El Dorado, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
El Dorado
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Poor Red's Bar-B-Q in downtown El Dorado
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 El Dorado
Location in California
El Dorado
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | El Dorado County |
| Elevation | 1,608 ft (490 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 4,096 |
| Official name: El Dorado California | |
| Reference #: | 486 |
| Official name: El Dorado-Nevada House | |
| Reference #: | 700 |
El Dorado is a small community in El Dorado County, California. Its name means "The Golden" in Spanish. It's not an official city, but an unincorporated community.
El Dorado is located about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Placerville. It sits at an elevation of 1,608 feet (490 meters) above sea level. In 2000, about 4,096 people lived there. The town is recognized as California Historical Landmark #486. If you send mail there, the ZIP code is 95623. The phone area code for El Dorado is 530.
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Discover El Dorado's Golden History
El Dorado has a rich past, especially linked to California's Gold Rush. It was once known by a different name.
From Mud Springs to Gold
Before it was called El Dorado, the area was known as Mud Springs. This name came from a muddy watering hole nearby. Cattle and horses would often get stuck there.
In the mid-1800s, Mud Springs became a very important place. It was a major camp on the old Carson Trail. By 1849-1850, it was a busy center for gold mining. It also became a crossroads for wagons carrying goods and stagecoach lines.
During the height of the Gold Rush, many people lived here. The town produced a lot of gold. This helped support a population of several thousand miners and settlers. In 1856, it was officially named El Dorado.
The Pony Express Connection
El Dorado also played a part in the famous Pony Express. This was a fast mail service that used riders on horses. It delivered mail across the American West.
El Dorado was a station for the Central Overland Pony Express. On April 13, 1860, a rider named William (Sam) Hamilton stopped here. He changed horses at the Nevada House. He was carrying the very first westbound mail of the Pony Express. This mail was traveling from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento.
How the Town's Name Changed
The first post office in the area opened in 1851. It was called Mud Spring. In 1855, the name of the post office was changed to El Dorado. The town was officially incorporated in 1855. However, it stopped being an incorporated town in 1857.
Poor Red's Bar-B-Q
In 1945, a special place opened in El Dorado. It was a barbecue restaurant called Poor Red’s Bar-B-Q. This building was originally built in the 1850s. It used to be a weigh station for Wells Fargo.
Poor Red's became very popular. El Dorado is roughly halfway between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. Many drivers would stop there on their trips. Even famous groups like the "Rat Pack" were known to visit.
