{"id":12722,"date":"2026-05-05T18:17:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T02:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/26\/?p=12722"},"modified":"2026-05-05T18:17:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T02:17:28","slug":"historic-photo-of-old-placerville-sparks-debate-over-date-and-downtown-landmarks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/26\/culture\/history\/historic-photo-of-old-placerville-sparks-debate-over-date-and-downtown-landmarks\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic Photo of Old Placerville Sparks Debate Over Date and Downtown Landmarks"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 data-section-id=\"1cq4kkh\" data-start=\"682\" data-end=\"708\">PLACERVILLE, Calif. \u2014<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"709\" data-end=\"913\">A recently shared photograph from a local family archive is drawing attention across El Dorado County, as residents and amateur historians attempt to pinpoint its place in Placerville\u2019s evolving timeline.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"915\" data-end=\"1160\">The image, posted by Gwen Harper and Clyde Nunn, shows a dirt-lined Main Street framed by early commercial buildings and overhead utility lines\u2014details that suggest a narrow historical window during the city transition into the electrical age.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1162\" data-end=\"1348\">Community members quickly began weighing in. Estimates ranged from as early as the 1880s to the pre-1920s era, with particular focus on one defining landmark: the Placerville Bell Tower.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1350\" data-end=\"1530\">\u201cI am guessing between 1889 \u2026 and 1910 when the bell tower was returned to this location,\u201d wrote one commenter, referencing known relocation periods of the iconic structure.<\/p>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1kl17of\" data-start=\"1532\" data-end=\"1579\">Dating the Image: Clues in Infrastructure<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1580\" data-end=\"1649\">Historians point to several key indicators visible in the photograph:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1651\" data-end=\"2064\">\n<li data-section-id=\"30rg9c\" data-start=\"1651\" data-end=\"1796\"><strong data-start=\"1653\" data-end=\"1700\">Overhead electrical and communication lines<\/strong> suggest the image was taken after electrification began expanding locally in the early 1900s.<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1o8qmay\" data-start=\"1797\" data-end=\"1891\"><strong data-start=\"1799\" data-end=\"1818\">Unpaved streets<\/strong> were typical of Placerville prior to major paving efforts around 1912.<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"wk58iu\" data-start=\"1892\" data-end=\"2064\"><strong data-start=\"1894\" data-end=\"1923\">Absence of the Bell Tower<\/strong> at its current Main Street location may indicate the period between 1911 and 1912, when the Bell Tower was temporarily relocated to Cannon Hill.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2066\" data-end=\"2427\">Placerville\u2019s electrification timeline provides further context. While early electric lighting appeared downtown by 1898\u2014most notably integrated into the Bell Tower\u2014broader utility infrastructure did not fully develop until the early 20th century. By 1907, regional electrification systems were expanding, and by the 1920s, municipal services had matured significantly.<\/p>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"tftgb8\" data-start=\"2429\" data-end=\"2470\">The Bell Tower as Historical Anchor<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2471\" data-end=\"2782\">The Bell Tower remains one of the most reliable reference points in dating historic images of downtown Placerville. Originally installed in 1865, the structure underwent several including its replacement with a steel tower in 1898 and its brief relocation in 1911 due to infrastructure changes.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2784\" data-end=\"3044\">\u201cThe absence of the Bell Tower in a Main Street photo is significant,\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2784\" data-end=\"3044\">said a local historian familiar with Placerville archives.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"2784\" data-end=\"3044\">\u201cIt immediately narrows the timeframe to a very specific period when the tower was not standing in its\u00a0 location.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"3046\" data-end=\"3167\">Today, the Bell Tower stands at 385 Main St., serving as both a historic monument and a center for community gatherings.<\/p>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1q147yp\" data-start=\"3169\" data-end=\"3213\">A Community Effort to Preserve History<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3214\" data-end=\"3493\">The discussion surrounding the photograph underscores the role of community knowledge in preserving local history. Without a confirmed date or archival record, such images often rely on collective expertise\u2014drawing from personal memory, documented timelines, and visual analysis.