Trish, these sound very similar to powder magazines I recorded here in
Wyoming associated with CCC/WPA activities during the 1930's, although
without the metal linings. There was lots of rock work done by these
crews in this area, including picnic shelter, museum building and road
construction. Some of these are in what appear to be out of the way
places, but always close to where some type of rock activity was done.

Danny Walker
Wyoming Assistant State Archaeologist


Trish wrote:

> I'm doing some research on two structures: a powder magazine and a
> blasting cap magazine in northwest California . These are not your
> typical military style magazines. They are small, built into the
> existing hillside, and retained with stacked rock. The actual
> magazines are preconstructed metal: the cap magazine is of corrugated
> metal pipe; the powder magazine is rectangular and is constructed of
> welded and riveted metal components. They appear to have been built to
> follow the regulations for the placement of such structures relative
> to one another.
>
> Mining was not an industry in the area, but logging was. The
> Northwestern Pacific Railroad was built in the area in 1901 but was
> built mostly on level ground. The highway was constructed through the
> area circa 1918 and hills were blasted in some areas to reduce the
> curvature of the highway. I'm conducting research into the use of
> blasting in both the logging and road construction industries. My
> suspicion is that the structures are associated with highway
> construction rather than logging because the logging that occurred in
> the immediate vicinity was not large scale and might not have
> warranted the construction of permanent (albeit humble) magazines. My
> question is: has anyone encountered structures such as these and, if
> so, were they associated with either of these industries?
>
> Trish Fernandez
>
> Pacific Legacy
>
> Sierra/Central Division
>
> 3081 Alhambra Drive, Suite 208
>
> Cameron Park, CA 95682
>
> 530.677.9713, ext. 24
>