Although the gold rush is long over, there is still a lot that draws people to visit the Motherlode countryside, including one of the cities we really love for both the people and the log cabin life, of course: Placerville, California. The city of Placerville is located right in the middle of California’s state capitol, Sacramento, and South Lake Tahoe, a world-famous skiing and tourism draw. Situated at an altitude just above the fog line and yet below the snow line, Placerville has the distinction of offering four separate seasons for those who live and visit there, a rarity in a state that is blessed with endless summer in most areas.
Due to its location, Placerville serves as a hub for many destinations and activities including premier wineries and their vineyards, Apple Hill Ranches, Historic Coloma, the American River, and the El Dorado National Forest, all located within minutes of downtown Placerville.
Placerville History
After the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in nearby Coloma, California, the small town now known as Placerville was known as Dry Diggin’s 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 then became known as “Hangtown” due to a hanging incident that occurred there.
Placerville also played a part in the famous Pony Express in its day. Located on the corner of Main and Sacramento Street is the site of the Pony Express where 80 riders including William, “Buffalo Bill” Cody, relayed mail by horseback between Missouri and Sacramento from April 1860 through June 1861.
Placerville has also been the home of several notable figures throughout history including Levi Strauss, John Studebaker, Henry Hooker and Thomas Kinkade.
What to do in Placerville
Whether you live there or just love visiting when you can, there’s something for just about everyone, from historic museums and Gold Rush sites to white-water rafting and kayaking on the American River, to camping, hiking, biking and touring the area’s wineries and apple orchards. And just a couple hours away is Lake Tahoe, which offers skiing, snowboarding, casino gambling, fishing/boating, camping, golfing and fine dining.
People who are interested in visiting and learning more about the gold rush era often visit the Gold Bug Park & Mine, a museum with tours and exhibitions right at a gold mining site.
Placerville’s historic Main Street has lots of fun shops, restaurants and even more for history buffs. One must-see is Placerville Hardware, still in operation and famous for its designation as the oldest continuously operating hardware store west of the Mississippi.
Many people who visit Placerville come for the popular community events including the Art & Wine Festival, Bell Tower Brewfest, Craft and Antique Fairs, Classic Car Shows and the Festival of Lights at the start of the holiday season.
If you love wine country, the region east of Placerville, popularly known as Apple Hill and Pleasant Valley, is the wine region officially designated as the El Dorado AVA. The largest wineries in the area are Boeger, Lava Cap and Madrona, with still more than 30 family-owned and smaller wineries you can visit in the area. Due to the dramatic elevations of the Sierra Nevada region these grapes are grown in, the area has become a center for production of Rhone style wines, with a local chapter of the Rhone Rangers winemaker association.
Living in Placerville, California
One of the best things about Placerville, of course, is the great variety of log homes in the area. The community is filled with beautiful log homes, friendly people, and a wide variety of activities for either adventure-seekers or those looking for a peaceful, scenic and historic getaway.
California has a lot of great communities filled with every shape, style and size of log homes. We’re lucky to work with homeowners throughout the state who trust us for restoring, repairing and building log homes and structures they love. From great lodges in the north to cozy weekend getaways in the south, we get to see it all. In addition to this article about Placerville, we’ve also profiled other log home-friendly communities including Grass Valley, Kirkwood, Sonora, Bear Valley, Mammoth, Pine Mountain Club & Frazier Park, Truckee, Lake Tahoe, Jackson, and Santa Cruz, so please click on each name to check them out.
We hope this inspires you to visit this beautiful mountain community. If you decide purchasing a log home in the Placerville area, or already own one and would like an appraisal, tips for maintenance, or general advice for maintaining a log home, please call our log home construction and log home restoration experts at 877-477-6564, or email jon@prologrestorations.com.