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"3495\" data-end=\"3606\">\u201cThis is what makes local history come alive,\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"3495\" data-end=\"3606\">one resident commented.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"3495\" data-end=\"3606\">\u201cEveryone brings a piece of the puzzle.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"3608\" data-end=\"3836\">As Placerville continues to modernize\u2014including its recent transition in 2022 to Pioneer Community Energy\u2014images like this offer a glimpse into a formative era when the town balanced its Gold Rush roots with emerging technology.<\/p>\n<div class=\"otQkpb\" role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"3\" data-animation-nesting=\"\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">BELL TOWER Timeline of History &amp; Locations<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/div>\n<ul class=\"KsbFXc U6u95\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAUQAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">1860\u20131865: Arrival of the Bell:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> The original bell was cast in England in 1860 and arrived in Placerville in 1865. The city approved its placement in a tower on &#8220;the Plaza&#8221; at a cost of approximately $380.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAUQAQ\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">1878: First Wooden Tower:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> A 25-foot wooden tower was built to house the bell, featuring a horse watering trough at its base.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAUQAg\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">1898: Construction of the Steel Tower:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> Because the wooden tower was rotting, it was replaced with the current 50-foot steel structure. Built by the <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><a class=\"H23r4e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/the-story-of-the-belltower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"CAUQAw\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; margin: 0px; text-decoration: underline 1px rgb(21, 88, 214); border-bottom: 0px rgb(21, 88, 214);\">El Dorado Foundry<\/a><!--TgQPHd|[[&quot;https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/the-story-of-the-belltower&quot;,null,null,[null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,[{&quot;1218&quot;:[16]}]],16,null,&quot;The Story of the Belltower - City of Placerville California&quot;,&quot;Cannon Hill received its name because in the early days, there was on top of the hill a National Guard Armory that had a mounted cannon in front of the building and thus the name Cannon Hill was given to the area. Electrical difficulties in ringing the bell from Cannon Hill resulted in the bell being moved back to the plaza in 1912. It stood there through the years until a car struck the Plaza in 1965, almost toppling over the bell. It had become somewhat shabby over the years and some were in favor of its removal. But the old timers, remembering why it was there, insisted it should be saved. Finally, in 1969, the City Council and the Placerville Fire Department voted to renovate the structure and the project was completed in 1970 with an electric siren installed to replace the new silent bell for the second time. The first electric siren was installed by the late Joseph Leonardi assisted by several linemen of the old Western States Gas and Electric Co. (later purchased by P. G. \\u0026 E.) This occurred sometime between 1920 and 1921 shortly before the Ohio House burned.&quot;,null,null,&quot;https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/faviconV2?url\\u003dhttps:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\\u0026client\\u003dAIM\\u0026size\\u003d64\\u0026type\\u003dFAVICON\\u0026enable_upscaled\\u003dtrue\\u0026fallback_opts\\u003dTYPE,SIZE,URL&quot;,[[1778030530779394,138686464,638074488],null,null,null,null,[[2,0,6,127]]]]]--><\/span>, it included a drinking fountain and a weather vane topped by a miniature bronze fireman holding an electric light.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAUQBA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">1911\u20131912: The Move to Cannon Hill:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> The tower was disassembled and moved to <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><a class=\"H23r4e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/about-placerville\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"CAUQBQ\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; margin: 0px; text-decoration: underline 1px rgb(21, 88, 214); border-bottom: 0px rgb(21, 88, 214);\">Cannon Hill<\/a><!