Railtown 1897 was the location of the Sierra Railroad’s general offices and maintenance shops from 1897 to 1955, and steam passenger excursion trains operated there from 1971 to 1979. The railroad served many Mother Lode mines and functioned as a trunk line for the Sugar Pine (Pickering), Westside, and Hetch-Hetchy Railroads. It played a vital role in hauling materials and supplies used to build the Don Pedro, Melones, O’Shaughnessy, and Tri-Dam Projects. On August 7, 1981, the State Historic Resources Commission unanimously voted Railtown 1897 and the 56-mile Sierra Railroad eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In April 1981, Assembly Concurrent Resolution 56 directed that Railtown 1897 be acquired as a unit of the State Park System, with the appropriation approved by Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr. Stanley F. Cassasa, the first President of Friends of the Sierra Railroad, and legislative lobbyist Marie (Sandy) Green are honored for their dedication to preserving Railtown 1897 and the railroading era it represents.