Placerville was a Gold Rush town and the western terminus of the Placerville–Carson Road to the Comstock. It served as a relay station of the Central Overland Pony Express from April 4, 1860, to June 30, 1861. On April 4, 1860, the first east-bound pony rider, William (Sam) Hamilton, changed horses here, added one express letter to his mochila, and sped away for Sportsman’s Hall. On July 1, 1861, Placerville became the western terminus of the Pony Express until its discontinuance on October 26, 1861.