A plaque displayed on a sidewalk at the location of where a boulder outcrop with carvings from farmers in the area over 100-years ago and native American grinding slicks gives information about the historical significance of the rock that was removed during construction of the Phase 3 Clinton Keith Extension Project. The plaque is located near the north end of Los Alamos Road and Clinton Keith Road. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
Phase 3 of Clinton Keith Extension project is completed
Perhaps paraphrasing Goodhart’s Law, “Wherever there is progress, a loss may be seen,” may well be the case for the Leornard Smohl Memorial Rock or the Los Alamos Heritage Rock, once located at the intersection of Briggs Road and Los Alamos and Thompson Road in French Valley, now a highway thoroughfare from Murrieta into French Valley and Menifee.The large rock once bearing the name of “L. Smohl Murrieta, Cal '' and a reverse swastika, was perhaps the hope of its carver as he left for military service in June, 1917 at the height of WWI, as a symbol of his hope for peace, according to historians. The reverse swastika, to the Native American tribes is a symbol of good luck, healing and peace. Smohl survived the war but not
