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Placer County History Articles



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Historic Chinatown in Truckee Honored With New Landmark Plaque

TRUCKEE, Calif. – On Friday, May 10, many Truckee residents gathered to celebrate the 155th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and the unveiling of Truckee's latest historical landmark, which recognizes the Chinese workers who built Truckee's railway.

Image caption: The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here

How the California mental health crisis emerged out of the state’s history of deinstitutionalization and laws designed to protect the mentally ill, as well as the communities around them.

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Long Overdue; Truckee’s Chinatowns Landmark

In April 2023, Truckee-Donner Historical Society submitted an application to the Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission for Truckee's Chinatowns seeking landmark status. On June 13, 2023, NCHLC approved TDHS's Application and the Nevada County Board of Supervisors subsequently unanimously approved …

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Women’s History Month: Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council Managing Director Nettie Pardue on Being a Female Leader

In honor of March being Women's History month, Tahoe Daily Tribune has chosen to spotlight Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council Managing Director Nettie Pardue. Here's what Pardue said about being a female leader, her role models and mentors, and what advice …

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Women’s History Month: Tahoe City Downtown Association Exec. Director Biggers on Being a Female Leader

In honor of March being Women's History month, Sierra Sun has chosen to spotlight Tahoe City Downtown Association Executive Director Katie Biggers. Here's what Biggers said about being a female leader, her role models and mentors, and what advice she …

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History Expeditions Retraces Footsteps of First Winter Mail Delivery by ‘Snowshoe’ Thompson

Imagine having the power to travel back in time, to unravel the mysteries and untold stories of remarkable individuals who have faded into the background of history. What if you could bridge the gaps, complete the puzzle, and shine a …

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Publishing in Paradise

Based in California’s most iconic vacation spot, Katherine Hill celebrates Tahoe Guide’s 42nd birthday.

Image caption: The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works

The Williamson Act, passed in 1965, now keeps more than 16 million acres of farmland out of the hands of developers. Here's how the law puts the brakes on the development of California agricultural properties.

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Temporary SNOW Sports Museum at The Boatworks open every day

TAHOE CITY, Calif. – Beneath the snow-capped mountains, visitors are invited to electronically open the front door to the temporary SNOW Sports Museum at The Boatworks and immerse themselves in ski history.

Image caption: The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land

How California’s 10 state conservancies buy up open land and shield it from developers to preserve the natural environment for public use.

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The push for a national landmark at Donner Pass

The railroad tunnels high above Truckee hold historic stories. Deep in the granite, the lives of immigrant workers were made and lost over 150 years ago in an attempt to build the longest railroad tunnel at the time. 

Image caption: The version of Mickey Mouse seen in the 1928 animated short “Steamboat Willie” is now free for public use.
Mickey Mouse Enters Public Domain. What That Means for California

Disney icon Mickey Mouse is now in the public domain, meaning anyone can create their own Mickey Mouse cartoons. Here’s what that means, and how it could affect the California economy.

Image caption: Kevin McCarthy's hand-picked potential successor, Assemblymember Vince Fong, had previously been ruled out of the race.
Judge Says Vince Fong May Run for Kevin McCarthy's House Seat

A judge rules that the Bakersfield Republican is eligible to run in the 2024 election for Congress even though he had already filed to run for his state Assembly seat.

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Smokey Bear turns 80 in 2024

Smokey on Airplane Cowling 1950 (USDA Forest Service image)

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Historic ski clubs of Donner Pass, Part II: Modern ski clubs provide ski outings, comradery

Oakland Ski Club at Sugar Bowl opening, circa 1939. | Oakland Ski Club
The 1930s was the breakout decade for alpine skiing in the United States.
Stiff leather boots, skis with metal edges, European ski instructor and, most importantly, the …

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In addition to its museums, the city of Auburn has 34 listings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Living History
With its multiple museums, historical societies and significant landmarks, the past is very much present in Placer County.
Old Sacramento Historic District Sacramento is an open-air museum of historic buildings.
Capital Collections
Sacramento’s rich past can be explored by visiting its many and varied historical museums.
Access to abortion in California is limited in many areas, though state laws protect a woman’s right to choose.
Abortion Rights in California, Explained
But even in California, access to abortion services in many areas remains limited.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained
The heated controversy over what to do with abandoned railroad tracks
California transportation history runs from railroads to today’s car culture.
California’s History of Transportation: From Railroads to Highways
The history of transportation in California has shaped the state, from the earliest stagecoach to today’s car culture.
The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
The making of Gov. Newsom's plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis
In a state that declares water a “human right,” more than 2 percent of its residents have no drinkable water.
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Among the events commemorated by E Clampus Vitus is the founding of the group’s first California chapter.
Atlas Absurdum
More than 1,400 markers across the state point the way to the past.
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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