LOCAL HISTORY PROJECT

Auberry Fire Station of the U.S. Forest Service. This was located about 1/2 mile north of New Auberry and just east of Wish-I-Ah Road. The old entrance was past the Auberry Town Hall. Pictured are the cookhouse and the tent covered crew quarters. When this picture was taken the foreman was Frank Crane and he and his wife Vi occupied the foreman's house. (not pictured)

circa 1948

The tent covered crew quarters of the Auberry Fire Station near New Auberry. Check the shadow of the photographer in the front. The crew was seasonal while the foreman was a permanent employee. The station was closed as a crew manned fire truck station in the 1950's. A patrolman worked out this site until the 1980's when the station was closed forever.

circa 1948

The shower at the Auberry Fire Station near New Auberry. This was a makeshift arrangement used by the crew. The sun heated the water in the drum which then gravity flowed out the shower nozzle. Luckily the crew was mostly young and able to endure this early solar experiment.

circa 1950

New Auberry was a construction town started by Southern California Edison Company to house workers who were employed on the massive Big Creek hydroelectric project. The San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad was the initial phase of the project because it was needed to haul materials to the various building sites. The tent tops in the background right are the first structures in New Auberry, started in 1912. The R.R. had a big maintenance facility and stored supplies here. Note the stored pen stock.

circa 1915

Looking south toward Old Auberry down the S.J.&E. R.R.. Edison operated a large maintenance and storage facility at New Auberry, which was the reason for the town's existence. Regular train engines could run on the railroad's bottom section but only geared engines ran above New Auberry. A turntable was constructed at the site to help change engines. The picture shows sections of pen stock and curved fittings for the pipes carrying water to the powerhouses stored awaiting loading.

circa 1918

The railroad tracks at New Auberry are in the center of the picture, running left to right. Powerhouse Road crosses in the foreground. Part of the buildings in the center remain today, the cement powerhouse. Today's New Auberry is east of the road, behind the person taking the picture.

circa 1915

A picture of the machine shop at the New Auberry maintenance yard of the S.J.&E. RR at New Auberry. Powerhouse Road crosses in the bottom front of the picture and a RR siding is just above the road. Behind the shop left is an oil storage tank, which stored fuel for the RR and other operations. The engine barn is to the shop's right, a site for turning and servicing train engines.This yard was operated until 1932,when the RR was sold and dismantled. The town of New Auberry survived.

circa 1915

Pen stock stored at the New Auberry S.J.&E. RR maintenance yard. Note the rail car mounted crane in the background which was used to load cars. Looking southwest from the machine shop.

circa 1920

A electric transformer facility at New Auberry. Since Edison Company produced electricity the maintenance yard for the S.J.&E. RR was operated by electricity. Looking northwest, Powerhouse Road is in the foreground. Several sets of tracks are visible behind the buildings. New Auberry is behind and right of the photographer.

circa 1916

Looking north along the S.J.&E. RR at New Auberry. Pen stock is stacked along the track and the Track crosses Powerhouse Road just left of the small house in the background right. That house is located near where Pop and Mae Dorris' house still remains today, although the Dorris' are gone. Rocky Mountain is in the background left.

circa 1918