History buffs will love living in Rocklin, California because of the vast number of historical sites there are to enjoy. Some celebrate the community’s Finnish ancestry, while others are reminders of the city’s connection to its quarry roots. Fans of Rocklin’s history and its contributions will appreciate the many beautiful sites in this wonderful town.  Living in Rocklin is like living in history.

Finnish Sites

The Rocklin community has a strong Finnish background that has not been lost to the ravages of time. The Old Finnish Picnic grounds just past the end of China Garden Road were once a gathering place for area Finns. Finnish Temperance Hall sits on the corner of Rocklin Road and South Grove Street. The granite industry of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries gave rise to an abundance of saloons and, with them, came community-wide drinking problems. The hall was built to help with the problem and acted as a social gathering place beginning in 1905.

Quarries

The Union Granite Company once operated a quarry in the early 20^th century, now occupied by the lake that can be seen at the corner of Rocklin Road and Granite Drive. The Quinn Quarry situated on Winding Lane was run by the Quinn family in the mid- to late-1800s. The Capitol Quarry is also known as the Big Gun Quarry. It opened in 1864 and remained open and active until 2005, when it became the last of Rocklin’s 62 quarries to close. Other quarry sites to visit include the Brigham and Hawes Quarry.

The Rocklin Cemetery was started in the 1850s when an inebriated citizen was buried right in the spot where he died. Rocklin’s City Hall was built in 1912, originally as a company store for the employees of Adolf Pernu’s 20th Century California Granite Company. It has housed everything from a market to a library. There are even a few historic Rocklin, CA homes for sale from time to time.