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HISTORY
El
Dorado County, California.
LOCAL
HISTORY.
LATROBE.
Is located in the lower part, far southwest, of the
county, where the character of the country in its transformation comes
nearer to that of the pains of Sacramento valley. It is the youngest town
acquisition of El Dorado county, and owes its origin to the Placerville
and Sacramento Valley Railroad, which established a station for the
benefit of the neighboring Amdor county here on the crossing of the roads.
The town started on completion of the railroad in 1864, and was surveyed
and platted by Chief Engineer F. A. Bishop, who also suggested the name of
the town, after Latrobe, the civil engineer in the construction of the
first railroad in the United States. The land of the town site covering
240 acres was owned by J. H. Miller, being enclosed in the Poss claim, and
he gave Bishop one-half of it for the surveying and platting ; but when it
became time to prove up, Bishop forfeited his part and Miller only proved
up. Town lots were then advertised for sale at the instance of Bishop with
Miller's consent, and some 75 or 80 lots were sold at auction, and every
one of the purchasers set on his property. The first store had been opened
already before the town was laid out, by J. H. Miller, in 1863. After the
town was built he sold out to Wm. Kirkland ; Riebsam & Adams followed
next with another store, and so on until the town was in possession of six
or seven stores, and the number of hotels from the first one, started by
Miller, was growing in equal rapidity, up to four. The population in a
short time accumulated to 700 or 800, supporting three blacksmith shops,
one wagon and carriage factory, there were three doctors in town; Dr. Treuholtz, was there before the town was laid out, Dr. Barber and Dr.
Taylor, together with two drug stores to look after the health of the
population and attended to the sick, while a bakery and several
butchershops provided for the healthy part. For quite a while the town
controlled the whole trade of Amador county, and eight daily stages in
connection with the railroad run, for the accommodation of the traveling
people, to all different directions. But, though no mining town, this
state of things came to an end, and from the population of about 800 there
are at present only from 80 to 100 left, with one general store, one
hotel, telegraph and express office, two blacksmith shops and one carriage
and wagon shop to represent the whole business. The public school building
is a two-story structure of considerable accommodation for all public
assemblages ; the Masons and Odd Fellows each have their own halls, Of old
settlers in this vicinity and of town, we find the names of Thomas
Hitchcock, now of Modoc county, was one of the earliest settlers here ;
there were -- Dugan, Robert Doan, Jesse Couch, Dr. Treuholtz, now of
Petaluma, Charles Red, Riebsam and Adams, merchants still keeping store in
town, C. W. Edwards, carriage maker, David Larrison, blacksmith, Richard
Lane, George W. Ford, J. I., W. T. and Nathaniel Porter, farmers and
miners. The members of Cosumnes Lodge, No.
63, I. O. O. F. are meeting at Latrobe on Saturday.
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