But after the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the nationwide protests denouncing racial injustice that followed, some in the historic Gold Rush town say the old nickname now carries a new insensitive meaning.
The “Old Hangtown” nickname can even be found on a sign that welcomes visitors to Placerville but a new petition is calling for its removal, saying it’s offensive.
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-Elmo
*****
Like I was telling Elmo last night when he sent me this story, damned near everybody I know refers to Placerville as Hangtown, which was the original name of the town. I was in my early 20s and somebody mentioned going to Placerville to work a gold claim.
"Placerville? Where the hell is Placerville?" I was confused.
"You know - Hangtown."
"Oh. So Placerville is close to Hangtown then?"
