Arthur Sommers received his bachelor of arts in history from San Francisco State College in 1972. After spending the subsequent 25 years working for the Department of Defense, he returned to his love of history and has been collecting old Placer County photographs since retiring in 1999. In 2008, Arcadia published his book on Auburn, the county seat for Placer County. As with his previous book, Mr. Sommers utilized many images of early county life from his personal photographic collection for this volume.
Title: 'Placer County' author comes to town
Author: Cheri March
Publisher: Colfax Record Correspondent
Date: 3/18/2010
Arthur Sommers knew he'd dig up old photos for his latest book. He
just didn't expect to dig up a couple of mysteries.
Sommers' name might sound familiar. The Auburn-born author and
historian penned a book on Auburn for Arcadia Publishing's Images
of America series in 2008, drawing on the thousands of photos and
postcards in his own private collection.
This time he's teamed with Arcadia for a more ambitious project.
Released in January, "Images of America: Placer County" contains
200 photos and accompanying captions of cities and towns from
Western Placer County to the foothills, from the Sierra to the
Foresthill Divide.
It also sets straight some historical errors. In Colfax, for
instance, Sommers tackled the mystery of the moving monument.
Near the Placer County border, he solved the mystery of the missing
town.
Sommers will sign copies of "Placer County" from 1 to 3 p.m.
Saturday at the Colfax Heritage Museum. It's his way of saying
thank you to the Colfax Area Historical Society, one of several
groups that helped the author set the record straight.
"The first book on Auburn - that was easy," said Sommers. "Every
picture was of Auburn. Every piece of information was about Auburn.
But (this time) I was looking at Lincoln, Roseville, Loomis and I
needed a lot more help."
Few Colfax residents are aware that a Nevada County Quartz Monument
existed, since it was torn down possibly in 1920. Newspapers and
history books tell the story. But the problem is, they often tell
it wrong.
Nevada County began construction on a rock monument - complete with
fountain - in 1907. Many pictures show the sturdy structure in
downtown Colfax, across the street from the railroad tracks, and
many people assumed it was built there.
But Sommers confirmed through photos that the monument was
originally built 25 yards away between the Southern Pacific and
Nevada County Narrow Gauge railroad tracks, below the Colfax Hotel
and next to the Colfax railroad depot.
This made sense, considering its purpose was to promote the nearby
county to train travelers.
"The idea was that people might see the monument and decide to get
on the narrow gauge railroad and go to Grass Valley," Sommers
said.
In 1914, the monument was moved when workers realigned the
tracks.
During his research, Sommers often came across an early-20th
Century photo of a Colfax crowd gathered by the tracks. Captions
usually stated the people were waiting for President Theodore
Roosevelt, who paid a visit to Colfax via train in 1903. But the
monument visible in the photo's corner says otherwise.
"I knew the Quartz Monument wasn't built until 1907," Sommer said.
"The people aren't waiting for Teddy Roosevelt's train. They're
waiting for the monument dedication."
One of the first photos in "Placer County" features a one-room
schoolhouse in Riego, a tiny town west of Roseville. That photo -
and the town - almost didn't make it into the book.
While everything Sommers read in print placed Riego in Placer
County, online information advised the town fell within Sutter
County borders.
Bothered by the ambiguity, Sommers contacted local assemblymen,
libraries and historical societies. But no one could verify the
town's official location. Finally, an e-mail to the U.S. Geological
Survey shed some light.
Though people who live in Riego were counted as Placer residents, a
virtual marker had placed the villa - which happens to be located
on a small southwest peninsula - in Sutter County.
Within 72 hours, USGS had amended its database, giving Riego a
permanent place in Placer - though its airstrip remains across the
border.
"All that time for one paragraph in a caption," Sommers said.
"There are 220 pictures and each picture needs its own little
story."
Thanks to Sommers, the real stories of Placer County are finally
being told."
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