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Placer County History Digest



San Francisco Set to Apologize to Black Residents for ‘Systemic Racism’

02/16/2024

Members of the board gathered to put forward a resolution that takes responsibility for the history of discrimination against Black San Franciscans.

Was L.A.’s Ellen Beach Yaw the Proto-Taylor Swift?

02/05/2024

She toured the world wowing audiences, and she captured the public’s imagination for decades. No, not Taylor Swift; Ellen Beach Yaw, also known as Lark Ellen.

Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe Raising Funds to Reestablish Homeland

02/01/2024

The Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe has a time-limited opportunity to purchase 232 acres on a Nisenan Village site called Yulića—the tribe’s best opportunity to re-establish a homeland in more than half a century.

New ‘Toothless’ Walrus Discovered Along California Coast

02/01/2024

An extinct species of walrus was unearthed in Santa Cruz County, evoking a time when California was teeming with odd creatures that feel closer to fantasy than reality, researchers said.

James Dean Made His Last Stop at This Lonely Gas Station

02/01/2024

James Dean’s last stop before he died in a car crash was at Blackwell’s Corner, a gas station in rural Kern County. His memory isn’t the draw it once was.

‘Just the Beginning’: California Reparations Backers Applaud Bills, Even Without Big Cash Payouts

01/31/2024

Lawmakers introduced a package of bills designed to tackle some forms of reparations. The measures may face budget constraints and opposition.

California Lawmakers Unveiled 14 Reparations Bills. None Call for Cash Payments

01/31/2024

The California Legislative Black Caucus released a list of 14 bills as a first set of reparations for the descendants of African Americans who were enslaved.

Iconic California Restaurant Closes Without Warning

01/10/2024

Pea Soup Andersen’s, a Buellton, Calif., restaurant just shy of its 100th birthday, closed suddenly. The restaurant's other location, near Interstate 5 in Santa Nella, remains open.

American Graffiti is Back: Cruising Now Legal Again in California, But So Are Speed Cameras

12/27/2023

Under new state laws, five cities will test cameras to catch speeding drivers and cruising bans will be lifted statewide. The first is supposed to improve road safety, but critics of the second say it will endanger the public.

California Presses Universities to Return Thousands of Native American Remains and Artifacts to Local Tribes

12/25/2023

State audits of the University of California and the California State University found both systems have failed to comply with decades-old state and federal laws mandating the return of Native ancestral remains and cultural artifacts. Only UCLA and Cal State Long Beach have returned a majority of their collections.

Tribe Acquires Vast Land in Northern California, Will Remove Dams

12/21/2023

The Hoopa Valley Tribe announced it is acquiring about 10,000 acres of land in Northern California for $14.1 million. As part of this, the tribe will remove dams along the Klamath River and restore salmon runs.

Who Gets the Water in California? Whoever Gets There First.

12/14/2023

Water fights have shaped California since its infancy as a state, when its abundance seemed limitless. Now, Californians are being forced to confront limitations, and the state that prides itself on creating the future is now reckoning with its past.

Native American Tribe to Get Back 40 Acres of Land from State

12/06/2023

The Fort Independence Indian Community is getting the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at no cost in 2024. Native Americans had lived on this land for centuries before the hatchery’s construction.

California vs. Florida: Need-to-Know Facts About the Rival States Ahead of Newsom-DeSantis Showdown

11/28/2023

Political wonks in California, Florida and maybe a few states in between, will be glued to their screens Thursday night to watch Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron Desantis square off in a highly-anticipated Blue vs. Red State debate that’s been brewing since the summer.

Hundreds to Gather at Alcatraz at Sunrise on Thanksgiving

11/22/2023

Hundreds of people are expected at Alcatraz on Thanksgiving morning to commemorate Native Americans occupying the island from 1969-71. The event is known as the Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Gathering.

Capitol Gets its First Monument to California’s Indigenous Population

11/07/2023

A statue of Miwok elder William J. Franklin has been installed on California State Capitol grounds. The monument replaces a statue of Father Junípero Serra, which protestors toppled in 2020.

