Thank you to all those who put this presentation together. I was particularly moved by Dr. Lindsay and Dr. Saunders presentations regarding the history of "Hangtown" and what actually happened here, long ago. Four lynchings. Three of the four people hanged were foreigners who spoke no English and had no access to legal representation. Furthermore, the decision to hang them was made by white males in a private meeting, behind closed doors. If I understand the presentation correctly, the hangings were then used as a method of intimidation. It was a time of vigilante justice, lawlessness, and rule by fear. Today, for minorities in our community, the noose, still stands as a symbol of intimidation and fear. I can't tell you how many people of color I have personally spoken with, and asked them of their experiences in El Dorado County. They then tell me of incidences where they, and their children, were intimidated, bullied and/or insulted. This is even commonplace in the upscale community of El Dorado Hills, to professionals, who happen to be POC, and where you might think that educated, "polite", "civil" society would prevent this sort of behavior. It does not. After hearing the history and the current perception of the symbol of the noose, I can think of no earthly reason why the City Council of Placerville would want to include and glorify the noose as a symbol of our town. It conjures up images of lawlessness, fear, intimidation, vigilante justice, chaos, and everything Placerville does NOT want to be. I support taking the noose OUT of the official logo. Thank you for your consideration.
I'm saving this for my weekly LA to the Bay and back 16.5 hour day tomorrow. I've been passing through Hangtown for a year or so and I've really gotten into the gold rush history. I'd like to come up and stay for a weekend sometime.
I am looking forward to viewing section 1. I found sections 2-6 very informative. In the context of the immediate concern which is a positive logo to identity Placerville I appreciated hearing the following from the two Sacramento State historians: Dr. Brendon Lindsay: "(T)he sum total of lynching incidents discovered in the historical records, four. In the records from the 1850s there were a number of instances where the community considered lynching criminals but in all cases they turned over to the proper authorities and to the legal systems instead. … The community called Hangtown did not bear the name solely alone for long. Perhaps by that name alone for only about one year." Dr. Nathan Halla: "(B)y 1853 there is more of an effort by those who decided to stay in California to settle down and to establish roots to develop businesses acquire property and if they can to raise families and establish relationships and institutions that form the basis of the civil society as opposed to the gold rush society which is a little bit more chaotic and the hangings the vigilante justice in 1849 and 1850 in Placerville sort of a symbol of that chaos and what Placerville is developing by 1856 is the rule of law and more of a family friendly environment." The highlights for me so far. Emphasis added for a focus on * logo * Dr. Brendon Lindsay: Hangtown 1849-1850 5:48 Since the * mining was done by digging dry earth rather than panning in the stream flow * it was called a dry digging. Hence the name of the location. 6:33 The name change from Dry Diggins to Hangtown following the winter of *1849 lynching * of three men that was widely reported and well remembered. An eyewitness account exists in the journal of Edward Gould Buffum who reported that five foreigners none of whom spoke English had been seized for the attempted robbery of a Mexican gambler tried and convicted by a mob and severely whipped as their punishment. Three of the men whipped two French nationals and one Chilean national were believed to be wanted fugitives. They were then tried and found guilty of a previously committed robbery and attempted murder in the far off southern regions of the mother lode. * They were sentenced to death although none of the miners were present were witnesses to these alleged crimes and no evidence was presented against them beyond their fitting a general description. Buffum reported that the three had been so badly whipped after the earlier trial that they were not even present at the second trial. * None the less they were bound blindfolded and hung until dead from an oak tree in the center of the community. While California was not a state yet it did have laws and a military government a previous year in California newspapers a military governor Colonel Richard Mason had issued a proclamation reminding the population of the laws as well as the continuance of local governance under the old Alcalde system where it had existed. However since the Alcalde of the Mexican era did not existed in the Sierra Nevada and the US army rarely sent patrols into the Mother Lode for fear of desertion by troops catching gold fever * justice in mining camps was typically handled in an extralegal manner often simply referred to as judge lynch *… According to the Sacramento