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Serving as a "hub" for many nearby
destinations and activities, Placerville is well situated.
Premier wineries, Apple Hill Ranches, Historic Coloma, the
American River, and the El Dorado National Forest are all
located within minutes of downtown Placerville. The future
of Placerville’s business economy will continue to be
strengthened and infused by those established and newly developing
areas of opportunity surrounding the hub. Within the hub,
local merchants, property owners, and government officials
are striving to insure economic vitality for Placerville.
These groups are working together on business improvement
and revitalization projects to preserve, promote, and enhance
the quality of life for all in the community. Location, climate,
a rich heritage, and a high level of commitment and pride
have allowed Placerville to emerge as "the destination"
in El Dorado County.
The history of Placerville began with the "rush
for gold" to California in the 1840s. The highly publicized
discovery of gold in the tailrace section at Sutter’s
Mill in Coloma (only 10 miles from Placerville) in 1848 resulted
in the migration of thousands of fortune-seekers to Northern
California in the mid-1800s. The town of Placerville was named
after the placer deposits found in the river bed between Spanish
Ravine and the town plaza. During the gold rush, Placerville
became an important supply center for the surrounding mining
camps.
Placerville was also known as "Hangtown"
in its’ early days. Although many stories exist on how
this name was acquired, the most famous story involved a colorful
event that occurred in January of 1849. A gambler named Lopez
gained a lot of attention for his big winnings at a local
saloon. After he retired for the evening, several men tried
to overpower him. Lopez fought back, and with the help of
others, the robbers were captured. During their "flogging,"
three of the robbers were also accused of being wanted for
a murder and robbery that occurred at a gold camp on the Stanislaus
River.
With no more evidence than that, a short 30-minute
trial took place and a unanimous "guilty" verdict
was given. The crowd demanded that the men be sentenced to
"death by hanging" and the rest was history. The
famous hanging tree once stood in Elstner’s Hay Yard,
next to the Jackass Inn. Today, the original stump from the
old tree remains in the cellar of "The Hangman’s
Tree" tavern on Historic Main Street.
Throughout history, several famous entrepreneurs
have conducted business on Main Street. Phillip Armour (meat
packer), Mark Hopkins (railroad financier), John Studebaker
(auto maker), and Snowshoe Thompson (mail-carrier through
the Sierras) were among the well-known shopkeepers on Main
Street.
An important historic landmark that still remains
on Main Street is the Bell Tower, standing as a monument to
the city’s volunteer firemen. The Bell, placed in the
tower in the plaza in 1865, was used as an alarm system to
call out the firefighters. This tower has watched most of
Placerville's history pass beneath it for well over 100 years.
It has been remodeled, relocated, and most recently, renovated.
Today it proudly stands as a monument to honor our city's
volunteer firemen. The history of the Bell Tower began back
in l856. Three fires that year in April, July and August claimed
most of Placerville's business section. The need for an alarm
system to call the volunteer fire department was obvious,
and a bell was ordered from England. Cast in 1860, the bell
arrived in Placerville in 1865. The city gave its approval
to place the bell in a tower in the plaza. All this was done
at a cost of $380. Today, the Bell Tower serves as a gathering
place for parades, celebrations, and other Historic Main Street
events.
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