bell tower

I stopped by on my drive back from Reno to San Francisco Bay Area. The Bell Tower is a focus point in town and is on the Main Street in Placerville. The bell tower when first placed in 1885 was used to signal the volunteer firemen to a fire in the area. It has been relocated a few times in Placerville.

I drove up from El a Dorado Hills just too see what Placerville was like. I loved the Main St area! Unfortunately, I'm here while it's raining hard, so I didn't get to walk around as long as I would have liked. Loved the Placerville News Company...had some very unique toys and gifts! Went across the street and into the candy store (sorry, forgot the name) but it brought back so many fond memories of my childhood going to the "penny" candy store! Fabulous fudge !!!! Must see this town !!

As the legend goes, back in 1849, area gold miners called for a "Miner's Court" for couple of other miners accused of a unknown transgression. Upon finding the two unlucky men "guilty, the jury of miners started asking " what do we do with them now?"Someone in the miner's court of spectators shouted "hang em" and so they did, catapulting the two unfortunates into eternity and thus the area was known as 'Old Hangtown.!" Tough times them days past. One legend is the convicted & executed miners spat tobacco juice upon some boots of others. Pretty tough times in them days.The Bell Tower is the City's "focal point" in old Placerville. Lots of shops, food and things to see about the gold rush days in "ground Zero" of the CA. gold rush. The bell was to summon aid/volunteers when a fire or city emergency existed before cell phones.

The Bell Tower is in the middle of Historic Placerville. The Bell Tower itself is historical and nice to see. Also, there are many shops and restaurants along Main Street. Be aware that most of the shops do not give refunds. Some will do exchanges. If you are buying Christmas gifts, know that your loved one will not be able to get a refund for a gift that doesn't suit them even with the receipt. Before you buy something, ask. This has been a problem for me in the past. Tonight, we are going to the tree lighting ceremony. A little later in December, there is a Christmas parade. Halloween is a fun time downtown. There are car shows, wine and beer fests, Jazz fests, and all kinds of other events all year.

To count this as a bonafide "attraction" I'm also including the whole of Historic Main Street Placerville, which is certainly worth a visit. The Bell Tower is sort of a centerpiece for the street, which contains many cute shops, excellent restaurants and quaint storefronts, not the least of which is Placerville Hardware Store. I put the date of my visit as August 2014 but I'm there nearly every week to shop or grab a cup of coffee.

Take a stroll down town to the historic area of the gold rush. Don't miss the Placerville Hardware Store, a real treasure for shoppers, they have everything, you never leave empty handed.

Just a comfortable spot to sit with your favorite coffee drink and a muffin. Lots of natural light thru big windows, and a 270 degree view of the downtown Main Street happenings. Free wifi or grab the paper from the News Company next door.

This is a static display, a visual landmark of what had been the city center for Placerville. These bell towers can be found in the old Gold Rush towns. The towns used the bells to call volunteer firemen to man the horse drawn equipment. A must see.

As you walk down Main Street you can not miss it. It was a good break from all the shopping and restaurants. Make a quick stop and read up on the history of this quaint town.

Okay, its a bell tower in town. If this is all this town has going for it, I feel sorry for the locals. The trouble is, there isn't much to do in this place, and the locals get kind of bored, so they have to have a mascot that gives them something to talk about when they leave town and talk to other people who live in real places. The downtown area is known for a lot of tourist gouging, so get ready for it and keep a tight fist on those dollars.

The bell tower is the visual anchor of downtown Placerville. All commerce radiates from this centerpoint. Restaurants, hardware stores, antique stores and friendly businesses

It's in town . If you make it here..you cant miss it..come during stagecoach days or in the fall, The tower is in central placerville.

It is a great spot to take photos at. But there is not much else to do!

Historic old belltower is on Main Street about center of Plascerville. This historic old town is so worth getting off Hwy 50 to visit. Quaint old shops, cafes and the wests only continuous running hardware store, right on Main. If they don't have it you won't find it. A great place to browse for quaint gifts.

Part of historic downtown Placerville's history. The Bell Tower's bell was originally constructed to be rung during a fire emergency calling out the volunteers. Placerville, known as HANGTOWN experienced its share of fires, destroying much of the downtown.