History
Pilot Hill Founded California’s First Grange in 1870
Discover how El Dorado County's Pilot Hill Grange No. 1 became California's first Grange in 1870 and helped shape the...
Pollock Pines: From Lumber Camp to Mountain Community
Pollock Pines wasn't named after a Gold Rush miner or an old Western legend. Its name came from a Michigan...
Giosue Bassi: The Swiss Immigrant Who Built a Ranching Legacy in El Dorado County
Before reservoirs covered mountain valleys and modern roads crossed the Sierra, Giosue Bassi built a life around cattle, dairy ranching...
Placerville’s Druid Monument Move Raises Historic Preservation Concerns
Placerville’s Druid Monument just celebrated its 100th anniversary. Now, plans to move it about 45 feet and reconfigure the Ivy...
Placerville in 1950: The Price of Highway 50
Look closely at this aerial photograph of Placerville in 1950. The Shakespeare Club is suspended on timber pilings, awaiting relocation,...
Harry Fonseca’s Legacy Celebrated in Shingle Springs
From his iconic Coyote paintings to powerful works confronting California’s Gold Rush history, Harry Fonseca reshaped contemporary Native American art....
The Cobalt Hotel: A Georgetown Divide Family Mystery
A father stands in front of his grandfather’s Cobalt Hotel in a photograph believed to date to about 1936. Behind...
Blair Brothers Lumber: Placerville’s Timber Legacy
Before modern lumberyards and big-box home improvement stores, the Blair brothers helped supply the homes, mines and businesses of El...
