostly go unnoticed.
The history of the Stoneridge neighborhood is steeped in a great many of the aspects that make up our local history. One of this writer’s favorite sayings is “the land may change, but the history never will.” Knowing the yesteryear of this relatively new neighborhood enables us to appreciate this place where we live even more.