This cache is part of a series of caches dedicated to the reminiscence and admiration of Roseville’s early dwellers. It is part of a series of caches called: “CACHE OUT IN ROSEVILLE”
The early population of Roseville was described as “nothing but ranchers”. By 1869, however, local agriculturists thought that more money could be made raising grain than in raising stock and cutting fast-disappearing wood. The people of Roseville looked forward to expanding as an important shipping and trading center. Lots of little towns cropped up along the railroad, initially little more than tiny dots on the map. But Roseville’s future seemed the brightest since it was located at the junction of two railroads with plenty of open land for future expansion.
This was Theodore Judah’s viewpoint. Well known on the east coast as a construction engineer, he had been brought to California at age 28 to build California’s first two railroads – The Sacramento Valley Railroad (between the capital city and Folsom) and The California Central (between Folsom and Lincoln). Unfortunately for him, his enthusiasm in California earned him the nickname “CRAZY JUDAH”. He later became the leading force behind passage of a transcontinental railroad bill on the west coast. He laid out its route over the Sierra Nevada mountains, which later would be connected to the rest of the transcontinental railroad in 1864. Judah once gave a speech where Roseville now stands, stating, “Here will be built the principal freight terminal in California!” Numerous investors bought up entire blocks and choice lots with high hopes for Roseville’s future.
It came as a shock to everybody when Rocklin, not Roseville, was selected as the site for the major railroad facility in Placer County. Theodore Judah had died in 1863 at age 37, when he contracted yellow fever while crossing the Isthmus of Panama on his way to New York to secure additional funding for the transcontinental railroad. (Had the railroad existed at the time, it would have spared his life.) Judah’s successors, the “Big 4”, ignored Judah’s recommendation of Roseville in favor of Rocklin as the main site. The logical conclusion was that the foothills began in Rocklin, where helper engines were attached to trains for the long haul to the Sierra’s summit. Major consideration was also given to the fact that Rocklin’s extensive granite deposits could provide considerable revenue for the then financially strapped railroad. Rocklin developed as the major railroad center and a city of importance second only to Auburn in Placer County. Roseville, on the other hand, found its growth severely curtailed.
In Feb 1905, Rocklin was very excited about the news that the railroad was going to enlarge the yards and build a new roundhouse and depot. Property values zoomed and many people purchased land in anticipation of big developments. Somehow, from the beginning, the railroad officials observed that the “Granite City” of Rocklin was far from being an ideal location. In March of 1906, there was bad news for Rocklin when the railroad announced it was purchasing rights-of-way in Roseville for the expansion. In 1908 a two-year transfer of terminal facilities from Rocklin to Roseville was completed. No railroad workers lost their job, as they were all transferred to Roseville. Some even moved their homes to Roseville on top of the flatbed trains, courtesy of the railroad. And 43 years later, Roseville became the major rail center that “CRAZY JUDAH” had prophesied some 43 years earlier. A small street in Roseville, connecting Douglas Blvd to Vernon Street, pays tribute to Theodore Judah. ( information from: “The Story of Roseville, California .. Milestones & Memories 1850-2000”, by Leonard M. Davis)
DIRECTIONS:
This is a multi-stage cache. You will be stopping along Judah Street and Douglas Blvd, obtaining the numbers for the coordinates along the way to the final cache, located .22 miles from where you start.
Coordinates for the final are: 44.ABC 17.D (3 digits)
· From starting coordinates, walk south-east down Judah Street. Count the number of windows on the white building on your left. That number is A _______
· Continuing down the sidewalk, go past utility pole #0368 and then stop at utility pole #0367. Count how many yellow reflector strips are on that pole. That number is B______
· Still going the same direction, cross the street and look at a building that used to house a food & spirits establishment. The building closest to the left with the flat roof used to have a tree (one tree) growing out of the top of the roof. Inside the building, the tree trunk was in the same room as the bar. Around the base of the trunk, there were a circle of rocks and an asphalted flat area to catch any rainwater that might come in. How crazy is that???? How many trees used to be growing out of the roof of the building? That number is C_______
· Continue down the sidewalk until Judah Street ends. Take two crosswalks to get to the Roseville Chamber of Commerce on the south side of Douglas Blvd. Locate the address numbers on the front or side of the building. From that three-digit number, subtract 646 to get the final three numbers, which are D _________
Final is under the overpass, close to the cyclone fence.