Winter 2020 California Chapter Meeting and Officer Elections
Saturday, January 11, 2020
11:00 am–4:00 pm
Open to the public
Smith Flat House
2021 Smith Flat Rd
Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 621-1003
Google Map
Meet and greet • 11:00 am–12:00 noon
Lunch • 12:00 noon–1:00 pm ($10–20 per person)
- Sandwiches, burgers, pizza, salads, and soups
- Beer, wine, soda, water
Meeting • 1:00 pm–4:00 pm
$10 per person cash for room rental fee
- Officer elections
- Officer and committee reports
- Updates:
- Signage and markers
- Website
Presentation
- Trey Pitsenberger: Smith Flat House — Witness to History
History of the Smith Flat House
From the historical plaque on the building (El Dorado County Point of Historical Interest — Eld-007):
A hotel originally built in 1853 with substantial additions including a blacksmith shop in 1863. In the cellar is the famous opening to the Blue Lead Mine. Known early as “3 Mile House” the building has served as a stage coach stop, general merchandise store, hotel, post office and community hall for 135 years. This building is perhaps the best preserved frame structure of its size in the entire Mother Lode. The earliest owner of record was Elihu Meredith who owned hotels in Coloma and on Green Valley Road. According to the Mountain Democrat, this house also served as the voting precinct headquarters from 1854 until after the turn of the century.
The Smith Flat House was the western terminus of California’s first state highway, the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, which was approved by the state Bureau of Highways in 1895. The Pioneer alignment of the Lincoln Highway traveled past the Smith Flat House in 1913.
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