Carbondale, Orange County, California

33°44′41″N 117°39′22″W / 33.744666666°N 117.65609722°W / 33.744666666; -117.65609722Built1878ArchitectSouthern PacificDesignatedJune 20, 1935Reference no.228

Carbondale, in Orange County, California, is a historical coal mining town in Santiago Canyon, where Santiago Creek had its confluence with Silverado Creek in Silverado, California. It had a post office from May 11, 1881, to January 29, 1884, when it was closed and mail sent to the Santa Ana post office.^[1][2]

Coal was discovered near Santiago Creek in 1878. A coal mine was established there, called the Santa Clara. In 1881, the Southern Pacific took over the Santa Clara Coal Mine, and a mining camp, Carbondale, with a post office was established on the flat near the creek. Besides the post office, it had a hotel, saloons, a store, and shacks for the miners. Carbondale became the post office for Silverado after its post office was closed on January 22, 1883.^[1] When the coal was depleted, the coal mine was closed down in 1884. Carbondale's post office closed, and its buildings and equipment were removed, leaving few other remains.

See also

• California Historical Landmarks in Orange County, California

Marker

The site is marked as California State Historical Landmark No. 228 by a plaque located at the Silverado Community Church entrance on Silverado Canyon Rd., 1.1 mi W of the Silverado post office. It is also marked as Orange County Historical Site No. 1 by a plaque located at 8002 Silverado Canyon Rd., Silverado.^[3][4]

The marker at the site reads:

• In 1881, after the Southern Pacific took over the Santa Clara Coal Mine northeast of here, a bustling mining camp complete with hotel, saloons, shacks, store, and post office sprang up on these flats. Three years later the mine played out and Carbondale disappeared without a trace. Erected 1976 by Orange County Board of Supervisors and Orange County Historical Commission. (Marker Number 01, CA 228.)^[5]

References