Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-17
HOT FOR HANGTOWN.
Old Timers to Visit the Scenes of Pioneer
DAYS on the 25fb


their names. So far but little over 100 have
done so. There is no county IN the State,
IN fact no section of the same area in the
| Union, that has grander history than Ell
Dorado. 1t was here that Marshal: made
his memorable discovery in 1S4S that at
once peopled this coast, and
RECLAIMED FROM A WILDERNESS
In less than one year the grandest section
the sun ever shone upon. Ell Dorado county
was the objective point of every pioneer,
no matter whether he came around the
Horn, by the way of the isthmus or by the
long tedious trip across the plains. In a
lew short months Coloma, Hangtown, Dia-
mond Springs, Cold Springs, Mud Springs,
Unlontown, Georgetown, Johntown, Kel-
sey, Spanish Flat and other mining camps
contained thousands of miners each There
were no sawmills. and all the houses up to
1872, and in some localities till as late as
1854, were constructed of canvas or pine
logs. The latter far outnumbered the for
mer, and consisted of one room built of
small logs, door in one end, q chimney in
the other, window in one side, the space
between the logs chinked with
MUD MIXED WITH LEAVES.
These cabins generally were one room, in
size l4x20, and was drawing room parlor
dining-room and bedroom Stoves were
something unknown, and the iron kettle
suspended in the chimney, the long
handled frying pan and the oid-fashioned
iron Dutch oven composed the kitchen
| outfit. Fruit was something not to be
! found in market, canned goods were not to
be obtained in those days, and the regular
fare twenty-one meals a week, both at the
hotels and in the miners cabins, was bacon
and beans. The only fresh meat obtain
able was what could be culled from the
forest with the life or fowling piece and
| the woods were full of grouse, quail, silver
gray tree squirrel and deer. The miner
| however, in his
EAGER SEARCH FOR GOLD,
Had no taste for field sports. The foyling-
| piece was allowed to rust on the pegs
on the inside of his cabin, while he
rustled from sunrise until dark with
| the pick, shovel, pan and cradle.
Some of the richest placers in Ell Dorado
county were in the little ravines and
| gulches that were tributary to the forks of
| the American river-Webber, Tennessee
Irish, Rock and Empire creeks. These
small rayines had no water in them except
during the rainy season, and hence, in the
early days, they were called dry diggings
This was remedied, however, in few short
months, for, going to the heads of the large
| streams, enterprising miners conducted the
water along the tops of the ridges in
bitches, and soon water was
coURsING DOWN EVERY RAvINE
| Where miner desired to wash for gold.
This water brought fabulously high prices
and the same head was used over and over
again before it reached the river.
Until September, 1S49, what is now
known as Placerville was called Dry Dig
gings. II was long. row of log cabins in
beautiful vale on both sides of good
sized stream tributary to Weber creek.
| The vale was over two miles in length and
! several hundred feet in width On both
sides hills arose for height of from 200 to
500 feet, which were 6ensely covered with
an elegant growth of black oak fir, cedar
and several species of pine.
Ii September, 1S49, three murderers were
| tried by miners meeting, sentenced and
executed. They were
HANGED FROM BIG WHITE OAK TREE
! Which stood upon what is now the Plaza
| in Placerville- From that day, for many
years thereafter, this camp went by the
name of Hangtown. In later years, when
incorporated into a city, the name was
changed to Placerville, but with
| tie old pioneer it is Hangtown yet.
| One OF the best early towns of The county,
outside of Coloma and Placerville, was
| full little valley, fertile, well-watered. mid
way between Coloma and Hangtown,
| five miles from EACH and was named
after remarkably fine flowing spring of
water, which supplied over 800 cabins. The
| piacers in this valley, in its hills and
ravines were fabulously rich. Poison
Ravine-so called from the heavy growth
| of poison oak-was half a mile in length,
! and paid the miners
oUART-CUP OF GOLD DUST
Per day to each hand. Red Hill, knoll
| of about three acres, with a gravel deposit
| OF from six TO ten feet, was worked out in
six months, and paid over 81 ,00O, 900.
| 1t was in this place that Leland Stanford
| first engaged in business on this coast. He
! had little shake shantN on Main street, in
| which he had a supply of miners tools,
| blankets, overalls. -four, coffee, bacon and
beans. He was the boss merchant of the
| town. He wore a blue flannel overshirt.
| his pantaloons in his boots, q SLOUGH hat,
and was - a young rustler.n 1t can be said
for Cold Springs that its population was of
a more representative character than that
of any other of the towns. 1t was settled
almost exclusively with New EnglandeIs
and people from the West-dozen. of
young men who had just graduated from
YALE, DARTMOUTH AND HARVARD
! Settled here. Their sheepskins were thrown
| 10 one side and every man toiled in the
mines. As early as 1850 these young m en-
and others organized debating society for
| evening pastimes, and in 1852 the Frank
| lin Institute Library" was established,
which was the first library on this coast. Ii
contained several hundred volumes of the
choicest selections. DIR. f. NJ Shields and
Hon. L. S. Taylor of this city were early
identified with this library and were among
| the young men who were wrestling with
the tickle goddess. William 7. Coleman,
who failed few days since, was an early
resident of Cold Springs and made
his first start there. He afterwards kept
store in Placerville.
| Ex-senator John CONFESS was one of the
early miners on the Georgetown divide and
was always considered one of the best
politicians in the county.
The Ell Dorado Bar in those years in
cluded Thomas Robinson, S. w. Sander
son, E. L. Sanderson, S. Garfield, Judge
Van Clesf, Thomas II. Williams, D. h
New ell, John Hume, S. 3. Farwell, ]. NJ.
Howell, Thomas II. Hewes, William Ross,
| Judge Cope, J. A. Patterson, James S.
Anthony, J. A. Quereau, g. D. Hall, ]. A 4.
Richart, Jas. Johnson, Colonel Ed. Baker,
Tom Fitch and c. J. Reckleff. All except
| Judge Howell of Texas, Judge Hewes of
! Louisiana, Judge Cope and Judge Hall of
San Francisco and Tom Fitch of San Diego
are now before the Court of last resort
where briefs are not filed or judgments
reversed.
The first Legislature created the Sixth
Judicial District, composed of the counties
of FL Dorado and Sacramento, and ap-
pointed Tod Robinson, of Sacramento,
Judge. The second Legislature created the
Eleventh Judicial District composed CT the
counties of Ell Dorado, Placer and Yolo,
and Governor McDougal appointed s. B.
| Farwell Judge. Fsrwell was subsequently
elected, but soon resigned, having been
appointed United States Land Commits
sioner. Farwelrs Wing opponent for Dis
iriei Judge was I. L. Sanderson, brother of
the late Chief Justice S. W. Sanderson.
The District Judges for 1902 were j.
II. Thomas. Tod Robinson, S. b. Farwell
and J. NJ. Howell. A return on an exc
cution made by Sheriff Sayward, in De-
cember, 1s49, reads:
q The following goods were seized and
sold and brought the following prices:
One-half keg butter, $50 65; half bar
rel peaches, S12l 13; two sacks -four.
800 pounds, sos; one-hslf cheese, 101
| pounds, IS so; two bottles cherry brandy