This site is a county site for California AHGP, a state organization of the American History and Genealogy Project (AHGP). AHGP is a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. You have apparently stumbled upon my contribution to this effort. My name is Dennis Partridge, and I am the CAAHGP county coordinator (cc) for Placer County, California.
If you would like to contribute data to this website please contact me, using the comment form!
The County of Placer was organized by act of the Legislature approved April 25th, 1851. Its boundaries are described in said act, as follows:
“Beginning on the Sacramento River at the northwest corner of Sacramento County, and running thence up the middle of said river, to a point ten miles below the junction of Sacramento and Feather rivers; thence in a northerly direction in a straight line to a point in the middle of Bear Creek, opposite Camp Far West; thence up the middle of said creek, to its source; thence due east to the State line; thence southerly on the State line to the north-easterly corner of El Dorado County; thence westerly on the northerly line of El Dorado County to the junction of the North and South. Forks of the American River; thence westerly on the northerly line of Sacramento County to the place of beginning.”
The act of the Legislature also fixed the county seat at Auburn. The first election for county and township officers of Placer County took place on the 26th of May, 1851, which resulted in the choice of the following gentle-men to fill the various county offices: H. Fitzsimmons, County Judge; Samuel C. Astin, Sheriff ; R. D. Hopkins, District Attorney ; James T. Stewart, Clerk ; Alfred Louis, Assessor ; Douglas Bingham, Treasurer: A. Bronk, Public Administrator. Of -the number of votes cast at this election, we can obtain no authentic account. The vote at some of the camps and towns, however, was surprisingly large; especially at precincts which had started one or two favored individuals who aspired to official honors. The election was contested by several of the defeated candidates, but by the death of one of the contestants, and compromises made between the remaining contestants and their more fortunate opponents, the incumbents were permitted to hold the positions to which they had received certificates of election, for the remainder of their terms in peace.
- Placer County History
- Churches of Placer County
- Masons of Placer County
- I. O. O. F. of Placer County
- Sons of Temperance of Placer County
- County Officers of Placer, 1861
- Popular Vote of Placer County, 1851 – 1860
- Newspapers of Placer County
- Placer County Directory
- Placer County Towns
Reference: Directory of the County of Placer for the year 1861, Printed for the publishers, by C.F. Robbins, 1861.
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