Jun 13, 2019

By Bill Pumford, Image from Nanci Hewitt Atchley Collection
TITLE: CEDAR SPRINGS PART II: This week’s image is a 1962 photo of Copeland George’s store in Cedar Springs. During the 1940’s and 1950’s the Cedar Springs area became a popular resort and vacation destination. Many people had part-time cabins and during summer the population sometimes expanded to 150 people. A campground was established at Miller Canyon. During the early 1950’s rumors started circulating about a water project called Feather River designed to bring water from Northern California to water-starved Southern California. Part of the project was to create a reservoir to hold the water. This project would eventually drown the community of Cedar Springs. Most of the local residents doubted whether this would ever happen; but by the early 1960’s it became clear that this project was going to be completed. In 1960 surveys of the Cedar Springs area began and in 1961 meetings took place with residents to let them know what the Feather River project entailed, timeframes, and how property owners would be offered good prices for their properties. During the next several years residents sold their properties, relocated – some within the area – and construction crews started the task of demolishing the homes and cabins. The original name of the future lake was to be Cedar Springs Lake but a bill in the California Legislature proposed that the lake be named Silverwood Lake in honor of Ted Silverwood who was a prominent promotor of the Feather River Project. Silverwood won out for the name of the lake although Cedar Springs was retained for the name of the dam. Carl Hewitt, the original homesteader, petitioned the government to leave his home untouched since it was not going to be in the lake. He lost his bid and his home was demolished with all the others. In 1972 the filling of Silverwood Lake was completed and a new life for the area began as a source of water and recreation.