Daily Union * in October 1850 an additional lynching occurred * in what was now being called Hangtown. Richard Crone was lynched by a crowd after stabbing a man to death in the El Dorado Salon. A newspaper account of the incident reported that * the sheriff and town constable were prevented by the crowd from arresting him. Instead the mob tried and executed Crone * using the oak at the center of the town as a gallows. * This was the sum total of lynching incidents discovered in the historical records, four. In the records from the 1850s there were a number of instances where the community considered lynching criminals but in all cases they turned over to the proper authorities and to the legal systems instead. … The community called Hangtown did not bear the name solely alone for long. Perhaps by that name alone for only about one year. * Dr. Nathan Hallan: Becoming Placerville 19:53 * The legislatures are using the word Placerville in the first months of 1850 and not Hangtown. ...* This is the moment when at least officially Hangtown becomes Placerville. “California Statutes: The seat of Justice shall be at Culloma or at Placerville whichever place shall be chose by the qualified electors of this County at the first election to be held there in for County Judges” (2/18/1850) clerk.assembly.ca.gov/sites/clerk.assembly.ca.gov/files/archive/Statutes/1850/1850.pdf 21:33 So there is some disconnect between the state legislature the elected officials who have made this place called Placerville and the people on the ground who are participating in the Gold Rush and coming in from Nevada “...The constant inquiry along the road is how far is it to Hangtown. The Legislature has very properly changed the name to Placerville” (Sacramento Transcript, 10/11/1850) 22:30 * A year later we can look at this pocket map … it becomes known among the miners increasingly as Placerville. (Benjamin Butler Map of Gold Region of California, 1851) 22:50 This I think indicates that hat most people know the place as Placerville in the summer of 1852 but so just so that there is no confusion if you still call it Hangtown it is in parenthesis. (Sacramento Daily Union, Hunter Co Express to Placerville (or Hangtown), 6/16/1852) 25:43 By 1853 all over California we are finding efforts to create a civil society the Gold Rush was a bit chaotic it was overwhelmingly male 9 out of every 10 participants were men most of them in there 20s and 30s there was this get rich mentality you would then return home with all of your wealth from California so the idea was to get in make as much money as possible and get out and go back to where you came from but * by 1853 there is more of an effort by those who decided to stay in California to settle down and to establish roots to develop businesses acquire property and if they can to raise families and establish relationships and institutions that form the basis of the civil society as opposed to the gold rush society which is a little bit more chaotic and the hangings the vigilante justice in 1849 and 1850 in Placerville sort of a symbol of that chaos and what Placerville is developing by 1856 is the rule of law and more of a family friendly environment. * Dr. Michael Saunders: Role of Minority Groups in Placerville Area History 1:34 Minorities have provided a lot of rich history to Placerville and we don’t have a lot that we have to show for it. * Even aside from the fact of the perception that the logo has for the different minority groups throughout Placerville it represents a symbol of exclusion rather than inclusion and as a symbol of a time which represents the fact that a lot of the people that are minorities in this town did not have any legal rights and access to due process. *
🤠John Wunschel Born and raised in HangTown. My grandfather had The Rosebud cafe on main st in 1920-30s My father was a cattle rancher with Fred Lunaman of Lunaman rd . Fred told of a story of Robbers Roost on Salmon falls road. Three men jumped of the rock when the stage passed below the bluff. They got three bars of gold. The Mexican got shot and died on the Lunaman ranch off Salmon falls rd . The other two men were caught in fair play ca a few days later. Only two bars of gold were recovered. They said the missing bar of gold was bared with the Mexican somewhere on the Old lane ranch now the Lunaman ranch. For years we looked for the missing bar and the Mexican grave.>-W-> John Wunschel 65 years in Hangtown
Too much intro, explanation, the thanks should come at the end. Many credentials are repeated. If you need production help please ask me, you have made a compelling story boring. I love the area and enjoyed the museums growing up while visiting my Great Aunt. This was an area of self-starters and inventors, explorers, please re-make this using photogs of the area and items in the museums, this is rich history that you have made poor.
Placerville mat want to forget it was ever called hangtown. Placerville has so much rich mining history and hangtown overshadows the wonderful unique ways disease, wealth and society were dealt with
Good presentation, I love history!