--TgQPHd|[[&quot;https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/about-placerville&quot;,null,null,[null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,[{&quot;1218&quot;:[16]}]],16,null,&quot;About Placerville&quot;,&quot;The Story of the Bell Tower. The Bell Tower on Historic Main Street is a unique sight. Not many towns can boast of such a structure in the middle of their town. It has its own history, and in its day served a most vital and important role. It was first called \\&quot;the Plaza\\&quot;. Placerville suffered three fires in 1856 which destroyed a good portion of the business section. The citizens realized the need for an alarm system to quickly call their volunteer fire department, so a bell was ordered from England to serve their purpose. Cast in 1860, it arrived in Placerville in 1865 and the City gave approval to place it in a tower on the Plaza - at the cost of $380.00. First a 25 foot high wooden tower was built in 1878, and then in 1898 a steel structure was built to replace it. This tower rose 50 feet from an 11 foot square concrete base, with a drinking fountain in the center. It had cast-iron ornaments topped with a weather vane and featured a miniature bronze fireman holding aloft a red globe containing an electric light. When completed it was presented to the city on September 8, 1898during their Admission Day celebration, The Tower was dismantled and moved to Cannon Hill in 1911.&quot;,null,null,&quot;https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/faviconV2?url\\u003dhttps:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\\u0026client\\u003dAIM\\u0026size\\u003d64\\u0026type\\u003dFAVICON\\u0026enable_upscaled\\u003dtrue\\u0026fallback_opts\\u003dTYPE,SIZE,URL&quot;,[[1778030530779394,138686464,638074488],null,null,null,null,[[2,0,7,127]]]]]--><\/span> (near the National Guard Armory). However, electrical difficulties in ringing the bell from that location caused it to be moved back to the Plaza in 1912.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAUQBg\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">1965\u20131970: Crisis and Renovation:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> In April 1965, a car struck the tower, nearly toppling it. This sparked a heated public debate over whether to tear it down or restore it. The city eventually voted to renovate the structure, completing the project in 1970 with the addition of an electric siren.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span> [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/about-placerville\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legendsofamerica.com\/ca-placerville\/\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtdemocrat.com\/prospecting\/bell-tower-watches-over-city\/article_d31d8015-e8d4-50fc-8956-c63c674a73f6.html\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/travel\/article\/Placerville-Old-Hangtown-3199411.php\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dougstepsout.com\/2015\/01\/26\/happy-birthday-placerville-bell-tower\/\">6<\/a>]<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<p><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/ul>\n<div class=\"Fsg96\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/div>\n<div class=\"otQkpb\" role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"3\" data-animation-nesting=\"\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Key Locations and Features<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/div>\n<ul class=\"KsbFXc U6u95\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAgQAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Current Location:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> The steel tower stands at <strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">385 Main St.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> in the center of downtown Placerville.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAgQAQ\" data-sae=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">The Original Bell:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> During the early 20th-century moves, the original 1865 bell was damaged and replaced with an electrically activated version. The historic original bell is now preserved at the <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><a class=\"H23r4e\" href=\"https:\/\/elkgrovehistoricalsociety.com\/walking-tour-of-old-placerville\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"CAgQAg\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; margin: 0px; text-decoration: underline 1px rgb(21, 88, 214); border-bottom: 0px rgb(21, 88, 214);\">El Dorado County Museum<\/a><!--TgQPHd|[[&quot;https:\/\/elkgrovehistoricalsociety.com\/walking-tour-of-old-placerville\/&quot;,null,null,[null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,[{&quot;1218&quot;:[16]}]],16,null,&quot;Walking Tour of Old Placerville - Elk Grove Historical Society&quot;,&quot;HISTORY \u2013 Walking Tour of Old Placerville * Take the Spring Street exit (A) off of Highway 50, South toward Main Street. Left on to Main Street a couple of blocks to left on Center Street to the parking lot (B) behind City Hall on the right. * FYI\u2013 The fun part of this tour besides seeing all the history in Placerville is that there are many stores to shop in, especially if you are looking for clothes, jewelry, hardware, and art. And there are at least a dozen various types of restaurants to eat in. * Fox Lot \u2013 Early on, this same parking lot was the location of John Fox&#39;s Blacksmith Shop. Later it was a stable