Folsom Dam and Powerhouse

Folsom Dam and Powerhouse is located in Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and the State Historic Park. Folsom, California began due to Horatio Gates Livermore. He moved from Maine with many of the other gold rush settlers in 1850. By 1854 Livermore was elected to the Senate. Livermore saw the state capitol's advancements for power including the water power plant, sawmills, and industrial plants. He wanted Folsom to be like Lowell, Massachusetts where water wheels were used to operate the various plants.

This was the beginning of Folsom Dam and the powerhouse, which was a brick building constructed to handle the 11,000 volts of electricity that ran through it. Roughly 9,000 acres were used in Rancho de Los Americanos to help build the dam. It took about $119,000 to construct the dam. Work began on the project in 1867. By 1888, Livermore had a lumber mill working through the powerhouse. There were 4 gates that the water could fall through. Over the years the powerhouse was used helping to provide power until the 1950s. At this point it was decided the dam and powerhouse had to be preserved for historical purposes, thus it is possible to tour the place with reservations.