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Placerville, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Placerville, California | |||
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| Nickname: Old Hangtown | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | California | ||
| County | El Dorado | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Mark Acuna | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 5.8 sq mi (15 km²) | ||
| - Land | 5.8 sq mi (15 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 1,870 ft (570 m) | ||
| Population (2000)[1] | |||
| - Total | 9,610 (city proper) | ||
| - Density | 1,656.89/sq mi (640.66/km²) | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP code | 95667 | ||
| Area code(s) | 530 | ||
| FIPS code | 06-57540 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0277577 | ||
| Website: http://www.ci.placerville.ca.us/ | |||
Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 9,610 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
Placerville is located at (38.729267, -120.803000).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.0 km² (5.8 mi²), all land.
Placerville is located where US 50 and State Road 49 intersect.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 9,610 people, 4,001 households, and 2,484 families residing in the city. The population density was 639.7/km² (1,656.2/mi²). There were 4,242 housing units at an average density of 282.4/km² (731.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.56% White, 0.23% Black or African American, 1.27% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 5.79% from other races, and 3.14% from two or more races. 12.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,001 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,454, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $36,711 versus $28,095 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,151. About 9.3% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Prior to the discovery of gold in nearby Coloma, California by James W. Marshall in 1848[2] sparking the California Gold Rush, the small town now known as Placerville was known as Dry Diggins after the manner in which the miners moved cartloads of dry soil to running water to separate the gold from the soil. Later in 1849, the town earned its most common historical name, "hangtown" , due to the numerous hangings that had taken place there[3]. By 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. 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.
Placerville was a central hub for the Mother Lode region's mining operations[4]. 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.[5]
The Southern Pacific Railroad once had a branch line that extended from Sacramento to Placerville. The track was abandoned in the 1980s. The Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad (now abandoned) also operated an 8-mile shortline that operated between Camino, California and Placerville until June 17, 1986. As of March 29, 2007, 52 miles of the right-of-way have been purchased by the city of Folsom, and eighteen miles of track have been restored. Plans are under consideration for a tourist excursion train along the route.[6]
Placerville is nicknamed "Old Hangtown" (due to the fact that many people were hanged in the late 1800s)[7], this can be seen on the street markers in town. A belltower, once used as a warning bell for fire, is located on main street which is a landmark in the area. Placerville is home to the Mountain Democrat newspaper and Marshall Medical Center.
Placerville is a historic community from the gold-rush days, and accordingly there are many old buildings from this period.[8]. A walk down Main Street also reveals many historical markers, signifying spots of certain events or persons of importance during this period. Placerville was also on the line of the Pony Express, a short-lived mail carrier service that connected California to the Midwest and East (basically from Sacramento to St. Louis). The Pony Express eventually gave way to the efficiencies of railroad transportation.[9]
The branch line was actually never allowed to be abandoned and was purchased from the Union Pacific in 1996 for $14 million by the Joint Powers Authority consisting of Sacramento County, Folsom, and El Dorado County. Currently there is a group that is restoring the line to run historic excursion trains from Folsom to Placerville a total of 35 miles of track that is still in place to this day. There is also a mountain bike trail and equestrian trails.
Over the years many notable and influential people had shops in Placerville, mostly along the now historic Main Street.[10]
Historical persons:
- Edwin Markham - American poet
- John Studebaker - auto maker
- Levi Strauss - clothing maker
- Mark Hopkins - railroad financier (and eventual hotel owner)
- Philip Armour - meat packer
- Snowshoe Thompson - mail carrier
Modern notable people:
- Thomas Kinkade - American painter
- Toby Hall - American baseball player
- El Dorado Western Railway Foundation blog The railway is restoring the Diamond & Caldor No. 4 Shay locomotive at the El Dorado County Historical Museum
- ^ US Census Bureau fact sheet
- ^ Marshall discovers gold in California
- ^ El Dorado County Visitor's Guide
- ^ El Dorado County Visitors Authority
- ^ Hangtown's Gold Bug Park & Mine.
- ^ Iander, John (2007-03-29). Some Hoping In Rejuvenating A Folsom Railroad. KMAX CBS13. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
- ^ El Dorado --> County Visitor's Guide
- ^ Historical buildings and monuments in El Dorado County
- ^ Pony Express
- ^ El Dorado County Visitor's Authority
- Placerville, California is at coordinates Coordinates:
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El Dorado County, California |
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|---|---|---|
| County seat: Placerville | ||
| Cities |
Placerville | South Lake Tahoe |
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| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||