and then an automobile dealership. In the northeast corner is a monument near the burial site of the three men hanged in 1849. * 301 Main \u2013 Herrick Building. This first house on the corner was built in 1853 from local bricks. Plans are underway for its restoration. * 305 Main \u2013 Hanging Tree Bar. Now a registered historic landmark, this building was named for the nearby stump of the infamous Hanging Tree and housed the Hanging Tree&#39;s Bar for many years. * Note: The name Hangtown was first used in 1849 when three men were hanged after a speedy trial at this building. The men, originally six, robbed a stage to use the money to finance and establish the confederacy in California. * 311 Main \u2013 The Placer Hotel. The Hotel located here was famous for its fine cooking. James Marshall, the discoverer of gold in 1848, often stayed here when in town. It was built in 1901 by John O&#39;Donnell who operated a store with its second floor devoted entirely to an unrivaled collection of toys, games, and sporting equipment. * 325 Main \u2013 Tracy&#39;s Shoe Store. The shoe store has been here since 1876 until 1957. H.N. Tracy kept eight workmen busy making custom boots which sold from $12 to $40 a pair. He is credited with the design and making the first right and left shoes. * 327 Main \u2013 Clothing Store. Read the plaque on the building that provides an interesting history of the building. Built as a clothing store in 1855, the current store carries on the tradition. * 339 Main \u2013 Combellack&#39;s Clothing Store. Originally opened in 1888, it continues to be owned and operated by the same family. * 359 Main \u2013 Log Building. In 1850 Lucy Ann Wakefield, an enterprising lady from Connecticut, bought the log building that was here and began making and selling mince pies to the miners at a reasonable price: $2.00 plain, sugared was $50 extra. She went on top become a prosperous and successful businesswoman. * 375 Main \u2013 Jewelry Store. Pioneer jeweler, F.F. Baras arrived in town in 1852 and later had his store here. It is now the location of Randolph&#39;s Jewelry, making it the oldest jewelry store west of the Mississippi River. * 385 Main \u2013 Post Office. Fassett \\u0026 White constructed the two story brick building in 1852 and the Post Office was located here in 1860. George Gilbert made improvements in 1870 making his second floor photography studio the most modern in town. * 409 Main \u2013 Shelly Inch Building. The Placerville News Company is located here which is named for the merchant, Shelly Inch who added the second floor and cast iron fa\u00e7ade in 1898. Originally built in 1856 as a bookstore and periodical depot, it still offers among other items, the best selection of magazines and newspapers today. * 419 Main \u2013 Masonic Lodge Building. A plaque on the building provides an interesting history of the building. * Bell Tower (C)\u2013 The first Bell Tower was placed here in 1865 to alert townspeople and volunteer firemen in the event of a fire. For a short time it was located above the town on Reservoir Hill, but returned to this location in 1910 after the Court House fire. The original bell is located in the El Dorado County Museum on Placerville Drive. * 429 Main \u2013 Fairchild Building. In 1849 Colonel Albert Bee and his brother Frederick built a pole and split shake store and dwelling here. The brothers helped to found the Placerville-Humboldt Telegraph Company in 1858 which ran from Placerville to the Great Salt Lake in Genoa, Nevada and was known as the \u201cBee&#39;s Grapevine.\u201d When the building was built for W.A. Fairchild in 1903, enough gold was found when digging the foundation to finance the project! It housed Fairchild&#39;s Pharmacy, which continued when his son joined the business. * 435 Main \u2013 Adams Express Company. This is where Adams Express Co. had their offices from 1852-1855. John Studebaker&#39;s biographer related the story of Studebaker and Hinds seeing four men enter and removing heavy sacks of gold from the safe after the bank closed due to a banking panic. After alerting the sheriff who confronted the \u201cthieves\u201d (actually the owners of the bank) they got their gold back. At daybreak Studebaker wheeled his and Hinds money up Main Street in one of his own wheelbarrows, burying it in the dirt floor of the blacksmith shop. (See 541 Main) The present building was built after the fire in 1856. * 441 Main \u2013 Placerville Hardware. Placerville Hardware in the oldest continuously operating hardware store west of the Mississippi. Go in and enjoy the atmosphere with its wooden floors, original bins, rolling ladders, and stock piled high. You can get practically anything here. Years ago the newspaper was located in the east side of the building. The presses were operated with a Pelton Water wheel in Hangtown Creek. * 467 Main \u2013 Odd Fellows Building. Was built in 1911, then replaced after another fire in 1913 burned down the building next to it. There is a plaque that provides and interesting history of the building and its famous spring-loaded dance floor. * City Hall Parking Lot (D) \u2013 After the 1856 fire the hotel located here was rebuilt, before another fire destroyed it in 1913. Left