Eureka!

On a frosty morning in January 1848, mill worker James Marshall saw what he believed to be the glitter of gold in the sand near the washout area of the sawmill he worked at. Bending down, he held the flake between his fingers and declared it to be gold.

The cry of “Gold!” spread around the world and soon gold seekers crowded the town that is now known as Coloma. Historians estimate that by 1849 over 200,000 people found their way to Coloma in search of gold.

Dry Diggins was the original name of a gold camp that sprang up along the canyon creek which was later called Hangtown Creek. With the discovery of gold came crime. When a man was suspected of having committed a crime the townspeople would convene and try the case. Dry Diggins was nicknamed “Hangtown” after several men were hung from an oak tree. To this day, the stump of the old oak tree remains under the “Hangman’s Tree Saloon” on Main Street of Placerville.

In 1854 in an effort to give the town a more appropriate name, Hangtown was changed to Placerville. In 1850 California became a state. Coloma was the county seat of El Dorado County but the faster growing town of Placerville replaced it in 1857.

For awhile, the gold seekers were happy, but by the late 1850s the gold that had been alleged to be found just lying in the roads, began to dwindle. Those who had depended solely on discovering gold, headed for home while those who had recognized the fertile land in El Dorado County managed to stay having become farmers, loggers, builders and merchants.

Cattle was raised in the high country and brought to the lowlands during the brutal winters. Wheat and other grain crops were raised to supply feed for the many cattle, dairy cows, sheep, horses and work oxen. Orchards were planted, yielding crops for trade and commerce. Sawmills popped up all over the County, accommodating the timber industry.

In 1888 the railroad was extended to Placerville and, during the first quarter of the 20th century, the automobile arrived. The Tahoe wagon road which is now Highway 50 made it possible to travel from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and tourism soon became an important industry. El Dorado County became known for its recreational attractions, majestic scenery and quiet atmosphere.

El Dorado County, one of the State’s original 27 counties, is well named. El Dorado means “The Gilded One.” And while the discovery of gold originally brought the people here, it is agriculture and tourism that bring them here today.