Cisco, Cisco, Cisco, part 2 – Cisco, California

: 1953 USGS Aerial Photo of Cisco, CA

I’m trying to build the N scale replica of the town of Cisco, Utah circa 1970. Accordingly, it’s my routine to search “Cisco” on the web, but it goes wrong most of the times bothered by “San Francisco” or “Cisco Systems”. Sometimes, “Cisco, Texas” gets in my way. Thus, I was wondering how many “Cisco”s are there in the United States. My recent research during these Stay Home days revealed some of them. Here, let me introduce these places named Cisco as a sideshow for my Town of Cisco posts.


Cisco, Placer, California: the Central Pacific Railroad’s Cisco station was located in the middle of famed Donner Pass route between Colfax and Truckee; eight miles to Emigrant Gap to the west and fourteen miles to Summit to the east according to the 1883 Official Railway Guide.

The name of the station was changed in 1865 from Heaton(ville) to Cisco honoring John Jay Cisco(1806 – 1884), who was the treasurer of the Central Pacific Railroad resigned a year before, later New York banker, and the assistant Secretary to the Treasury under two Democrats and then under Lincoln[1, 2, 3]. The rail reached Cisco in November 1866[4].


The community was platted of five by five blocks both north and south sides of the track according to the 1870 map[1]. It is said that the original Heaton Station Post Office was established in 1856[5]. But it isn't listed in United States Official Postal Guide nor Official Register of the United States.

The Cisco Post Office was operated between 1866 and 1941[6]. James Heaton(1821 ｰ 1901) was the original postmaster, succeeded by Daniel Eisner(1825 ｰ ?) in 1868.

The community also had a hotel and general store[5]. The golden age of the community is recorded in the photo at Society of California Pioneers Collection[7]. Well known huge snow shed and the street of Cisco is captured in the 1920s photo at Placer County Museums[8].


The 1891 USGS map shows some signs of habitat on the north side of the track. Dec. 1952 issue of Trains magazine has a photo of Cisco showing the lone depot structure. The depot is still intact in the 1953 USGS Aerial Photo but is gone by 1970 according to the USGS photo. 1974 photo of Amtrak California Zephyr led by SP SD45 #8983 shows nothing but a shanty at Cisco[9].

Today, the former CP line, later Southern Pacific Railroad and present Union Pacific Railroad line remains active at Cisco. But not a habitat exists today: the name Cisco only survives as the name of the siding on UP Roseville Subdivision, and the name of the adjacent country road.

This place is said to be the setting where Kowalski faced the end in the 1971 movie Vanishing Point, which actually was shot at Cisco, Utah.

[1] Cisco - background, Oct. 2018, #122, The Donner Summit Heirloom, Donner Summit Historical Society;
[2] Mar. 24, 1884 New York Times;
[3] Gudde, Erwin, G., (2010) California Place names, University of California Press;
[4] CPRR/SP Donner Route Timeline, Placer Sierra Railroad Heritage Society;
[5] Towns and Their Histories, Placer County, California genealogy trails;
[6] Forte, Jim, Placer County, California Post Offices, Jim Forte Postal History;
[7] 1259. Upper Cisco, Placer County. Central Pacific Railroad Teams, Society of California Pioneers;
[8] Cisco, and auto tent camp, Pitsenberger’s Adventures in California History;
[9] Schmollinger, Steve, (1974) Amtrak No. 6, Railroad Picture Archives;

: Google maps of Cisco, CA

　
筆者がNスケールで復元しようとしているユタ州Ciscoについて調べようとインターネット検索すると、余計なページばかりよく引っ掛かる。一番邪魔なのは「San Francisco」、次に邪魔なのは「Cisco Systems」に関連するページである。テキサス州にある「Cisco」という町に関連するページも結構邪魔だ。一方、お目当てのユタ州Ciscoの町に関連するページなどほとんどない。一体何件の「Cisco」がアメリカにあるのか。古い時刻表を調べてみると、ユタ州Cisco以外に八カ所ものCisco駅があったらしい。どんなところだろう。


Cisco, California: 一ヵ所目のCisco駅は、最初の大陸横断鉄道となるCentral Pacificのカリフォルニア州における沿線に1865年開業した駅である。有名なDonner Passを越えるルートだ。鉄道建設工事の飯場が町に発展した。当初は郵便局長の名前を採りHeaton Stationといっていたが、1965年に前年までCPで収入役を務めていたJohn Jay Ciscoというひとの名前を採ってCiscoに替えたという。Cisco氏は後にニューヨークで銀行家となり、合衆国財務長官補佐まで務めた人物である。

Cisco郵便局は1866年から1941年まで営業していた。最盛期にはホテル、雑貨屋が一軒づつ、駅舎は少なくとも1953年まで健在であった。1920年代に撮影された写真には、長大な雪囲いに半分呑み込まれるようにして駅舎が写っている。しかし、1974年に撮影されたSP#8983(SD45)が先頭にたつカリフォルニア・ゼファー号の写真には、小さな掘立小屋しか写っていない。

Google mapsで見る限り、現在のカリフォルニア州Ciscoには何もない。Union Pacific側線の名称、付近を通る道の名称に名前を遺すのみである。