UC Berkeley to Relinquish More Than 4,000 Ancestral Remains

11/03/2023

Tribes like the Muwekma Ohlone have been asking UC Berkeley for decades to give back ancestral remains from burial sites around the Bay Area. The school is in the process of repatriating 4,400 remains and 25,000 tribal items.

Remembering Robert Irwin: Influential Artist Dies at 95

10/30/2023

Robert Irwin, an artist and MacArthur genius grant recipient, died in San Diego at 95 on Oct. 25. Michael Govan, who heads the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, offers a colorful retrospective on Irwin's work.

Two Disneyland Voices Are Moving On

10/27/2023

Camille Dixon, the announcer for Disney California Adventure, and her husband, Bill Rogers, the voice of Disneyland, are moving on from this work. They have been at the parks for more than 40 years combined.

An Oral Accounting of Tahoe’s Past

09/14/2023

The North Lake Tahoe Historical Society will soon have multiple oral history interviews on its website that will take people back to Tahoe’s early days.

California’s Wildfire Smoke and Climate Change: 4 Things You Need to Know

09/04/2023

California wildfires every year emit as much carbon as almost 2 million cars, posing a threat to efforts to battle climate change.

Placerville’s Bell Tower Plaza Could Become a Wedding Venue

08/18/2023

The city of Placerville is looking for ways to attract more visitors. Councilmember John Clerici came up with the idea to transform the Bell Tower Plaza, located on Historic Main Street, into a wedding venue.

Ancient Fires Drove Large Mammals Extinct, Study Suggests

08/17/2023

In a new study published Aug. 17 in the journal Science, fossil records at La Brea Tar Pits indicate that the disappearance of California’s sabertooth cats, dire wolves and other large mammals nearly 13,000 years ago was linked to rising temperatures and fire activity spurred by people.

Truckee Donner Historical Society Saves Sierra Sun’s History

08/05/2023

The Sierra Sun archives were almost lost to history until the Truckee Donner Historical Society stepped in to save them.

Tahoe Conservancy to Remediate Lead Paint at Van Sickle Barn

07/24/2023

The Conservancy will remove hazards associated with lead-containing paint on the barn, while maintaining the 1860s-era barn’s historical integrity.

National Forest Foundation Launches Trilingual Audio Tour of Lake Tahoe

06/16/2023

The National Forest Foundation has launched the tour, which is available in English, Spanish, and Washoe, and provides visitors with a unique opportunity to learn about the history, culture and natural environment of the Lake Tahoe region.

Roseville Explores Past Along Placer County Heritage Trail

06/14/2023

Placer County Museums is excited to welcome everyone back to the Heritage Trail Museums Tour, with museums throughout Placer County offering free admission on select dates all summer.

Amateur Sleuth Searches in the Sierra for Zodiac Killer’s Tracks

06/05/2023

Fayçal Ziraoui flew to California from France, believing that the serial killer may have left a rock formation near Hell Hole Reservoir, west of Lake Tahoe in Placer County.

NV County Supervisors May Approve Historical Designation for Truckee Chinatowns

05/22/2023

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday may approve a resolution that recognizes the Chinatowns of Truckee with a historical landmark plaque.

Billions and Billions Served: McDonald’s Turns 75

05/15/2023

Dick and Mac McDonald came to California to seek opportunities in the movie business and wound up owning a drive-in BBQ restaurant in San Bernardino. On May 15, 1948, they opened their revamped restaurant with a Speedee Service System featuring hamburgers.

Rocklin Celebrates 130th Anniversary

05/02/2023

The community is invited to celebrate what makes the city of Rocklin a great place to live, work and play with Rocklin’s 130th-anniversary Historical and Cultural Celebration on May 6 at Johnson-Springview Park.

50 Years Later: Roseville Explosion Leaves Its Mark

04/29/2023

Early on a Saturday morning exactly 50 years ago, the quiet of the small towns of Citrus Heights, Antelope, and Roseville was shattered by a massive explosion coming from the nearby Roseville rail yard.

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