 On April 25, 1851, the territory that Placer County comprises was officially formed and given its name. California had just entered the Union as the 31st state Sept. 9, 1850, and at the time included 27 expansive counties.
When Placer County was created, it was carved out of portions of Sutter and Yuba counties. Auburn had recently been elected as the seat of Sutter County, a position reaffirmed by election in May 1851, and it continued to serve as the seat of the new county.
The name ‘Placer’ was given in recognition of the rich deposits of placer gold in the region. Over time, water eroded these deposits from their hard rock origins and swept them into ancient rivers and waterways.
By the time Placer County was established, prospectors were already seeking this precious metal throughout the foothills as they had been since mid-1848 when news of the treasure began to spread.
It was on May 16, 1848, that gold was found in what would become Auburn by Claude Chana, marking the first discovery in what became Placer County.
First called the North Fork Dry Diggings or Wood’s Dry Diggings, by late summer 1849, the name Auburn was chosen. According to the memoirs of Auburn’s earliest pioneers and merchants, the name was selected in reference to Oliver Goldsmith’s poem from 1770, entitled “The Deserted Village,” which begins “Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain…”
This illustration (pictured above) is the earliest known view of Auburn, as it appeared in 1851. The location of this village was tied to water and opportunity. In addition to the Auburn Ravine where Chana made his fateful discovery nearby in 1848, several other ravines converge in the vicinity of Old Town Auburn, while natural springs here also drew a growing population.
Auburn was situated at an ideal elevation and at a major crossroads for travelers heading from Sacramento and Folsom to Nevada County, and up into higher elevation locales. Among the earliest citizens of the village was William Gwynn, who built a trading post here and was joined by other ambitious merchants and pioneer prospectors.
Pictured in the foreground of this illustration is a round canvas tent and a log cabin billowing smoke. This is where two merchants from Texas, Willard Post and George Ripley made their trading post in 1850.
By 1851, the firm of Post and Ripley had moved on, and these structures served as Placer County’s first courthouse and jail. The census of 1852 recorded a population of 10,784 residents of the county, who were served by the system of government operated from these primitive structures.
Explore our new interactive timeline — updated every Thursday with photographs, milestones and the stories of people who built this county.
Explore timeline
 Whether it’s representing your community or sharing your expertise on topics like agriculture or parks, there are always opportunities for you to help advise county leaders on the issues that matter to you most. Recruitment is open now to fill seats on the following committees or commissions, among others. Learn more and apply
Current recruitments include:
 Don’t miss the fun coming this next week in...
Roseville: Mahany Park Certified Farmers' Market, Maidu Park Farmers' Market, Roseville Fountains Farmers' Market, Kaiser Riverside Farmers' Market, Kaiser Eureka Farmers' Market, Bunny Hop at The Fountains, Before the Flick Fun, Friday Flicks: HOP
Rocklin: 26 Parks in 2026
Lincoln: Farmers’ Market at Fowler Ranch, Kaiser Lincoln Farmers' Market
Auburn: Auburn Old Town Farmer’s Market – Placer Farmers Market, North Auburn Artists Reception, Farmers Market at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, Floating Egg Hunt
Colfax: Easter Egg Hunt, Coffee and Conversations
North Lake Tahoe: Smore’s O’clock, The Village at Northstar Après Music Series, Line Dancing Fridays, Crushing Crossing, Dummy Downhill at Diamond Peak
...and many Placer County Library and Placer County Museum events.
Visit our regional partners to discover more of the fun happening right here in Placer County!
Placer County Visitors' Bureau
North Tahoe Community Alliance
Tahoe City Downtown Association
The Arts Council of Placer County
Placer Valley Tourism
PlacerGROWN
Placer Wine Trail
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