Georgetown

El Dorado County · Main Street, Georgetown · location approximate

Founded August 7, 1849, by George Phipps and party. Nicknamed Growlersburg from the heavy nuggets that "growled" in the miners' pans. Georgetown was the hub of an immensely rich gold area. After the disastrous fire of 1852 the old town was moved from the canyon in lower main street to its present site. Unique in early-day planning, Main Street was laid out 100 feet wide and side streets 60 feet. Population was 3,000 in 1854-56.

1971 register text, presented as a historical document. It uses the period's terms for Native people; the state's landmark listings still carry most of this wording, and the California Office of Historic Preservation maintains the program's current texts.

Many of these plaques have since been recast or their texts revised. The California Historical Landmarks program and its current texts are maintained by the California Office of Historic Preservation. California Office of Historic Preservation ↗

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Marker data: State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, California Historical Landmarks (1971)

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