as a parking lot., Placerville&#39;s Community Pride maintains the garden and the informative historic displays were placed on the Public Restrooms by the Heritage Association. The clock stood in front of the River City Bank building 1925-1961 and placed here in 1979. Read the plaque dedicated to Deputy Sheriff Joseph Staples and about his role in the famous Bullion Bend robbery. * 487 Main \u2013 Confidence Engine Company Firehouse. Was the home to a volunteer fire company started in 1860. In 1902 it became Placerville City Hall along with the adjoining building until 2004 when the City office moved to Center Street (Where you parked!) * 489 Main \u2013 Jane Johnson Building. Note the plaque dedicated to Emigrant Jane Johnson, a hardy woman who drove a herd of horses west in 1859. Jane also known as Mary Jane Shroyers, purchased the lot and had this building constructed. * 495 Main \u2013 El Dorado County Court House. Was completed in 1912. The earlier Court House built in 1859 on this lot, burned in 1910 along with many of the County&#39;s early records. The two Civil War era cannons were acquired by the Grand Army of the Republic Placerville Post 103 in 1913 when the War Department made a number of surplus brass cannons available to communities. * Main \\u0026 Bedford Intersection (E). Reads the Historical Landmark #475 with a plaque about Placerville&#39;s incorporation on May 13, 1854. * 515 Main \u2013 Stony Point Saloon. In the 1860&#39;s this was the location of the Stony Point Saloon, so called because of a large point of rock jutting out of the hill just south of Main Street. In 1878 it was known as the Bedrock Saloon and advertised a free lunch. The present art deco structure was built in 1940 as the Placerville Post Office by the WPA, one of Franklin Roosevelt&#39;s New deal programs. * 541 Main \u2013 Blacksmith Shop. (See 435 Main) In 1853 blacksmith Hugh L. Hinds hired John M. Studebaker, who had come to California to find gold. Studebaker arrived in Placerville by wagon train with only $0.50. Hinds was looking for someone to help him in his blacksmith shop. Studebaker had experience with his family business in building wagons and needed money because he had been conned out of his traveling money during the trip. Studebaker quickly discovered that he could make more money constructing and selling wheelbarrows to the miners. Each would hold three sacks instead of the miners carrying one at a time. He returned to South Bend, Indiana in 1858 with his fortune and invested in the family wagon business, which later became the Studebaker Automobile Company. John returned to Placerville for a visit in 1912 when he was honored by the entire town. * 549 Main \u2013 Town Hall. Town Hall was originally built as the Purity Grocery Store. In 1968, the County Library&#39;s Main Branch was located here, until it moved into its current facility on Fair Lane in 1975. Placerville&#39;s City Council meets here on the first and third Tuesday at 7:00 PM. * 589, 585, \\u0026 577 Main \u2013 Three residences. These three wood buildings were originally constructed as residences, at a time when much of Main Street was a mix of residences and businesses. * Ivy House Parking Lot (F) \u2013 Cross Main Street to the site of the Ivy House, a luxurious hotel so named for the ivy fa\u00e7ade. Constructed in 1864, it also housed the prestigious Placerville Academy from 1871-1894. The Ivy House was demolished in 1964 when it was deemed unsafe. If you walk to the back of the parking lot, you will see the entrance to the Ivy House park, a lovely creek side park using the native landscaping and maintained by Community Pride. * Main Street and Cedar Ravine Street Intersection (G) \u2013 Located in the middle of the intersection, the Druid Monument (G)was erected in 1926. Druids were one of several fraternal organizations, which enjoyed great popularity in the 19thcentury. The first Druid Grove in California was created here. The plaque reads: The Druids of California Erected this Monument to Fredrick Sieg who instituted the Order in this State AD 1859, presented to the City of Placerville September 5, 1926. * Cedar Ravine Street (H) \u2013 If you want to extend your tour, you may proceed down Cedar Street where a number of Victorian House have been restored such as the Comebellack-Blair House, formally the residence of a successful merchant family (See 339 Main Street) * 549 Main \u2013 Pearson&#39;s Soda Works. The building was built in 1859 by John Pearson in front of a tunnel, which was used to store ice and soda in the days before refrigeration. The second story and a hydraulic lift were added in 1879 by his son. * 564 Main \u2013 Tortilla Flats parking lot. What is now Tortilla Flats Restaurant was the location of Huge L. Hinds Wagon Shop in 1853. It stood across from the blacksmith shop, where John M. Studebaker manufactured wheelbarrows (See 541 Main). Also, look for the original Lincoln Highway marker imbedded in the fron wall of the building. The Lincoln Highway was established in 1912 by a group promoting paved transcontinental highway system and so Main Street was Highway 50 until 1955 when the new highway was built. * 542 Main \u2013 Kossuth House. Now