This story was written in 1998. It is February of 1898, one hundred years ago, and the firemen in Placerville are concerned about the tower that holds the fire bell in the plaza on Main Street. For twenty years this…
El Dorado County – Its Changing Boundaries
From its creation in February 18, 1850, as one of California’s original twenty-seven counties, El Dorado County has seen its boundaries change nearly a dozen times – often drastically. Originally bounded on the north by Yuba County, the south by…
Origin of the names California and El Dorado
The names that are given to states, counties, communities and even the streets on which we live, come from many sources. Some have complicated mythical origins (with numerous variations), others reflect the location from which the first settlers came, while…
Happy Birthday California
The County of El Dorado played several important roles in the creation of the 31st State in the Union, California. The most obvious one, of course, is the discovery of gold at Coloma, which started the great Gold Rush of…
The Herrick Building and the “Hangman’s Tree” Bar – Placerville, California
The historic brick Herrick Building and the adjacent “Hangman’s Tree” bar are in the process of being lovingly rebuilt by the owners, the Taylors. Their action saved them from an attempt by the City of Placerville to have them torn…
I have an Aunt?
During the summer months my family spent a lot of time in Redondo Beach and, when it became too crowded and “the place to be,” Huntington Beach. My grandfather liked to spend the winters there, so he would find a small place,…