The Society That Brings History to Life
The Portola Area Historical Society is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to collect, preserve, and share the history of Portola California. The PAHS maintains a large archive on the history of Portola, Plumas County, and the surrounding area. Through its archives, which includes photographic images, maps, newspapers, journals, periodicals, architectural drawings, and research files, the Society maintains an active museum and visitor center and documents the people and events that have shaped Portola CA.
Board Members
Leslie Chrysler, President
Laurine Prinvale, Vice-President
Rick Bass, Treasurer
Ida Larrieu, Secretary
Laurine Prinvale, Director
Kate Rowden, Director
Terry Swofford, Director
Portola is the only incorporated city in Plumas County, California. The population was 2,104 at the 2010 census, down from 2,227 at the 2000 census. Portola is located on the Middle Fork of the Feather River and was named after Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá, although he did not explore this area.
Portola is a crew change site on the Western Pacific Railroad (now Union Pacific Railroad) Feather River Route over the Sierra Nevada.
The city (pop. 2104) is also home to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum (formerly Portola Railroad Museum), one of the largest railroad museums in the Western United States. The museum is famous for its Run A Locomotive program, where the public can participate in a “fantasy experience” program allowing them to run a railroad locomotive on the museum grounds.
Portola was in the national media spotlight in 1996–1997 when a conflict occurred between the local community and the Department of Fish and Game over how to deal with an invasive species of northern pike in Lake Davis. The lake was chemically treated in 1997 to eradicate the fish, but they reappeared in 1999. In early September 2007, the California Department of Fish and Game eradicated the pike using CFT Legumine, a new liquid formulation of rotenone.
GEOGRAPHY
Portola is located at 39°48′37″N 120°28′11″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.4 square miles, all of it land.
Portola lies on the Middle Fork of the Feather River in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Feather River originate just east of Portola in Sierra Valley, near Beckwourth.
Lake Davis is located approximately 6 miles north of Portola, and is a popular fishing and camping location. About 15 miles to the west and southwest of Portola, Plumas-Eureka State Park and Lakes Basin Recreation Area feature granite peaks, glacial lakes, streams, and temperate coniferous forests, which make them popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts.
Being on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, Portola has a continental Mediterranean climate with dry summers characterized by extreme diurnal temperature swings, and cold (though not severe) and snowy winters.
The city of Portola is named after Gaspar de Portolá, first Governor of the Californias and leader of the Portolá expedition.
THE AREA'S BEAUTY
Aside from its railroad history, Portola is rich in natural beauty. The volcanic spires of Beckwourth Peak tower over the town to the south, while less than 10 miles to the north, Lake Davis boasts world class fishing, along with hundreds of miles of scenic dirt roads connecting to even more remote lakes and streams.