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| Landmark #336 | Plumas County | Visited: July 10, 2016 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A plaque on the side of the road in California’s high desert! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Beckwourth Pass, at an elevation of 5,221 feet, the lowest pass in the Sierra Nevada, was discovered in 1851 by James P. Beckwourth. The monument is dedicated to the discoverer and to the pioneers who passed along this trail.
OTHER TIDBITS: You might never have heard of James Pierson Beckwourth, who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jim Bridger and Jedediah Smith and took part in the first mountain man rendezvous. He was the only African-American man in the west to publish an autobiography of that time period, and for that reason, most folks never got the chance to hear about him. Known for exaggeration and distortion of truth, much of what Mr. Beckwourth says in his book has been confirmed by other sources. He did spend 8 years in the Crow tribe and became a war chief for them, yet was kicked out of the American Fur Company when someone spread a rumor that he’d introduced smallpox to the plains tribes. Mr. Beckwourth ran mules during the Seminole War in Florida, set up a trading post at Pueblo Colorado, and arrived in California to witness the Battle of Cahuenga and the start of the Gold Rush! He’s provided some of the most detailed accounts of these historic events, all outlandish yet corroborated by other sources! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: Roadside rest area, Beckwourth’s Pass State Hwy 70 (P.M. 95.8) 1.5 mi E of Chilcoot, CA 96109 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~498mi (802km) — 8.3hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |