In the charming Gold Rush town of Placerville, California, a towering coastal redwood has stood as the heart of holiday celebrations for nearly 100 years. Inspired by the Nation’s Christmas Tree (the General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon), this living landmark on Main Street and Bedford Avenue has been lighting up the community every December since the late 1920s. But who planted it? Was it Fire Chief O.N. Hirst in 1928? A memorial by Mrs. Lena Rantz for her late husband? Or a joint effort by the A

Placerville's History - Old Hangtown