{"id":3871,"date":"2022-12-29T00:17:40","date_gmt":"2022-12-29T07:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/?p=3871"},"modified":"2022-12-29T00:22:57","modified_gmt":"2022-12-29T07:22:57","slug":"hill-hotel-saved-from-the-burning-of-el-dorado-in-1923","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/12\/29\/hill-hotel-saved-from-the-burning-of-el-dorado-in-1923\/","title":{"rendered":"Hill Hotel Saved from the Burning of El Dorado in 1923"},"content":{"rendered":"
Doug Noble, California Landmark Foundation<\/pre>\n
PLACERVILLE, California (InEDC) Dec 28, 2022 \u2014 El Dorado, ‘The Gilded One,’ was first known as Mud Springs from the boggy quagmire the cattle and horses made of a nearby watering place. Mud Springs, was an important camp on the old Carson Emigrant Trail. It became a mining center and crossroads for stagecoaches and travelers, and later, a freight point. It was remount station of the Central Overland Express in 1860-61. The town was named Mud Springs for the sludge produced by the hooves of cattle and horses at a watering point. At the height of the rush its large gold production supported a population of several thousand. Gold diggings were at Loafer’s Hollow, Deadman’s Hollow, Slate Creek, Empire Ravine, Dry Creek, and Missouri Flat. The first post office was opened in 1851, and the name of the town was changed to El Dorado in 1855. A fire in 1923 left only the shell of most of the old stone and brick edifices and destroyed the Union Church, which had been erected in 1853.<\/p>\n
On Monday, September 17, 1923, a fire at the California Door Company in Diamond Springs got out of control and before it was finally extinguished, it had burned over 1,000 acres of cattle grazing land and most of buildings in the town of El Dorado, two miles away.<\/p>\n
The \u201cMountain Democrat,\u201d in its Saturday, September 22, 1923 edition, provided in-depth coverage of the fire and the many who volunteered to save the town in a story titled, \u201cEl Dorado Nearly Wiped Out \u2013 many residences and business houses burned during heavy wind. Prompt aid by Placerville saves many others.\u201d<\/p>\n
The opening two paragraphs of the story set the stage for what was one of the worst fires in many years.<\/p>\n
\u201cMonday morning brought apprehension and uneasiness in Placerville because with a high wind blowing there was evidence of fires in almost every direction. There was a call for men early in the morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cSoon after noon the fire siren blew and the word was passed around that El Dorado was burning and needed help. Inside of half an hour every available automobile and at least a hundred men had left for El Dorado. The heat was so intense with fire on both sides of the highway near El Dorado that cars were all turned to Diamond Springs and compelled to reach El Dorado over the Springs road.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust out of Diamond Springs the fire was burning fiercely along the road opposite Supervisor Schroeder\u2019s farm but men were at work preventing its spread across the road. From Diamond Springs to El Dorado between the state highway and the dirt road was a roaring furnace fanned by the highest wind known in years.<\/p>\n
\u201cEl Dorado was an inferno and enveloped in smoke, but on every corner, in every alley, and about each building were men fighting as best they could with the implements at hand. Apparently everything was on fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery pump and well in the town was manned and every pail and tub and pan was in use to convey water and to wet sacks and coats used to smother the fires as they started. One cottage that was saved was on fire eleven times in twenty minutes and working around it and on the roof were day laborers, county officials, farmers, merchants and even newspaper men. At one time we noticed in the yard and about the Hill cottage that was saved, all working with zeal, Hugh Beason, Philip Frost, Sheriff Wood, Jim Dixon, John Tinney, Max Mierson and as many more whom we did not know. Chas. Baumgardner was one of the men on the roof of the cottage when a gable at one corner began to burn. He crawled to the burning gable, tore it loose and hurled it to the ground, but a shingle had caught fire and being without water he actually laid flat and spit out the tiny blaze and then smothered it with his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout five o\u2019clock in the afternoon the worst was over as far as El Dorado was concerned and a survey of the situation showed that only the Hill Hotel and garage opposite, the homes of Mrs. Savilla C. Shinn, Mr. J. Williams, Fred Schance, W. J. Moore, Wm. Barbee, Thos. Davidson, Harvey White, Mrs. Lillie E. Hill and Mrs. Martha White had been saved. About thirty buildings were burned. The foundations and walls of seven brick buildings are standing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmong the buildings destroyed were the Masonic Temple built in 1861. When this building first caught fire Jos. Windel, assisted by Morey and others from Placerville saved the records of the lodge.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery little was saved from any building that burned because once started the fire was too swift and hot and anything brought from a burning building would be ablaze before it could be taken to a safe place.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the heaviest losers was George Askew, proprietor of the big general store. Mr. Askew lost his home and stock of general merchandise saving only his automobile and one trunk.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile Seymour Hill saved the Hotel Hill and the El Dorado Garage he owned several residences and the opera house and dance hall that burned. [Born in California, USA on 1865 to Samuel Hill and Mary Jane JOHNSON. Seymour Hill had 3 children: Hazel Adelie Hill, 1889 – 1968 \/ Oralea Leone Hill, 1897 – 1967 \/ Arsula Hill, 1897 – Unknown. He passed away on 5 Dec 1937 in El Dorado, California<\/em>]<\/p>\n