the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce, it was the location of the Kossuth House. In 1853 the advertisement for it read hotel supplied with dining room, bar room, and sleeping apartments, large kitchens with never failing spring within, large store room connected with the hotel and a large barn and stable ward within the premises. The current building was built by the County as the Veteran&#39;s Memorial Building in 1923. The County Chamber of Commerce has been here since 1972. * 524 Main \u2013 The Fountain \\u0026 Tallman Museum. Is in this historic Soda Works Building. Constructed in 1852 out of local materials, a fresh water spring in the hillside behind it was bottled and sold to miners. It survived the fires of 1856 because of its stone construction. Owned by the El Dorado County Historical Society, it is open Wednesday-Sunday, 11:00 am-4:00 pm with exhibits on the early days of old Placerville as a gold rush mining town and many of the businesses mentioned in the walking tour. * 520 Main \u2013 PG\\u0026E Building. Built in the 1920&#39;s by Pacific Gas and Electric to compliment the 1852 Fountain \\u0026 Tallman Soda Works Building next door. These two remaining buildings, along with two additional neighboring buildings, which have since been replaced, were described as PG \\u0026 E&#39;s Pioneer Service Group when they had their offices and storage here on Main Street in the middle part of their 20thCentury. * 512 Main \u2013 Presbyterian Church. Now the Round Table Pizza and parking lot, the Presbyterian Church once stood here and was one of the largest and handsomest in the foothills. A long grassy lawn ran up the hill bordered by a row of giant poplars. * 470 Main \u2013 Michigan Boarding House. This was the location for the Michigan Tavern in 1852 and a year later Daniel Gridley opened the Michigan Boarding House, which provided cramped but welcome sleeping quarters to miners and travelers. It was the first home of the Confederate Engine Company, a volunteer fire company, until 1860 when they moved into their new building across the street. ( See 487 Main) * 432 Main \u2013 Empire Theatre. In 1850 the Empire Theatre was one of the first and best known landmarks in Hangtown. John O&#39;Donnell and his partner C.B.M. Russell enlarged the original building and supplied the miners with clean good rooms, good food, a 10 pin alley, a billiard room and bar, as well as stage plays. Lost in the 1856 fire, it was replaced by the Placerville Theatre. With a capacity of 1500, its furnishings were comparable with any San Francisco theater of its day. The present building was completed in 1930 and now known as Empire Antiques. * 384 Main \u2013 Round Tent Store. The Round Tent Store , literally a large round canvas tent was established in 1950 by Jacob Bernstein and Emmanuel Bloomingdale to sell clothing. It burned down in the 1856 fire and was replaced by a handsome brick structure with a rounded fa\u00e7ade, which sat far out into main Street. In 1828 the city widened Main Street and the Round Tent was moved back 17 feet to match the other buildings. * 348 Main \u2013 Vantines Bathing Saloon. In 1859, the J, Vantines Bathing saloon was here doing its bit to clean up the town. * 326 Main \u2013 Blue Bell Caf\u00e9. Now the Bookery, this building once housed the Blue bell caf\u00e9 and was famous for its \u201cHangtown Fry,\u201d a concoction of eggs, oysters, and bacon made from a gold rush recipe. Earlier it was where Ben Nickerson arrived in 1849 leading a grizzly bear and a donkey in order to stage fights. Public opinion forced him to look for a new business, so he erected a huge canvas tent gambling hall and did so well that he built a two story building with a Piazza in 1852. He called it the Union Hotel which had 75 sleeping rooms, two parlors and a 10-pin bowling alley. All was lost in one of the fires of 1856. * 300 Main \u2013 Cary Hotel. The Cary Hotel was built in 1857. In 1915 John Raffeto replaced it with the Hotel Placerville and after a 1926 remodeling, called it Raffles Hotel. The fourth story was added in 1931. In 1978 new owners changed the name back to the Cary House Hotel. At one time it housed the Wells Fargo Office and served as a stage stop. Imagine amounts of gold and silver, as well as famous people who alighted here! We know Horace Greely on his presidential campaign, gave a speech from the Cary House Hotel balcony in 1859. * 262 Main \u2013 Boomerang Gambling Hall and Saloon. Now the Thomas Kinkade gallery, it was gambling hall and saloon called the Boomerang in 1849. After the 1856 fire in became the Knickerbocker. In Later years it would house Dillinger&#39;s Furniture Store and mortuary. * 248 Main \u2013 Hotel Reunion de Francias. This building (with mural of Snowshoe Thompson) was the hotel Renion de Francias in 1851. In 1853 the present brick building was constructed with a flat roof and hydraulic cement to create a reservoir for water. This was the location of the Post Office in 1856 where Snowshoe Thompson picked up and delivered mail. * Main Street \\u0026 Sacramento Street intersection (I). On the southwest corner, there are two historic markers. One commemorates the Pony Express Station, which was located where we now see the Fire Station and