Almanac note · History and culture
Colfax tells a sharper railroad story than the quick version
Colfax grew where the Central Pacific Railroad reached the Sierra climb, with Illinoistown nearby, a restored passenger depot, and a museum on Railroad Street.
Colfax is easy to flatten into one sentence: old railroad town on the way to Donner Pass. The better story is more interesting, and it gives the town more credit.
The older settlement nearby was known as Alder Grove and later Illinoistown. By 1852, Illinoistown was a supply hub for gold-mining camps. A rough Gold Country detail comes with it: the first recorded stagecoach robbery in the gold country happened near Illinoistown in 1852, when the Reelfoot Williams Gang took gold bullion from a Nevada City stagecoach.
The railroad changed the center of gravity. Theodore Judah’s Central Pacific survey pushed into very hard railroad terrain. The first train arrived in Colfax in 1865. Colfax served as the end of the line for two years while work continued over the summit. That made the town part of the opening climb into the Sierra Nevada.
There is also a naming detail worth keeping straight. The Colfax Area Historical Society explains that Illinoistown was not simply renamed Colfax. Colfax was a new railroad town created near Illinoistown, and the older community continued separately for years. The name honored Schuyler Colfax, a strong supporter of the transcontinental railroad.
Today, the depot keeps the story visible. The Colfax Heritage Museum and Colfax Area Historical Society office sit at 99 Railroad Street in the restored Southern Pacific Passenger Depot. Begin there before walking around the historic core. The tracks are not background scenery here. They are the reason the town landed where it did.
Where to see it
Historic Colfax near Main Street and Grass Valley Street, the railroad crossing, and the Colfax Heritage Museum in the restored depot.
Official sources
Official source trail
Reviewed July 2, 2026
California Porch explains the path. The official source is still the place to confirm the current rule, fee, form, map, deadline, or office decision.
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Where it fits on the map
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