Sly Valley is as alluring as it is historical know for its meadows of wild flowers deep in the heart of the high sierras. Long before the lake came to be also known as Jenkinson Lake a spring fed meadow resided here. Long before the white man came to this region the Maidu and Miwok tribes would migrate here to gather food. They would hunt and gather supplies during the Summer and Fall prior to the cold winter ahead. The women would ground acorns produced from the black oak trees using grinding rocks. Such grinding rocks can be found throughout the region some found where the lake exist while others in the lush forest. Today you can tour an actual Miwok Village along one of the valleys streams.

The Valley itself resides at about 3,560' on the western end of the Sierra Nevada at the edge of where the foothills began.  The Mormons were the first early pioneers who explored and settle this region. The Mormon Battalion in 1848 were traveling eastward to Salt Lake City Utah.  Prior to winter they had no choice but to remain in the foothills till Spring time so many of them stayed in Coloma where gold was discovered in California. During the Mormons free time they would mine for gold, work at the saw and flour mills. 

When Spring rolled around the Mormons gathered at a spot in the El Dorado Forest where wagons and supplies were brought in. They called this location Pleasant Valley. During this time three men decided to scout ahead for a pass to the east. The same pass that was explored by Kit Carson and John Fremont during their expedition in 1844. It is truly amazing how early explorers battled the snow and sierras on foot. Whenever I plan an expedition we always try to take some of the same routes early explorers took just as the trails that meander throughout Sly Valley. 

During the summer of 1848 a group of 45 men, 1 woman, 150 horses, 150 cattle and 17 wagons began to movie up the divide between the American and Cosumnes rivers. They encountered a lush green valley flourishing with life which the Mormons called Sly Park. These same men built corrals to house their livestock in. The name honors James Sly who discovered this valley and even today for 150 plus years the name still remains the same.  While most of the Mormons stayed behind to watch over their horses and cattle. Such ranches would be vital for providing other nearby towns such as Placervile aka Hangtown with beef, livestock and food for the miners nearby. 

During this time three men were sent ahead to scout for a safer path over the sierras no word was received.  This led to another much larger scouting party being sent to look for the missing men. During this time the men were not found however they did discover a pass which would prove to be a safe route. The pass however would need to be cleared of brush and rock so that the wagons could continue en route to Salt Lake City.  When the pioneers left Sly Valley they were traveling about 8 miles aday. Some of the men were sent ahead to cut down trees when they came across a gravesite at a place they called Tragedy Springs. 

James Calvin Sly would eventually return to Sly Valley that very same year as a guide for wagon trains. The valley was a resting place prior to reaching Sacramento. According to Sly's journal during his spare time he would prospect for gold in this rich valley. Although Sly was not a permanent resident other early pioneers made their lives in this valley such as Hiram O. Bryant and William Stonebreaker in 1853 who each claimed 160 acres of adjoining lady east of the main damn today. They would build ranches and outhouses where eventually the locals referred to it as Sly Park Ranch. The land was very lush which would be used for cattle grazing and agriculture. 

During the 1850's most of the land in this valley was for sale in parcels while in 1857 the Sly Park Ranch was for sale. A man by the name of Luther C. Cutler along with two of his partners purchased this land expanding their property within the meadow. They then built a sawmill on the creek along with a ditch and a flume to provide water to run the mill. One half of the interest in 1863 was sold to a Louis Lepettit for the sawmill. In 1875 Luther Cutler purchased the Hazel Valley Ranch from a Sam Kyburz south of the Sly Park Creek. 

This stimulated growth in the valley as the meadow became a rest stop for cattle ranchers who would drive them to the upper sierras. Nearly over 20,000 cattle and 10,000 sheep's were driven through the meadow per year. Meanwhile Cutler expanded his business venues in the region by established a 15 room hotel, dormitory to accommodate 20 men, dining room and saloon. Later a small post office would be adjoined with the hotel which remained in operation from 1891 till about 1919. The hotel also had two large dance platforms for dances which were held on Saturday nights. You had Robert Carmichael who played the banjo and harmonica while George Holcom played the violin. Carmichael California was named after Robert further down the road to honor him. 

Cutler had adopted a son named Henry Alfred Stark who eventually owned some property and mining claims in the valley. His uncle also built Stark Road. Henry was born in Mud Springs now known as Diamond Springs just miles west from Sly Valley. Sadly in 1882 Luther C. Cutler passed away leaving his estate to his two brothers and sister along with his adopted son Henry A. Stark.  In his will it stated that the ranch could be used by Henry to reside there and make use of it but would not be allowed to sell it. If Henry were to marry the land would be passed onto the children and if he did not have any then the property would go to his siblings. The land would be divided equally and the family would make use of the land in this flourishing valley.