Thank you to all those who put this presentation together. I was particularly moved by Dr. Lindsay and Dr. Saunders presentations regarding the history of "Hangtown" and what actually happened here, long ago. Four lynchings. Three of the four people hanged were foreigners who spoke no English and had no access to legal representation. Furthermore, the decision to hang them was made by white males in a private meeting, behind closed doors. If I understand the presentation correctly, the hangings were then used as a method of intimidation. It was a time of vigilante justice, lawlessness, and rule by fear. Today, for minorities in our community, the noose, still stands as a symbol of intimidation and fear. I can't tell you how many people of color I have personally spoken with, and asked them of their experiences in El Dorado County. They then tell me of incidences where they, and their children, were intimidated, bullied and/or insulted. This is even commonplace in the upscale community of El Dorado Hills, to professionals, who happen to be POC, and where you might think that educated, "polite", "civil" society would prevent this sort of behavior. It does not. After hearing the history and the current perception of the symbol of the noose, I can think of no earthly reason why the City Council of Placerville would want to include and glorify the noose as a symbol of our town. It conjures up images of lawlessness, fear, intimidation, vigilante justice, chaos, and everything Placerville does NOT want to be. I support taking the noose OUT of the official logo. Thank you for your consideration.
Get out of here before someone lynches you too.
I'm saving this for my weekly LA to the Bay and back 16.5 hour day tomorrow. I've been passing through Hangtown for a year or so and I've really gotten into the gold rush history. I'd like to come up and stay for a weekend sometime.
I am looking forward to viewing section 1. I found sections 2-6 very informative. In the context of the immediate concern which is a positive logo to identity Placerville I appreciated hearing the following from the two Sacramento State historians:
Dr. Brendon Lindsay: "(T)he sum total of lynching incidents discovered in the historical records, four. In the records from the 1850s there were a number of instances where the community considered lynching criminals but in all cases they turned over to the proper authorities and to the legal systems instead. … The community called Hangtown did not bear the name solely alone for long. Perhaps by that name alone for only about one year."
Dr. Nathan Halla: "(B)y 1853 there is more of an effort by those who decided to stay in California to settle down and to establish roots to develop businesses acquire property and if they can to raise families and establish relationships and institutions that form the basis of the civil society as opposed to the gold rush society which is a little bit more chaotic and the hangings the vigilante justice in 1849 and 1850 in Placerville sort of a symbol of that chaos and what Placerville is developing by 1856 is the rule of law and more of a family friendly environment."
The highlights for me so far. Emphasis added for a focus on * logo *
Dr. Brendon Lindsay: Hangtown 1849-1850
5:48
Since the * mining was done by digging dry earth rather than panning in the stream flow * it was called a dry digging. Hence the name of the location.
6:33
The name change from Dry Diggins to Hangtown following the winter of *1849 lynching * of three men that was widely reported and well remembered. An eyewitness account exists in the journal of Edward Gould Buffum who reported that five foreigners none of whom spoke English had been seized for the attempted robbery of a Mexican gambler tried and convicted by a mob and severely whipped as their punishment. Three of the men whipped two French nationals and one Chilean national were believed to be wanted fugitives. They were then tried and found guilty of a previously committed robbery and attempted murder in the far off southern regions of the mother lode. * They were sentenced to death although none of the miners were present were witnesses to these alleged crimes and no evidence was presented against them beyond their fitting a general description. Buffum reported that the three had been so badly whipped after the earlier trial that they were not even present at the second trial. * None the less they were bound blindfolded and hung until dead from an oak tree in the center of the community. While California was not a state yet it did have laws and a military government a previous year in California newspapers a military governor Colonel Richard Mason had issued a proclamation reminding the population of the laws as well as the continuance of local governance under the old Alcalde system where it had existed. However since the Alcalde of the Mexican era did not existed in the Sierra Nevada and the US army rarely sent patrols into the Mother Lode for fear of desertion by troops catching gold fever * justice in mining camps was typically handled in an extralegal manner often simply referred to as judge lynch *… According to the Sacramento Daily Union * in October 1850 an additional lynching occurred * in what was now being called Hangtown. Richard Crone was lynched by a crowd after stabbing a man to death in the El Dorado Salon. A newspaper account of the incident reported that * the sheriff and town constable were prevented by the crowd from arresting him. Instead the mob tried and executed Crone * using the oak at the center of the town as a gallows. * This was the sum total of lynching incidents discovered in the historical records, four. In the records from the 1850s there were a number of instances where the community considered lynching criminals but in all cases they turned over to the proper authorities and to the legal systems instead. … The community called Hangtown did not bear the name solely alone for long. Perhaps by that name alone for only about one year. *
