Late 19th century and early 20th century historical monuments, representative of California’s early development , once hid under a dense Placer County forest.

The monuments, a 60-foot lime kiln and quarry , could not be accessed by the public for about a century. But both emerged when the River Complex fire burned through thick blackberry brambles, vines and trees near Colfax. A quarry, famed for its black limestone, was also discovered a few feet away from the kiln on private property after flames on Aug. 4, 2021 burned through 2,619 acres.

“The site was almost lost to time,” said Joe Plumley, an assistant planner with Placer County.

On Tuesday, the Placer County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted an ordinance appointing the Colfax Lime Kiln and the Pritchard Quarry to the

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