Cataloging-in-publication Sesquicentennial reprint of Paolo Sioli's Historical souvenir of El Dorado County California : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men & pioneers; including an index 1. El Dorado County (Calif.)--History. 2. El Dorado County (Calif.)--Biography. 3. El Dorado 979.4'41-dc21 Manufactured in the United States of America Cedar Ridge Publishing P.O. Box 4600 Georgetown, CA 95634 ᅡ 868 Ez 555 1998 Introduction Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County, California with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men & Pioneers was originally published in 1883, by Paolo Sioli. As the only comprehensive document produced in that era that focuses specifically on El Dorado County, its unique perspective gives insight into the history of the "Gold Discovery" County. Unlike later publications that relied on second-hand information, Sioli's work was published only thirty-five years after the first documented discovery of gold by James Wilson Marshall in the tailrace of the mill at Coloma. Many pioneers of El Dorado County, and California for that matter, were still alive to relate their experiences. Undoubtedly those who had experienced the rough and tumble times of the early days were anxious to record their accomplishments. They must have known by 1883 that they had been a part of something truly extraordinary, something which had altered the shape of the country and had brought change to hundreds of thousands of lives. Readers often question why some prominent people or families are mentioned in the book, while others are not. The answer is based on the way this and similar history books were marketed. Publishers sent salespeople and artists out into the County to pre-sell books in order to obtain the funds for publishing. Those who made advanced purchases were usually those most likely to get their names, and even their pictures in the finished product. Sioli's History was first reprinted some thirty years ago by the Amador Ledger Dispatch in Jackson, California. That printing was a direct reprint from the original with no additions, and has become an important research document for historians since few copies of the original exist outside of the reference sections of a few libraries. This Sesquicentennial reprint contains all the pages from the original, along with an index that was prepared by Dorothy Martin Bayless after years of research. We are pleased that she was gracious enough to allow the inclusion of her index in this book. It is of tremendous benefit to those searching for a specific name or place. Over the past few years, there has been much interest in reprinting Sioli's work. It was the El Dorado County Friends of the Library who felt is was important for this document to again be made available to the general public at the present moment, the Sesquicentennial of the discovery of gold and the statehood of the great state of California. The El Dorado County Friends of the Library wish to give sincere thanks to those who helped with the production of this book. Our thanks go to Deborah Raiche, Nancy Leonti, and Barbara Garcia who assisted with the design, Bonnie Battaglia for her historical knowledge and the loan of her personal copy of the original work for reprinting, Tom Beasley from Cedar Ridge Publishing for his expert handling of the publishing details, and Dorothy Martin Bayless for allowing us to include the invaluable index. An extra special thanks goes to Doug Noble who not only nurtured this edition through the printing process, but whose infectious enthusiasm for history prompted, motivated, and inspired us. Jeanne Leeman Amos Director of Library Services Dedication This Sesquicentennial reprint of Paolo Sioli's book is dedicated to all |