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Mormon Island, California

Mormon Island, California

Mormon Island was named after members of the Mexican-American War's Mormon Battalion, who found gold while hunting in the area in 1848. By 1853 the town had over 2500 residents, but it burned down just three years later and wasn't rebuilt. A handful of families continued living in Mormon Island until the 1950s, when Folsom Lake submerged the town.

About this community

Dam
Folsom Dam
River
American River
Established
1848
Inundated
1951

The community that was displaced

Displacement cost
$22,083,421
Property value
$354,055
Vocations
farmer, fisherman, rancher
Birthplaces
local