A bit of Groveland history:
Groveland Founded in 1849*
The settlement which became Groveland was founded in 1849, when a Frenchman named Raboul built the first permanent structure, an adobe trading post. Around the post a camp sprang up.
In the same year two men were convicted of stealing $200 in gold dust and were hanged from an oak tree growing near the trading post. Later a third hanging occurred nearby.
After the hangings, “garrote,” a Spanish word for death by hanging or choking, became a convenient term for this unnamed but infamous camp.
The settlement remained Garrote until the mid 1870’s when citizens offended by its unsavory connotation opted for a change. Resident Benjamin Savory’s proposal of renaming the settlement Groveland, in honor of his Massachusetts home town, was well received.
The postal department in Washington, D.C., made the name of Groveland official, but many Tuolumne pioneers persisted in calling the town Garrote for decades afterwards.
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*The information in this article was derived from “Groveland History” by Irene D. Paden and Margaret E. Schlichtmann which appears in the booklet THE BIG OAK FLAT ROAD TO YOSEMITE.
This guide gives you phone numbers, procedures and prices so your move can be a smooth one. Costs are subject to change. Please call company to confirm prices. PMLA makes no promises or guarantee of costs.
U.S. MAIL AND OTHER DELIVERY SERVICE
Groveland Post Office (209) 962-7102
Big Oak Flat Post Office (209) 962-6231
Mail is not delivered to your house. You may get a post office box in Groveland or Big Oak Flat or you can arrange for mail delivery/pick-up from the group of mail boxes at various locations inside Pine Mountain Lake. For U.S. mail delivery service to one of Pine Mountain Lake’s 8 mailbox clusters contact the U.S. Post Office located in Groveland. (PML is not responsible for mailboxes.) Local UPS and Federal Express Services also available.
AT&T (TELEPHONE) 1-800-288-2020
Call two business days in advance. Have your current phone number, driver’s license number and social security number handy, as well as names and addresses of two personal references (preferably relatives). Someone must be at the home to meet the technicians for inside work.
WATER/SEWAGE – Groveland Community Services District
(209) 962-7161
Available through GCSD to every lot in Pine Mountain Lake. Charges are made directly to the customer. Water source is Hetch Hetchy. Complete water treatment plant at GCSD. Complete sewage system is available to approximately 1/3 of the lots through GCSD. Charges are made directly to the customer. Septic systems are used on all other individual lots at owners’ expense.
ELECTRICITY AND GAS 1-800-743-5000
Electricity available through PG&E to every lot in Pine Mountain Lake. Call at least two days in advance to be sure you have power when you need it. Charges are made directly to the customer. If you have had previous service from PG&E, it helps to have the account number. Propane gas available through Suburban Propane (propane alliance with PMLA) and others to every lot in Pine Mountain Lake.
PROPANE
Suburban Propane 1(800) 776-7263
J.S. West & Company 1(800) 540-4484
Kamp’s Propane (209) 532-6638
Proflame Gas Company (209) 984-0800
Durnall & Campora Propane, Inc. (209) 532-3579
The cost of propane left in a leased tank is usually credited to the Seller by the propane supplier. The owner must then buy it from the company in order to use it. The most commonly used propane companies in Groveland are listed above.
GARBAGE (209) 962-7224
Moore Bros. Scavenger Co. (Solid Waste/Disposal)
Call weekdays 9am to 12 noon, 1pm to 4pm to arrange for garbage pick-up service. Solid waste disposal is picked up once a week by Moore Brothers Scavenger Company. They require your unit/lot number, as well as your street address. Call for current rates – charges are made directly to the customer. The Groveland Transfer Station accepts household waste, and universal waste items, etc. from residential users. Open Wednesday’s and Saturday’s only from 8am to 3:45pm. Fees are collected at the landfill gate. For service please call (209) 962-7224.
CABLE TELEVISION: (209) 588-9601 or (209) 962-6373
Fax (209) 532-6028
P.O. Box 281, Standard, CA 95373
Available through Sierra Nevada Communications. Fast Internet access is also available. Call to see if available at your location. Charges are made directly to the customer.
DISH NETWORK 1-888-333-3467
Before installing your dish you need to come into the PML Admin office to get your permit from the E.C.C. Dept.
DIRECT TV 1-888-777-2454
Before installing your dish you need to come into the PML Admin office to get your permit from the E.C.C. Dept.
INTERNET CONNECTIONS – Internet providers
Sierra Nevada Communications 209-588-9601 Or 209-962-6373 WWW.gosnc.com
Hughesnet High-Speed Internet 800-276-1554 www.internet.hughesnet.com
Conifer Communications 866-378-8393 www.conifercommunications.com
Sierra Nevada Communications 209-588-9601 Or 209-962-6373 WWW.gosnc.com
Hughesnet High-Speed Internet 800-276-1554 www.internet.hughesnet.com
Conifer Communications 866-378-8393 www.conifercommunications.com
PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE ADMINISTRATION OFFICE
(209) 962-8600
Gate cards may be picked up Monday – Friday from 8am to 4:30pm. (next to main gate) to make gate cards. If you are a new property owner a copy of the recorded grant deed is required before cards can be issued.
DOG LICENSING – Tuolumne County – (209) 984-1338
Animal Control: 10040 Victoria Way, Jamestown, CA
Phone hours: Mon thru Fri 9am to 3pm
Open M-T-Th-F 9am to 3pm
and open Wednesdays from 9am to 7pm
All dogs 4 months or older require licensing. Bring proof of current Rabies Vaccine.
DOG LICENSING – Pine Mountain Lake – (209) 962-8615
All Pine Mountain Lake resident dog owners are required to have a Tuolumne County dog license (Fee Schedule) and a PML dog tag. All dog owners must comply with the PML licensing program in order to reduce stray dog related problems. Bring current Tuolumne County License to Main Gate – PML license/tag is free.
PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE NEWSPAPER
The PML News will automatically be delivered at no charge to you after escrow closes. Please take the time to read it. This is how you will know what’s happening at PML and be informed of any new rules or regulations.
To place an ad: Sabre Design (209) 962-0613
Missing a paper? Call (209) 962-8632
DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY (209) 962-8615
Pine Mountain Lake Association maintains a fully staffed SAFETY FORCE 24 hours a day, with 24 hour MOTOR PATROL. The lake is patrolled during summer months. The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol also serve Pine Mountain Lake. There are 14 card entry gates around the development.
FIRE PROTECTION
Pine Mountain Lake is in the CAL Fire District. 3 fire engines and a rescue squad are housed at the Groveland Fire Department. In addition, Pine Mountain Lake is within the jurisdiction of the Department of Forestry fire district located in Groveland.
HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL SERVICES
Ambulance service & emergency rescue unit available from Tuolumne County Ambulance.
Hospitals are located in Sonora. Sonora Regional Hospital is a full service hospital. Physicians, dentists and specialists in some medical fields are available in Groveland.
A pharmacy is located in Groveland (209) 962-5211.
SCHOOLS
Tenaya Elementary: (209) 962-7846 Tioga High School: (209) 962-4763
Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District operates two schools adjacent to Pine Mountain Lake:
Tenaya Elementary (K-8), Tioga High School (9-12)
Local bus service is provided by the school district.
CHURCHES
11 churches in the Groveland area of all major faiths.
SHOPPING
Commercial, professional and retail shopping is located throughout downtown Groveland. Other shopping malls and centers are located in the neighboring towns and cities.
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