parking lot. Known as the Pioneer Stage Co., it served the legendary Pony Express (1860-1861) and then later it was the main stagecoach stop for Placerville. The other marker honors Snowshoe Thompson&#39;s famous treks across the Sierra winter to deliver the mail between Placerville and Genoa, Nevada from 1856 to 1876. ... The name Placerville became official when the Post Office was established in 1854. Two years later, Placerville was devastated by three separate fires, which destroyed most of the timber shacks and tents which sprung up in 1848. They rebuilt with bricks. ... On Center Street across from City Hall where you parked is: ... There are docent lead tours (530-626-0773) that can be arranged through the historical society, but you can walk it yourself. Here are the details\u2026 The tour is divided between the North and the South sides of Main Street starting at the west end. Get back to Main Street after parking and turn left (east) to start the North side of the street walking tour.&quot;,null,null,&quot;https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/faviconV2?url\\u003dhttps:\/\/elkgrovehistoricalsociety.com\\u0026client\\u003dAIM\\u0026size\\u003d64\\u0026type\\u003dFAVICON\\u0026enable_upscaled\\u003dtrue\\u0026fallback_opts\\u003dTYPE,SIZE,URL&quot;,[[1778030530779394,138686464,638074488],null,null,null,null,[[2,0,16,127]]]]]--><\/span> on Placerville Drive.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAgQAw\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Design Details:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> The tower sits on an 11-foot square concrete base and is decorated with cast-iron ornaments. It remains a hub for community events, including the weekly farmers&#8217; market and annual holiday celebrations.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span> [<a href=\"https:\/\/elkgrovehistoricalsociety.com\/walking-tour-of-old-placerville\/\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/maps\/location\/BellTower\">2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com\/Attraction_Review-g32898-d103127-Reviews-Bell_Tower-Placerville_California.html\">3<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tripadvisor.com\/ShowUserReviews-g32898-d103127-r646059212-Bell_Tower-Placerville_California.html\">4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/elkgrovehistoricalsociety.com\/walking-tour-of-old-placerville\/\">7<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/the-story-of-the-belltower\">8<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"n6owBd awi2gc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAEIAxAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><u class=\"wfWfIf fxyaSe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: underline dotted; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span id=\"\" class=\"jAOkJc\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiOqq_PxKOUAxXQBUQIHRSYDT4Q3egRegYIAQgDEAE\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Placerville<!--TgQPHd|[]--><!--TgQPHd|[[null,[[&quot;\/m\/0qz1j&quot;,null,null,null,null,&quot;When was Placerville Electrified&quot;]],&quot;&quot;,0,null,null,[null,null,null,1,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,[291933,null,1],null,null,[{&quot;3524&quot;:[10]}]],null,null,null,null,null,null,null,&quot;&quot;,0]]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/u> was electrified in stages, <!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><mark class=\"HxTRcb\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-wiz-uids=\"ua0IQe_p\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><!--qkimaf ua0IQe_o\/HugV6--><!--cqw1tb ua0IQe_o\/HugV6--><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">beginning with specialized lighting in the late 19th century<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/mark><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"> and expanding into a full public utility system by the early 20th century.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span> ]<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/div>\n<ul class=\"KsbFXc U6u95\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-processed=\"true\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 12px 0px 16px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAEIBBAA\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">First Appearance of Electric Light (1898):<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> The first prominent use of electricity in downtown Placerville was associated with the <strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Bell Tower<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong>. When the current steel tower was completed in 1898, it featured a miniature bronze fireman holding a red globe containing an <span data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><a class=\"H23r4e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/the-story-of-the-belltower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"CAEIBBAB\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; margin: 0px; text-decoration: underline 1px rgb(21, 88, 214); border-bottom: 0px rgb(21, 88, 214);\">electric light<\/a><!