Eldorado County

Report on Spiritual Problems Facing Placerville and El Dorado County:
(Given by Local Prayer Leadership)

The Designation Hangtown: You mentioned the historical background of the area. To go along with that, one day as I was driving through town/Main Street and praying, I glanced in my rear view mirror and was AGHAST to see the life-sized 'dummy' that hangs over the Hangtown Bar come alive!

 

The Lord revealed that is WHY there is such a spirit of death over this county, because we are labeled HANGTOWN. The word is on the 'Welcome' sign as you enter Placerville off Highway 50. It is on the sheriff's vehicles, a part of retail shops and local businesses, shirts, hats, all over! The suicide rate is incredibly high here. We need t! ! o speak LIFE and LIGHT for 'Where there is darkness and the light comes in, the darkness cannot stay', amen!

 

Reflection: Christians are sent by God to reclaim what the enemy has taken and to announce “Life.” May the Christians of this area rename their town in the spiritual realm to reflect “Life.” Many came hear seeking a new beginning. Many more found new beginning than were hanged. Pray this town will refocus on the positive aspects of its history and fulfill its destiny to be a place of new beginnings. It is not the end of the road for those who break the law. It is a place where God imparts life to the broken for new beginnings!

2 Cor. 5:17.

Witchcraft/the occult is rampant here, especially within our schools. There is a psychic on our local cable community TV station and psychic/palm reading shop on Highway 50, just east of town. So many 'lost' teenagers seeking truth, the enemy draws them with in lies and deception!

 
There is also a large druid monument on the east side of town at a busy intersection. We are praying that the Lord will open the earth and have that monument 'swallowed' so that it disappears completely from our streets.
Pray God will break the power of the occult through revelations of His love and power. We invite Him through signs and wonders to declare His name and sovereignty over this area.
 

Drug and alcohol abuse: May the Holy Spirit reveal the enemy’s schemes to our law enforcement personnel, may amphetamine houses and marijuana fields be exposed and destroyed, may those in bondage be set free to be whom God created them to be. Pray they become addicted to Jesus Christ!
 

Buddhists have been welcomed into a local church, high school and a restaurant where they performed 'healings'. Pray all the idolatry they brought in be washed clean by the Blood of Jesus, never to return as we take AUTHORITY over this area where God has assigned us. All paths are not equal. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! "Know Jesus - Know peace. NO Jesus - NO Peace." Any questions? We need to be just that clear!

Homosexuality is on the increase as homosexuals are being drawn to this area. Many people are double-minded and confused; Christians are NOT taking a stand for God's Righteousness and His Kingdom! Pray that community leaders, teachers and parent’s eyes would be open to the way sexual sin is being introduced and welcomed into the schools, into businesses, into main stream society and into some churches.

Proclamation:

A long time ago Women Aglow hung a banner across Main Street for an upcoming community prayer/worship meeting that read 'The GOLD RUSH Returns!' We know that JESUS is the true Gold, the real treasure, and shortly thereafter a local prayer leader got the name 'Glory-town' to replace 'Hang-town'....So We Proclaim accordingly: "May God's GLORY FILL this city & county to over-flowing. May the Holy Spirit flow down Main Street, into! shops, into everyone's mind and heart who walk and drive! down our streets. May Christians get out of the churches and into the streets! May we be seen praying on street corners, in stores, boldly taking a stand for Christ, seeking to spread the love and care of Jesus to everyone we meet."

Additional Prayer Needs for El Dorado County:

Continued Unity among the Churches & Pastors – Pray that unity leads to strategic action from these groups. Pray for on-going collaboration for sustained prayer.

Continued Prayer mobilization in all the cities that will lead to the multiplication of new believers, leaders and churches that leads to societal transformation.
 

Blessing upon the Tourist Industry for godly leaders.
 

Revival for the Churches and a Spiritual Awakening to Christ in the cities.
 

Restoration of Economy and Resources. Ask God to break off the spirit of greed and poverty that resulted from the gold rush and replace it with a spirit of generosity and hospitality so that resources blocked in this area will be released. Pray that “kingdom resources” will come forth.
 

Pray for God’s original redemptive purposes for each city in this county to come forth.
 

Pray for Christian marriages to be a witness of life in Christ. There has been a GREAT spiritual attack against marriages. Pray for marriage to be affirmed and protected in this County. Prayer concerning the breaking off of pornography in this area. Pray for God to replace domestic violence with healthy relationships where marriages reflect the grace of Christ. Prostitution during the gold rush days resulted in a devaluation and abuse of women. Pray God will forgive and cancel the right of access the enemy claims against marriages as a result of the sins of man against women in these early days. Acts of honor and blessing towards single women and single mothers will help break off the enemies’ claims to perpetuate evil through past generational sin. (Exodus 20: 5/ Matthew 5:43,44).

