The name was not changed until 1854 when the City of Placerville was incorporated, taking the name from the local placer gold deposits. Landmarks include John Pearson Soda Works, Eddy Arboretum and El Dorado County Fair. Placerville is the birthplace of James Blair, rower.
Placerville, California gifts and souvenirs: 43 designs made from Placerville's own map, landmarks and history, from $10 to $99. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Placerville Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Placerville Landmarks Photo Poster | from $40 |
| Placerville Vintage Travel Poster | from $40 |
| Placerville Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Placerville Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Placerville Town Line Mug | from $26 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 4 styles
Famous natives, by birth year
Nine local landmarks, archival matte
Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout
A local landmark photo as a gallery print
Classic large-letter postcard art, filled with local photos
Six local landmarks as instant photos on kraft paper
The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom
Map of local landmarks, washable fabric
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos, 11 oz ceramic
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Large-letter postcard art on a sturdy tote
Foam-front trucker, printed (not embroidered) with local photos
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
Six local landmarks as instant photos, soft fleece 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
The town's earliest Sanborn fire-insurance map, drawn building by building and hand-coloured, from the Library of Congress
From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town
From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town
From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town
From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town
From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town
From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town
Named for hanging to death (death by suspension of a person (rarely an animal) by a noose or ligature around the neck).
Population 2010: 10,389 → 2020: 10,747
From Wikidata (CC0).
After the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in nearby Coloma, California, by James W. Marshall in 1848 sparked the California Gold Rush, the small town now known as Placerville was known as Dry Diggin's after the manner in which the miners moved cartloads of dry soil to run water to separate the gold from the soil.
Later in 1849, the town earned its most common historical name, Hangtown, because of the numerous hangings that had occurred there. However, there is debate on exactly how many lynchings occurred in the town. The town had no police force (in 1849) and five immigrants attempted robbery of a Mexican gambler. Of the five immigrants, two Frenchmen and one Chilean were known wanted men, and they were not given any trial, instead they were hanged on an oak tree on Main Street by a mob. The name "Hangtown" stuck after that event.
By about 1850, the temperance league and a few local churches had begun to request that a more friendly name be bestowed upon the town. The name was not changed until 1854 when the City of Placerville was incorporated, taking the name from the local placer gold deposits. At its incorporation, Placerville was the third largest town in California. In 1857, the county seat was then moved from Coloma to Placerville, where it remains today. The town's first post office opened in 1850. In 1871, the Placerville Union Cemetery was founded by a group of fraternal organizations, and it holds the graves of many of the city founders.
Placerville was a central hub for the Mother Lode region's mining operations. The town had many services, including transportation (of people and goods), lodging, banking, and had a market and general store. The history of hard-rock mining is evidenced by an open and accessible Gold Bug Park & Mine, now a museum with tours and books.
The Sacramento and Placerville Railroad, (later part of the Southern Pacific Railroad) had a branch line that extended from Folsom to Placerville. The track was abandoned in the 1980s and is now used by heritage railroads. The Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad (now abandoned) also operated an eight-mile (thirteen-kilometer) shortline that operated between Camino, California, and Placerville until June 17, 1986. The track right-of-way is now a 37-mile hiking and biking path that connects the city of Folsom, California to the town of Camino with plans to extend the trail across the entire El Dorado county and eventually to Lake Tahoe.
Placerville's logo featured a hangman's noose, in reference to the town's history as "Hangtown", until 2021, when the town council voted to remove it. An earlier proposal to redesign the logo had been rejected in 2020.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Placerville, California, revision 1374790887 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Placerville sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
7 free coloring pages of Placerville, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.
Placerville's population was 10,747 in the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 10,389 in 2010.
John Pearson Soda Works
Eddy Arboretum
El Dorado County Fair
Church of Our Saviour