--TgQPHd|[[&quot;https:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\/the-story-of-the-belltower&quot;,null,null,[null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null,[{&quot;1218&quot;:[16]}]],16,null,&quot;The Story of the Belltower - City of Placerville California&quot;,&quot;Cast in 1860, it arrived in Placerville in 1865 and the City gave approval to place it in a tower on the Plaza - at the cost of $380.00. First a 25 foot high wooden tower was built in 1878, and then in 1898 a steel structure was built to replace it. This tower rose 50 feet from an 11 foot square concrete base, with a drinking fountain in the center. It had cast-iron ornaments topped with a weather vane and featured a miniature bronze fireman holding aloft a red globe containing an electric light. When completed it was presented to the city on September 8, 1898 during their Admission Day celebration,&quot;,null,null,&quot;https:\/\/encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com\/faviconV2?url\\u003dhttps:\/\/www.cityofplacerville.org\\u0026client\\u003dAIM\\u0026size\\u003d64\\u0026type\\u003dFAVICON\\u0026enable_upscaled\\u003dtrue\\u0026fallback_opts\\u003dTYPE,SIZE,URL&quot;,[[1778031801390350,138675664,1041078292],null,null,null,null,[[0,2,127]]]]]--><\/span>.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAEIBBAC\" data-complete=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Expansion of Power (Early 1900s):<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> By <strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">1907<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong>, electric power was more widely available in the area. A new plant built near Folsom began powering parts of Placerville, along with neighboring Stockton and Folsom.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAEIBBAD\" data-sae=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Public Utility Development (1920s):<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> The city\u2019s electrical infrastructure matured in the early 1920s. Records indicate that between <strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">1920 and 1921<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong>, the first electric fire siren was installed at the Bell Tower by the <strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Western States Gas and Electric Co.<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> (a predecessor to PG&amp;E).<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/li>\n<li class=\"Z1qcYe\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-hveid=\"CAEIBBAE\" data-complete=\"true\" data-processed=\"true\" data-sae=\"\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 12px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" aria-owns=\"action-menu-parent-container\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\"><strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Modern Transition:<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong> Most recently, in <strong class=\"Yjhzub\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">January 2022<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/strong>, the city transitioned its primary electric generation services from PG&amp;E to <span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\" data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);\">Pioneer Community Energy<!--TgQPHd|[]--><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-jnews350x250\" src=\"https:\/\/scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net\/v\/t39.30808-6\/688501674_26959157343716039_8682385572125219840_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&amp;ccb=1-7&amp;_nc_sid=13d280&amp;_nc_ohc=h-d2r707Ui4Q7kNvwGRO7vH&amp;_nc_oc=AdqxAev4XzoG7E5pnRqI6XAedrCPyINuxTSqf_Nj6mAt6FmI-mC1AAhqEwvVsxhyn-0MUf-q-FlDS-wUKOAmcwyy&amp;_nc_zt=23&amp;_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&amp;_nc_gid=xj9PV8imqNP6iOm9LihLDw&amp;_nc_ss=7a2a8&amp;oh=00_Af5FC2XDTFYFN6JPk70L2wh_FXAjMUFuulwJjuvH_fX1RA&amp;oe=6A005C2D\" width=\"1168\" height=\"880\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A rare photo of Old Placerville has locals debating its exact date\u2014clues in power lines, dirt streets, and the missing Bell Tower may tell the story<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"7","parallax":"1","layout":"no-sidebar-narrow","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"float","share_float_style":"share-normal","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_popup_post":"1","show_comment_section":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"Locals weigh in as newly surfaced image may pinpoint a narrow window in Placerville\u2019s early electrification era"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-history"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Historic Photo of Old Placerville Sparks Debate Over Date and Downtown Landmarks - Placerville NewsWire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A newly shared historic photo of Placerville ignites debate over its date, offering clues tied to early roads, dirt streets, and the Bell Tower timeline\" \/>\n<meta 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