Dr. Nathan Hallan: Becoming Placerville
19:53
* The legislatures are using the word Placerville in the first months of 1850 and not Hangtown. ...* This is the moment when at least officially Hangtown becomes Placerville. “California Statutes: The seat of Justice shall be at Culloma or at Placerville whichever place shall be chose by the qualified electors of this County at the first election to be held there in for County Judges” (2/18/1850) clerk.assembly.ca.gov/sites/clerk.assembly.ca.gov/files/archive/Statutes/1850/1850.pdf
21:33
So there is some disconnect between the state legislature the elected officials who have made this place called Placerville and the people on the ground who are participating in the Gold Rush and coming in from Nevada “...The constant inquiry along the road is how far is it to Hangtown. The Legislature has very properly changed the name to Placerville” (Sacramento Transcript, 10/11/1850)
22:30
* A year later we can look at this pocket map … it becomes known among the miners increasingly as Placerville. (Benjamin Butler Map of Gold Region of California, 1851)
22:50
This I think indicates that hat most people know the place as Placerville in the summer of 1852 but so just so that there is no confusion if you still call it Hangtown it is in parenthesis. (Sacramento Daily Union, Hunter Co Express to Placerville (or Hangtown), 6/16/1852)
25:43
By 1853 all over California we are finding efforts to create a civil society the Gold Rush was a bit chaotic it was overwhelmingly male 9 out of every 10 participants were men most of them in there 20s and 30s there was this get rich mentality you would then return home with all of your wealth from California so the idea was to get in make as much money as possible and get out and go back to where you came from but * by 1853 there is more of an effort by those who decided to stay in California to settle down and to establish roots to develop businesses acquire property and if they can to raise families and establish relationships and institutions that form the basis of the civil society as opposed to the gold rush society which is a little bit more chaotic and the hangings the vigilante justice in 1849 and 1850 in Placerville sort of a symbol of that chaos and what Placerville is developing by 1856 is the rule of law and more of a family friendly environment. *
Dr. Michael Saunders: Role of Minority Groups in Placerville Area History
1:34
Minorities have provided a lot of rich history to Placerville and we don’t have a lot that we have to show for it. * Even aside from the fact of the perception that the logo has for the different minority groups throughout Placerville it represents a symbol of exclusion rather than inclusion and as a symbol of a time which represents the fact that a lot of the people that are minorities in this town did not have any legal rights and access to due process. *
thank you so much for your meticulous work transcribing these quotes. What a great resource our City Council has provided!
🤠John Wunschel Born and raised in HangTown. My grandfather had The Rosebud cafe on main st in 1920-30s My father was a cattle rancher with Fred Lunaman of Lunaman rd . Fred told of a story of Robbers Roost on Salmon falls road. Three men jumped of the rock when the stage passed below the bluff. They got three bars of gold. The Mexican got shot and died on the Lunaman ranch off Salmon falls rd . The other two men were caught in fair play ca a few days later. Only two bars of gold were recovered. They said the missing bar of gold was bared with the Mexican somewhere on the Old lane ranch now the Lunaman ranch. For years we looked for the missing bar and the Mexican grave.>-W-> John Wunschel 65 years in Hangtown
thank you to the presenters!
thank you for this lecture
Too much intro, explanation, the thanks should come at the end. Many credentials are repeated. If you need production help please ask me, you have made a compelling story boring. I love the area and enjoyed the museums growing up while visiting my Great Aunt. This was an area of self-starters and inventors, explorers, please re-make this using photogs of the area and items in the museums, this is rich history that you have made poor.
Placerville mat want to forget it was ever called hangtown. Placerville has so much rich mining history and hangtown overshadows the wonderful unique ways disease, wealth and society were dealt with
Why try to delete or edit history? With gold comes robbers and with robbwrs comes punishment.