\u201cEd Redemski owned two dwellings that were burned.<\/p>\n
\u201cChas. E. Sackett lost his fine 6-room cottage and garage and outbuildings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe post office was located in the Askew store and everything was burned, mail, money and all records and fixtures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only church in the town was burned and the fire swept the cemetery.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe soft drink parlor of G. F. Boon, next door to the Masonic temple, was a total loss, several cases of soda pop were rescued and enjoyed by a number of small boys.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe old Wells-Fargo building, property of A. M. Drew was a total loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral vacant store buildings and the bakery of Mrs. Roy White were burned.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe Wells lost his automobile as well as his home.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoy Sherman, who rented of Mrs. Roy White, was burned out.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngelo Perri, who occupied the dwelling owned by Lucy H. Thomas, lost everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe home of Postmaster Drew was a total loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cEl Dorado is certainly a forlorn looking place and there is ruin where stood happy homes surrounded by gardens and flowers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire passed through the town and spread and swept on before the wind, and the firefighters went to the rescue of the farmers and while buildings on the farms were saved the pastures were burned over, the range ruined and wood and fences burned.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmong the farms that suffered were those of Supervisor W. S. Biggs, Dr. L. G. Stevenson, Mrs. Mary Davidson, H. E. Cheney, J. M. and V. W. Strickland, John Albers, Mrs. Cappleman, F. M. George, Harvey Spears, Antone Pavia, J. F. Nelson, Orrin M. Sackett, J. P. Dunlap, John Chapman, Seymour Hill, J. C. Forni, Geo. E. Miner, Stark Bros., J. E. Windle, Cantrel Bros., W. J. Stone, E. G. Jones, G. A. Carsten, C. E. Gillett an the Bartholomew ranch.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe loss sustained is not know at this writing, in fact can not be estimated. There was little insurance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe depot at El Dorado was saved by the section crew and an engine and crew from Placerville.<\/p>\n
\u201cEl Dorado was one of the oldest towns in northern California and while it had been considered a has-been for years, both mining interests and fruit growing and stock raising have been developing and attracting capital, and this year the first carload of Bartlett pears was shipped directly from El Dorado to the east.<\/p>\n
\u201cUndoubtedly some of the burned buildings will be replaced by modern structures but it will be some years before many business houses will be in demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone in El Dorado county is ready to extend the helping had to those who have had the misfortune to be burned out and the homeless on Monday were quickly cared for.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the fire was still burning the ladies of Placerville with Secretary Shanklin and Chairman Atwood of the city and county committee of the Chamber of Commerce were busy getting relief for those who were being made homeless and provisions were sent early in the evening. A fund was raised and everything done to make the unfortunate ones as comfortable as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
If that wasn\u2019t enough, the story ended with these two lines:<\/p>\n
\u201cA destructive fire also swept parts of Green Valley and at one time threatened Folsom.<\/p>\n
\u201cA forest fire raged between Kelsey and the Mosquito district.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
This article was originally posted February 15, 2014 on<\/em>\u00a0dougstepsout.com<\/em><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cMonday morning brought apprehension and uneasiness in Placerville because with a high wind blowing there was evidence of fires in almost every direction.  Very little was saved from any building that burned because once started the fire was too swift and hot.  Chas. Baumgardner was one of the men on the roof of the cottage when a gable at one corner began to burn. He crawled to the burning gable, tore it loose and hurled it to the ground, but a shingle had caught fire and being without water he actually laid flat and spit out the tiny blaze and then smothered it with his hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3872,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3871"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3871"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3871\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3875,"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3871\/revisions\/3875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.inedc.com\/22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}