"Hangtown", California Soda.

Placerville ~ After the discovery of gold in nearby Coloma, CA by James W. Marshall in 1848 sparked the California Gold Rush, the small town known as Dry Diggin's came to be. In 1849 the town earned its historical name "Hangtown" because of the numerous hangings that had occurred there. By 1850, the temperance league and a few local churches had begun to request that a more friendly name be bestowed upon the town. In 1854 when the City of Placerville incorporated, the third largest town in California. The Fountain & Tallman Museum is located at 524 Main Street, Old Hangtown. The two-story masonry structure was built as a soda water factory in 1852. The brick walls of the building are more than 2 feet thick so ice and soda supplies could be kept cool. These construction materials protected it from fires that had destroyed surrounding buildings, and as a result it is the oldest building in Placerville. Which brings me to this little story. Several years ago, we attended the “Best of the West” bottle show in Auburn, California. I spoke to a local digger and learned of a California soda that had just been found in the mountains near Placerville by a government trapper. Yes we have government trappers ~ who knew ~ seems an unruly mountain lion or bear needs attention from time to time. This guy knew the trapper & said he'd introduce me. The following weekend we drove up into the Sierra Mountains to pursue the bottle. I must admit I was quite lost ~ turn left at the tall Pine ~ turn right behind the large Granite rock ~ turn into the driveway.Still we made it. I parked near a modern log cabin & knocked on the rear door. Turns out the trapper is an avid hunter as well. I was amazed by the numerous Mountain Lion mounts on the walls. A little story accompanied each mount telling when & why this particular animal had come to his demise.I was on an incredible field trip. Finally after lots of hand shaking & incredible stories I was able to see the soda. As the trapper leveled a small area in the pines to build his cabin, he came across three bottles laying in the pine needles. Two of the bottles were simply embossed with the glass manufacture : Bridgeton N.J. The third bottle was embossed additionally on the front : Fountain & Tallman / Calfa. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. Here was an ultra rare California soda that was produced for the soda works in Hangtown in 1853. Yep, the soda works was in business for only one year. Now I admit this soda is only aqua in color ~ a plain jane. It has a graphite pontil and not much more going for it. But Calfa as an abbreviation for California ( I love it )....and a bottle from Hangtown... There are very few Fountain & Tallman sodas known in any condition and this one sits proudly in my bottle cabinet. Seriously...a bottle from Hangtown, California ~ too cool.

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I love your stories so much! I love reading them so much. I can't imagine a cooler bottle than that with the abbreviation and that awesome top on that baby. I would be glad to own that too. Too cool man that bottle is killer!

Great story! and an even greater rare California soda...........

It don't get no better!

sweet bottle and very interesting read

I've heard the story of that find, nice job Mike. Your a lucky guy to have one of those! From my research I've concluded that the soda works was in business from 52' or 53' through at least 56'. His inventory was completely destroyed in fire of 56' but it's stated he was back full swing the day after. My theory is that the destroyed inventory was in fact these bottles which is one of the reasons they are so rare... The majority of Sodas found in Placerville are from all over the country, giving evidence that whoever was bottling here through the 50's and 60's was using cheaply acquired recycled bottles...