Prayer Points For State Government (Submitted by Senator Morrow)

Fear of God: Pray that the Governor, legislators, Supreme Court justices and other officials receive wisdom that comes from the fear of God.
Sanctity of Marriage: Pray state leaders will respect the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.
 

A Resurgence of Moral Values: Pray there will be a resurgence of moral values among state law makers and legislators when writing legislation and in voting for laws. (Include: Pray this will include a reverence for life that will negate the agreement with abortion and embryo stem cell research).

Improved Communications between citizens and legislators: Pray the citizens/residents of California will become better informed, more passionate and actively involved in communicating their views with legislators – whom they hold accountable.

A New Emphasis on civility in the Capitol: Pray there will be a new emphasis on civility in the capitol when debating contentious issues.
 

A Sense of Justice: Pray that all politicians will govern justly and wisely.

El Dorado County Background

One of the original counties. The name, meaning "the gilded one," appears at the beginning of the Sixteenth Century as that of a mythical Indian chief in the tableland of Bogata, who was said to have been covered with gold dust during the performance of religious rites. This chief was eagerly sought by the Spanish and German conquerors of northern South America until his abode was forcefully found in 1537. After that, the name designated one of the golden utopias which played such an important role in the conquest of America. With the discovery of gold in California, the name assumed a new significance. Charles Preuss placed the name on his map of 1848; the legend of "El Dorado or Gold Region" appears along Plumas River and the South Fork of American River. The county seat is Placerville.

California’s beautiful El Dorado County encompasses land above the Sacramento Valley to South Lake Tahoe, with majestic mountains, rushing rivers, and trout filled lakes in between. El Dorado, known as the “Golden County”, is home to legendary Gold towns including Placerville, and Georgetown, as well as resort towns such as South Lake Tahoe.

Located adjacent to the American and Yuba Rivers, on Historic Highway 49, gold seeker's still come to El Dorado County with dreams of striking it rich. They bring their Gold pans, sleuce boxes, dredges, and plain old ingenuity to find the gold left behind by the old 49ers.

Strawberry Lodge, a historical site built originally in 1858, was a stop for the Pony Express. It’s gone through many incarnations since, and has been under the current ownership since 1983.

The City of Placerville is centrally located between Sacramento, the State Capital, and South Lake Tahoe, world-famous recreation center. Situated above the fog line and below the snow line, Placerville boasts an ideal climate with four distinct seasons. Accessibility to Placerville is via State Highway 49 and U.S. Highway 50, along one of the most traveled corridors in California. Placerville’s treasured heritage is reflected in the historical, nineteenth century architecture of it’s downtown core. In addition, Placerville is the County seat and the center of financial, commercial, civic, and Government activity.

Serving as a "hub" for many nearby destinations and activities, Placerville is well situated. Premier wineries, Apple Hill Ranches, Historic Coloma, the American River, and the El Dorado National Forest are all located within minutes of downtown Placerville. The future of Placerville’s business economy will continue to be strengthened and infused by these established and newly developing areas of opportunity surrounding the hub.

Within the hub, local merchants, property owners, and Government officials are striving to insure economic vitality for Placerville. These groups are working together on business improvement and revitalization projects to preserve, promote, and enhance the quality of life for all in the community. Location, climate, a rich heritage, and a high level of commitment and pride has allowed Placerville to emerge as "the destination" in El Dorado County.

The history of Placerville began with the "rush for gold" to California in the 1840’s. The highly publicized discovery of gold in the tailrace section at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma (only 10 miles from Placerville) in 1848 resulted in the migration of thousands of fortune-seekers to Northern California in the mid 1800’s. The town of Placerville was named after the ! placer deposits found in the river bed between Spanish Ravine and the town plaza. During the gold rush, Placerville became an important supply center for the surrounding mining camps.

Placerville was also known as "Hangtown" in its’ early days. Although many stories exist on how this name was acquired, the most famous story involved a colorful event that occurred in January of 1849. A gambler named Lopez gained a lot of attention for his big winnings at a local saloon. After he retired for the evening, several men tried to overpower him. Lopez fought back, and with the help of others, the robbers were captured. During their "flogging", three of the robbers were also accused of being wanted for a murder and robbery that occurred at a gold camp on the Stanislaus River.

Throughout history, several famous entrepreneurs have conducted business on Main Street. Phillip Armour (meat packer), Mark Hopkins (railroad financier), John Studebaker (auto maker), and Snowshoe Thompson (mail-carrier through the Sierras) were among the well-known shopkeepers on Main Street.

