38°37′52″N 119°43′24″W / 38.63111°N 119.72333°W
Centerville | |
---|---|
Former settlement | |
Centerville Location in California Centerville Centerville (the United States) | |
Coordinates: 38°37′52″N 119°43′24″W / 38.63111°N 119.72333°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Alpine County |
Elevation | 5,951 ft (1,814 m) |
Centerville is a former settlement in Alpine County, California, United States.
Located along a stage coach route between Silver King Valley and the East Fork of the Carson River, Centerville was a commercial hub during the 1850s and 1860s.[2][3][4][5] Described as a "small village" with stores, a tavern, and a hotel called the Centerville House, Centerville supplied local mines with lumber for flumes, bridges, tunnels, fencing, buildings and heating.[2][5][6] Richardson's sawmill was located at Centerville during the 1860s.[2][3]
In 1864, in an election to determine the Alpine County seat, Markleeville received the most votes, beating out Centerville and two other competing towns.[7] Fire destroyed the home of the town's butcher—located at the corner of Montgomery and Jackson streets—in 1872, and "the rest of the town soon faded away".[2] Little remains of the original settlement.[4] A plaque documenting the history of Centerville was installed in 2013 by E Clampus Vitus, a fraternal organization.[2] The site is now occupied by the Centerville Flat campground.[8]