PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Placerville City Council voted unanimously to recognize "Hangtown" and "Old Dry Diggins" as historical names for the Northern California town.
The vote comes two weeks after the city council voted unanimously to change its logo, which depicts a gold miner panning for gold as a noose swing from a tree behind him. The decision to alter the logo inspired protests the same week after many called the noose a historical symbol of the gold rush-era justice.
Placerville Vice Mayor Kara Taylor described the conversation on whether to recognize "Hangtown" or "Old Dry Diggins" as the town's historical names as an "unnecessary minefield."
Taylor said the resolution was not going to appease those calling for the recall of the city council after they voted to remove the noose from the city's logo and that the resolution doesn't do anything.
"This resolution does not bar future councils from making changes that they see fit," Taylor said. "This resolution, I don't know if it's going to settle any acrimony in the community."
Placerville Mayor Dennis Thomas said it wasn't his intention to appease anyone with the proposition to recognize "Hangtown" but to let the city know that the name will still be on signs.
"When it comes to these names and as they are represented throughout our community that we're not going to go out and start telling businesses that they can't have that name on here," Thomas said. "That we're going to take it off all the signs, that we're going to whitewash our town of all things."
