What's Happening at the Society
What's Happening at the Society
Placer County Historical Society Dinner Meetings
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Next General Dinner Meeting Date: Thursday, February 6, 2024
Meeting at 6:00, Dinner at 6:15, Speaker begins at 6:45
Reservations required for the dinner. See below.
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Presentation:
Please join us for one of our favorite presenters, the History Expedition team! This group takes some fantastic journeys retracing historical events. They do massive research then set out to physically explore their subject. This time it is Snowshoe Thompson.
Snowshoe Thompson Expedition
Retracing the steps of his historic January 1856 mail route
To honor John “Snowshoe” Thompson, the History Expedition Team retraced a never before attempted 100-mile winter crossing on foot, snowshoes and skis, across the Sierra Mountains from Placerville, CA to Genoa, NV, reprising his inaugural Jan 3rd, 1856 mail carrying route. Come meet with the Expedition Team as they share stories and the video of their adventure and participate in a Q&A.
Starting March 8, History Expeditions co-founders Bob Crowley and Tim Twietmeyer, veteran ultra-distance trail runners and amateur historians, accompanied by Jennifer Hemmen, a versatile ultra-distance and adventure athlete, Elke Reimer, a veteran ultra-distance runner, backpacker and trail steward and Hal Hall, an accomplished endurance equestrian rider and historian, trekked and skied the rugged Sierra Nevada terrain between Placerville, CA and Genoa, NV.
It took the team 5 days to complete the expedition. The route took them along the South Fork of the American River, over the Sierra at Echo Lake (7,539’), down into the Tahoe Basin and along the Upper Truckee River, over Luther Pass (7,740′), down to Hope Valley, Woodfords and along the eastern base of the Sierra to Genoa, NV. Deep snow and frigid temperatures are anticipated, requiring much of the journey be done in snowshoes, skis and wilderness arctic gear. Progressing 10 to 35 miles per day, the hikers set camp each evening nearby likely spots where Thompson would have rested.
Please RSVP to: rsvp.pchs@gmail.com before February 2nd.
We need to know how many will attend
Note any special meals requested (Vegetarian or gluten free only)
State how you are paying- either cash at the door or through Venmo
Venmo: placer-historical-society
Dinner: $30.00 per person. Remember you are always welcome to come for the speaker only at no charge. The speaker generally starts about 6:45.
Non-members are very welcome
Location:
Veterans Memorial Hall
100 East Street, Auburn, CA
Cost for dinner: $30.00 per person - please note the price increase
Dinner Catered by Catering by Design
Non-members always welcome! If you would like to come just for the speaker, there is no admission charge.
We have a new reservation policy for dinner! Please read below.
Short version:
Please RSVP before February 2nd
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RSVP to rsvp.pchs@gmail.com
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Note if you are requesting a special meal - vegetarian or gluten free.
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Indicate how many people
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State how you are paying – Venmo or cash/check at the meeting
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Pay through Venmo at placer-historical-society
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Include name and number of people on Venmo
Dinner is 30.00 per person. You are always welcome to come for the speaker only, no admission charge.
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Longer version:
Please RSVP before February 2nd to rsvp.pchs@gmail.com
1. We will be setting a firm RSVP date – if you miss the date, you are most welcome to attend for the speaker, but we cannot guarantee that dinner will be available.
2. RSVP’s will now be sent to our new designated email address only. Reply to rsvp.pchs@gmail.com. No phone calls will be accepted. On the email please state how you will be paying. Either Venmo or bring cash or check to the meeting. No checks in the mail please.
3. You can now pay through our Venmo account – at placer-historical-society. When you reply via Venmo – for the reason for the payment - please indicate your name and number of people. For example: Jim and Jill Doe - 2 for February dinner paying by cash at the meeting. If you do not have a Venmo account you can still bring a check or cash to the meeting.
4. Our caterer is able to take into consideration only two kinds of special dietary needs; vegetarian and gluten free. If you need one of these meals, you must note it in your RSVP. Upon arriving please check in with the caterer about how to pick up your meal. The caterer will not deliver it to your table. We are sorry no other special dietary needs can be addressed. You are always welcome to come for the speaker only. No admission charge.
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​2025 Dinner meeting schedule
February 6 - History Expedition Team on Snowshoe Thompson
April 3 - Jim Wood on History of Lime Production in Placer County
June 5 - TBA
August - No meetings
October 2 - Dave Antonucci on 1960 Olympics
December 4 - Dinner and Annual raffle. History expedition guys- Hal Hall & Bob Cowley.
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2025 Board Meetings
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January 2
March 6
May 1
July 3
September 4
November 6​​
Historic Guided Walking Tour of Old Town Auburn
Every Saturday at 10am.
Meet a Placer County Museum Docent at the Courthouse Museum for a 1 hour tour.
Placer County Courthouse, 101 Maple St., Auburn
Info 530-889-6500.
Plaques and Monuments
Benton Welty Historic Classroom School Tours
Placer County Historical Society offers FREE one hour visits to the historic 1916 Benton Welty classroom in Auburn. The tours are designed for 2nd thru 4th graders. See more about the tours here.
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The classroom is open to the public Monday-Thursday from 11:00 to 2:00. No appointment necessary.
The Placer newsletter, a publication of the Placer County Museums
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See our publication, The Placer. Our most current newsletter and an archive of past issues.​​​
Placer History Press, a publication of the Placer County Historical Society
and the Placer County Historical Foundation
New Book published by the Placer County Historical Society
Egbert, Sisson, Wallace and Crocker: Merchants, Lumbermen and Chinese Railroad Labor Contractors
by John Knox
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Among the untold chapters in the history of Placer County is the story of the small 49er mercantile company in Illinoistown which supplied the bulk of the Chinese labor when the Central Pacific Railroad began advertising for laborers in 1865. Within two years this small firm, Egbert & Co., acquired a near total monopoly in the Chinese labor market and supplied much of the Chinese railroad labor on the coast over the next two and a half decades. By 1870 they had also become major dealers in groceries, hardware and other provisions, specializing in Chinese goods, with stores located on the lines of the Western Pacific, California and Oregon, and Central Pacific Railroads. In addition for a number of years they were a major dealer in wood, timber, lumber and charcoal in the Truckee River Basin. These are but several examples of their many successful endeavors, the most unusual perhaps being their opening of the first salmon cannery in Alaska. It was surprising then to learn that they remain, except for a few historians, little known. Egbert, Sisson, Wallace and Crocker: Merchants, Lumbermen and Chinese Railroad Labor Contractors, just published by the Placer County Historical Society and written and compiled by PCHS member and local historian John Knox aims to remedy that oversight through an abundance of primary source material chronicling the business and partnership of Placer County’s Egbert & Co. Available from the Placer County Historical Society at this time. Books Book Order Form