This is the first post of a new series we are going to run titled, Ghost Towns of Placer County.

Deadwood seemed a popular name back in the day. We were pretty familiar with Deadwood South Dakota due to the TV series a few years ago. What most don’t know is there was a Deadwood in Placer County. This Deadwood got its start in 1852 after gold was discovered in the nearby vicinity. At one time, Sam Colt, the gun manufacturer, lived here.

Seems the gold started to run out around 1855, but with modest returns on their diggings, people hung around for many years after. It seems that is the way with so many of the ghost towns in Gold County, find gold, build a city, gold runs out, and people hang around making some living. They either stay and make a long term run for it or in the case of these very far out places, disappear into the history books, or not.

Deadwood is all gone but for it’s cemetery and a couple of old wells. Here is a Google map of the location. Click the map for an interactive version.