In 1882 the same year Cutler passed away Henry Alfred Stark married a Mary M. Carmichael where they had three kids by the name of Park Cutler, Henry Elmer and Hazel Alma Stark. They would operate the ranch, dairy, hotel and later a store most of their lives. In 1898 when Henry passed away leaving the Sly Park Ranch to Mary and the three children. Park was about 12 years of age when his father passed away.  The property remained in use till it was sold by E.I.D. in 1927. 

Another very well pioneer in the region was a man by the name of Henry Schneider who came to the Pleasant Valley area where he had a butcher shop and wagon. He would visit the saw mills in Sly Park and fish for trout then sell them locally. According to the local records he also rented the Sly Park Ranch as a stopover for his 1000 plus cattle. They would take some of the cattle to Silver Lake then return to take more up in this region. The ranch had a milk house, barn, root cellar and two story ranch house. The spring was located behind the house which provided fresh water for the cattle and those who resided in the home. 

Where the lake now narrows a school was built in 1889 which would be sold in 1927 where it merged with Pollock Pines School District. Pollock Pines is a much larger town that resides just outside of Sly Valley it kind of sits nestled between Jenkinson Lake and Apple Valley known for its orchards. Perhaps this is why Bigfoot sightings have been abundant in the last century as their is enough food to sustain such a creature. Their is plenty of wild berries, wildlife and vineyards to feed any predator that might lurk in the woods in this region. 

In addition to all the pioneers and ranchers I have written about the Blairs also had a mill within Sly Park from 1890 till about 1808. It was located just east of where the dam today is located. It was one of the largest mills located in Sly Valley and employed quite a few men to operate it.  The Carbines lumbermen in the region were caretakers of the Sly Park Ranch. In the 1940's he would haul logs from the American River Canyon to be processed at the Trotoshaw Mill. John Edward Carbine would use 12 bull oxen's to transport logs to the Blair Mill. The Carbines had three generations of lumberers in the region which also was very important. As lumber became a main source of building material many ranches, homes and businesses came to be. Many of the trees in the valley were milled in Sly Valley then exported for use. 

As the this region expanded water became more scarce and in 1927 it was proposed that a damn be built on the creek that led into Hazel Valley. Due to the great depression the plans were forgotten as finances were just not available until 1944 when a Walter E. Jenkinson the Secretary Manger of this district requested from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to perform a study of the regions water problems. The study revealed that Sly Park would be the best location to build a dam and reservoir here. The major problem was the cost to build such a project would the biggest obstacle.  At the time most of the funding would be used to construct the Folsom Dam in 1949 along with the power plant. Congressman Engle felt that anything upstream as well as downstream would benefit from this project. Included in the budget would also be a proposal to build the Nimbus and Sly Park dams as part of the Central Valley Project. 

Finally in 1951 the Bureau of Reclamation began to clear the area of trees and properties to build the Sly Park Dam. The water was stored in 1954 resulting in 41,000 acre feet of lake which was named after Walter Jenkinson. The projected consisted of three damns one of them being 190' high and 760' long.  The chimney which protrudes out of the water on the eastern edge of the lake are remnants of a house built by Mr. Bishop in 1911. Harvey P. Goodman and Allen Bishop owned about 320 acres of land in Hazel Valley including many other buildings.  Much like his home which was consumed by the lake in the 1950's so were the meadows and any other foundations of the ranches found here. 

When the lake was being built 15 cabins were deconstructed from the Placerville Lumber Company to brothers John and Frank Krek. The cabins were transported by logging trucks to Lake Tahoe to be sold for the use in some of the homes and mills in that area. John had two sons by the name of Richard and John whose maternal grandfather Lester Kline was the first guard at the gate when Sly Park opened their campground. Today the village, pioneer history, planetarium and hiking trails all play a very vital role in educating young students.

Between the thousands of acres that serve as orchards and a lush forest full of thick foliage it also is no wonder why so many Bigfoot reports come out of this region. Every year strange tracks, bellowing screams and sightings in this region. This is a good enough reason for our society to investigate such claims in the Sly Valley region. It would not surprise me that this is Bigfoot country the valley is formed with very steep blankets of forest surrounded by the vast high sierras. Anything could sustain its life for many years undetected and could maintain a well nourished diet. We are glad that we can share with our viewers this beautiful location like many areas within the sierras this is a world within a world. Today the community which was once a booming settlement with many mills and businesses still remains unincorporated consumed by the lake which was a meadow where livestock once grazed in what is truly known as pioneer country. 

Copyright By
Lord Rick
Founder
Author, Talk Show Host, Paranormal Investigator and Producer