History
North American Hotel: Echo Summit’s Lost Landmark
Long before Highway 50 crossed the Sierra, travelers faced snow, steep grades and isolation on the Placerville Route. At the...
What ‘The Yankee’s House’ Reveals About Gold Rush Life
Before Placerville had brick buildings, hotels and paved streets, miners squeezed into crude cabins — and one remarkable lithograph captured...
1855 Map Reveals Old Highway 50 Wagon Route
Before Highway 50 carried cars through the Sierra Nevada, wagons, horses and freight teams followed this rugged Gold Rush route....
Poor Red’s: The Last Saloon of Pleasant Valley
By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer. July 20, 2026) If the old stone walls of Poor Red's could talk, they'd likely...
Historic Whitehall Building Faces Partial Demolition
One of El Dorado County's oldest Highway 50 landmarks is changing forever. While part of the historic Whitehall Building is...
Placerville’s Fourth of July: A Legacy Forged in Freedom
Long before fireworks lit the skies over the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, miners welcomed Independence Day with anvils, parades and...
Old Tom Allen’s Saloon: Where Gold Discoverer James Marshall Spent His Final Years in Kelsey
Long gone but not forgotten, Tom Allen’s Saloon in Kelsey was once the daily meeting place of James W. Marshall,...
Placerville’s 1946 Drive-In Market: The Historic Business That Rose From Raley’s Ashes
A rare photograph from 1946 captures the opening day of Placerville Drive-In Market on Lower Main Street, showcasing a pivotal...
