Elim Grove

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Elim Grove Research

Elim Grove is the site of a hotel and campgrounds and cottages. It is a mile from the end of the line at Cazadero. Elim is mile spelled backwards. Elim Grove's greatest claim to NPC fame is that is is the site of the Austin Creek Tragedy. Elim Grove is located on old Cazadero Highway south of Cazadero.

Terrain

Between Cazadero and Elim Grove, the terrain changes from a relatively open valley surrounded by wooded hills, to a rather densely forested area. The forest is primarily redwoods. The first photo is typical of view of track running through redwoods and is taken at the NPC 85 mile marker. The second photo is looking north on Old Cazadero Highway toward the Austin Creek bridge from just south of the bakery. The third photo looks south on Old Cazadero Highway toward the Performing Arts camp. Austin Creek runs behind the camp. Austin Creek can be fast flowing and swollen in rainy season as it was at the time of the disaster. In dry season it is a slowly moving stream that occupies only a portion of the river bed as it was when I visited Elim Grove.

Rail Yards

There is no NPC Yard in Elim Grove. A single track main line runs through the area. To pick up or discharge passengers, the train stopped on the main line.

Click any photo on this page to load a larger image.

Structures

There were only a few notable structures in Elim Grove.

1. Austin Creek Trestle

The first photo looks north from the Old Cazadero highway bridge that crosses Austin Creek at the site of the Austin Creek disaster. The second photo looks south from the same bridge.

2. Elim Grove Hotel

The original hotel was sited on the West side of the tracks. After being consumed by fire, it was rebuilt on the East site at the present site of the Elim Bakery. The left photo and the photo at the top of the page are historic and from the RRHS. The two photos to the right are of the Elim Grove Bakery on the same site of the second hotel.

3. Donkey Steam Engine

This is a photo of a donkey steam engine operating in the general vicinity of Cazadero and Elim Grove.

Resources

	Jane Barry, Monte Rio, “Images of the Past” 707-865-1234. I saw a number of her photos including saw mill, Austin Creek trestle, Elim Grove Hotel, Turntable, engine photo.
	RRHS - Russian River Historical Society
	Farin - My Photos
	NGTTRR - Narrow Gauge to the Redwoods

Modeling Interest and Challenges

This is a must model community.

Site of the Austin Creek Disaster
The NPC served vacationers and picnickers. The Elim Grove location was one of those sites and the northern most site of its kind on the line.
While there are a limited number of structures to model, this location is little more than an extension of Cazadero and should be approached as part of the modeling of Cazadero.

Challenges include Austin Creek, and specifically the trestle crossing the bridge, duplicating structures.