Yank’s Station- Overland Pony Express Route in California (No. 708 California Historical Landmark)

Community | Historic Site or District

Yank’s Station- Overland Pony Express Route in California (No. 708 California Historical Landmark)

This was the site of the most eastern remount station of the Central Overland Pony Express trail in California. Formerly known as "Yank's Station," this town is now present-day Meyers, named for George D. H. Meyers.

Established as a trading post on the Placerville-Carson Road in 1851 by Martin Smith, it became a popular hostel and stage stop operated by Ephraim “Yank” Clement.

On April 28, 1860, Pony Express rider Warren Upson arrived here, changed horses, and rode on to Friday’s in Nevada to deliver his mochila to Bob Haslam for the ride to Genoa, Nevada. Yank’s Station was used as a remount station until Octover 26, 1861 when the Express was disbanded. The station was sold to George D. H. Meyers in 1873, and the name of the town was changed to Meyers. The Pony Express Overland Trail went through El Dorado County from the state line and on to Sacramento. The remount stations are commemorated in El Dorado County with memorial plaques.

The marker for Yank’s Station is located at Yank’s Station Shopping Center, at the southwest corner of Highway 50 and Apache Avenue in Meyers, 6.7 miles south of South Lake Tahoe.

El Dorado County

Stretching from oak-studded foothills and the shores of Folsom Lake to the western shore of Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County is probably best known for the 1848 gold discovery at Coloma. “Old Hangtown” sprang up during the Gold Rush and was later renamed Placerville. The county name comes from the mythical land rich in gold sought by Spanish explorers. The first inhabitants of El Dorado County were the Maidu and Miwok Indians, followed by miners attracted to the area by the Gold Rush.

El Dorado County was one of the original counties in California. The Pony Express Trail ran through the county approximately where Highway 50 is today, from April 3, 1860 to October 26, 1861. The first county seat was Coloma, and it was superseded by Placerville for this position in 1857. El Dorado means “the gilded one” in Spanish; a fitting name considering the mines in El Dorado County produced millions of dollars of gold.

Location

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Latitude: 38.855746 Longitude: -120.012711 Elevation: 6345 ft

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About this Establishment

California Historical Landmarks Program

Historical Landmarks are sites, buildings, features, or events that are of statewide significance and have anthropological, cultural, military, political, architectural, economic, scientific or technical, religious, experimental, or other value. Historical Landmarks are eligible for registration if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

1) Is the first, last, only, or most significant of its type in the state or within a large geographic region

2) Is associated with an individual or group having a profound influence on the history of California

3) Is a prototype of, or an outstanding example of, a period, style, architectural movement or construction or is one of the more notable works or the best surviving work in a region of a pioneer architect, designer or master builder

California’s Landmark Program began in the late 1800s with the formation of the Landmarks Club and the California Historical Landmarks League. In 1931, the program became official when legislation charged the Department of Natural Resources—and later the California State Chamber of Commerce—with registering and marking buildings of historical interest or landmarks.

In 1948, Governor Earl Warren created the California Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee to increase the integrity and credibility of the program. Finally, this committee was changed to the California Historical Resources Commission in 1974. Information about registered landmarks numbered 770 onward is kept in the California Register of Historical Resources authoritative guide. Landmarks numbered 669 and below were registered prior to establishing specific standards, and may be added to the California Register when criteria for evaluating the properties are adopted.

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