An important historic landmark that still remains on Main Street is the Bell Tower, standing as a monument to the city’s volunteer firemen. The Bell, placed in the tower in the plaza in 1865, was used as an alarm system to call out the firefighters. This tower has watched most of Placerville's history pass beneath it for well over! ! I 00 years. It has been remodeled, relocated, and most recently, renovated. Today it proudly stands as a monument to honor our city's volunteer firemen. The history of the Bell Tower began back in l856. Three fires that year in April, July and August, claimed most of Placerville's business section. The need for an alarm system to call the volunteer fire department was obvious, and a bell was ordered from England. Cast in 1860, the bell arrived in Placerville in 1865. The city gave it's approval to place the bell in a tower in the plaza. All this was done at a cost of $380.00. Today, the Bell Tower serves as a gathering place for parades, celebrations, and other Historic Main Street events, many sponsored by the Placerville Downtown Association.

The story of Valcanoville gives a glimpse into how the mining towns created conflict and greed which impacted civilization. Forgotten now are the thousand or more places where much of El Dorado County’s history was written. In mining camps and towns such as… Hell Roaring Diggings, Loafer’s Hollow, Whiskey Flat, George’s Town, and Poverty Flat. The names of other camps frequently told you much about who was mining there… Chile Bar (Chileans), Kanakatown (Hawaiians), Frenchtown, Alabama Flat, Texas Bar, Cooley Mine (Chinese), Indian Diggings, Mormon Gulch, even Puritan Camp. Forever consigned to the records of time each of these camps had it’s ! ! own unique and often colorful history. One such place is the ghost town of Volcanoville where tales of it’s past includes mining, and buried treasures.

It was here during the days of the California Gold Rush when the Volcanoville boasted a lively population of thousands, including a large Chinatown. In the cemetery, two headstones remain which speak of the town’s past. The tombstones tell of two 49ers interred here -- both youths had been murdered for their miner’s poke by Gold Rush highwaymen. Located in N.W. El Dorado County, Volcanoville sits just south of the Middle Fork of the American River. Today telephone poles along Volcanoville Road mark the edge of progress - stopping just short of the old town site where few old buildings stand in defiance of encroaching development.

Treasures: It was during the mid-1870’s when Volcanoville saw a serious decline in mining as many quartz mines played out. With gold more difficult to find, anger and hate for all non-Anglos in the diggings became a hot subject. Most Chinese were now working in the larger cities in Northern California, for those who remained in the Mother Lode they suffered the most since they represented competition to White miners. Such was the case in 1874 when Chinese miners discovered a 10 oz. pure gold nugget on their claim at the Cooley (Chinese) Mine in Volcanoville.

One evening a group of miners gathered at a local saloon where their conversation turned towards the dreaded Chinese. With enough liquor, words quickly turned to action leading to the massacre of at least 15 Chinese that night. The Chinese miners were rounded up by the drunks and herded into a cabin. With the Chinese locked inside, the cabin was set a fire. Those who died in the inferno were only spared a bullet; those who ran from the flames and thick smoke were quickly gunned downed in flight. None survived.

While many Chinese were mining along the Middle Fork of the American River, one group of 12 from Volcanoville was buried alive in a cave-in during the 1890’s. By the time aid reached the men they had died from suffocation.

Another story from Volcanoville tells of a wealthy Chinese store owner who ran a thriving general store. He sold out to another Chinaman and himself returned to China. For years he remained in his homeland before returning to Volcanoville. He claimed he returned to retrieve a cache of gold he’d hidden years earlier. A major fire had destroyed much of the town in 1879 which left the older former store owner with no landmarks to guide him to his treasure. He returned several times over the next several years looking for his lost cache but never found it.

For years treasure hunters have sought to answer the question of the lost Chinese caches buried in and around Volcanoville.

Volcanoville was founded as a small trading post in 1851 but grew into a large prospering Gold Rush town by 1855. Other industry in the area included a steam driven sawmill and tannery at Mt. Gregory. Volcanoville became a voting prescient in 1854 and established it own Post Office in 1858. Mining became prosperous here again during the 1880’s and remained so through the 1890’s supporting a twenty-stamp mill. At that time the largest working quartz mine was the Josephine. As most of the town’s residents were employees of the Josephine Mine, ! ! in 1895 the Post Office changed the name of the town from Volcanoville to Josephine. The Josephine Post Office operated until discontinued in 1917. The town saw two devastating fires, the first in 1879 then again in 1907. All of the remaining original buildings to survive the 1879 fire were destroyed in the 1907 fire. A small community re-established itself here but the town never recovered.

Somewhere I once read that "25% of all the precious metals and gems ever recovered have become lost". It is true during the era when global transportation was provided by the great sailing ships of the day much treasure went down the result of accident, piracy, or violent storms. The next cause has been laid to natural disasters. Finally the remainder is credited to the individual who acquires wealth and buries it for safekeeping. For whatever reason, the owner of the cache is separated from his wealth and is never able to recover it. It is said that a dozen or more of these buried Chinese caches is connected to the history at Volcanoville.

For other stories about El Dorado County History visit:

 

http://www.visit-eldorado.com/stories.html