Since 1848, Placerville has been known as gold rush country. On January 24, 1848, in nearby Coloma along the South Fork of the American River, James Marshall first discovered gold at Sutter's Mill, touching off the California gold rush. Placerville, then called Dry Diggings (also known as "Hangtown"), was the great rendezvous point for all the Argonauts. By autumn of 1848, it was a thriving camp, composed of tents and log cabins, board and shingle stores, and muddy streets. In 1850 the name was changed to Placerville and as local mines prospered, the town became more metropolitan, with several hotels offering such luxuries as tablecloths and silver service. By 1851 regular stages arrived from Sacramento and San Francisco. In 1854, Placerville was incorporated and three years later became the seat of El Dorado County. During the 1800's, Placerville was home or host to the likes of Mark Hopkins, John M. Studebaker, Phillip D.Armour, Horace Greeley, Mark Twain and many more.
One of the landmarks of the time was the John Pearson Soda Works building, which is considered the oldest restored building in Placerville. Built by John McFarland Pearson in 1859, the Soda Works building is located near the corner of Main Street and Cedar Ravine Road in the heart of Placerville. Today it is the home of the Cozmic Cafe.
Back in 1859 after three devastating fires consumed most of the downtown buildings, Pearson, a Scottish ice merchant, purchased a piece of land that had a mineshaft extending into the mountain behind it. Originally dug as part of the mining effort, this abandoned mine tunnel 150 feet in length never varied in temperature more than 10 degrees all year round - the perfect natural ice box. The first thing Pearson did after he bought the land was to enlarge the mine. He shored up the ceiling of the mine with old wagon parts and iron shutters. Using the excess rock and slate from the mine, as well as brick, John Pearson constructed the 22-inch thick walls of the building that came to be known as the John Pearson Soda Works.
Pearson's Soda Works thrived on Main Street. One could purchase eggs, butter, a variety of beer and ale, and the luxury item, ice. The ice was brought to the soda works from Ice House east of Pollock Pines where is was cut and hauled to town and stored, along with other perishables, in the caves located in the mine behind the building. Pearson also manufactured soda pop and syrups on the premises. Pearson was one of the first agents for Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer (then known as Pabst Milwaukee) and Weiland’s Lager. By 1890 Pearson began purchasing ice from the Union Ice Company, shipped via rail from Sacramento.
The building's second story was added in 1897 by Pearson's sons, William and John, to facilitate bottling and was used as a bottling room. It is reported that the upper level was constructed of 150,000 bricks from George Morton's Kiln in Placerville. A water-powered elevator was installed to move bottles and supplies between the two floors.
The Pearsons' business was sold in 1904 to the Scherrer Bros. In 1934, the business was again sold, this time to Robert Hook, who turned it into the first Coca-Cola Bottling franchise. Though various businesses occupied the building, the building itself remained in the Pearson family until 1972, when Roger John Douvres, a lover and collector of antiques, purchased the soda works building. Douvres restored the lower portion of the building for use as an old-fashioned ice cream soda fountain and the upper portion as an elegant dining hall displaying turn of the century atmosphere. The restoration took nearly four years. Along with many other antiques, he brought in an old safe from down the street weighing about 2 tons, which is still in the mine today. Douvres' daughter, Suzan Bickel, preserved the integrity if the historic building by having it placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The Pearson Soda Works building has been home to many businesses over its one-and-a-half century existence. Among various other businesses, it has been the site of the Main Street Theater, an antique store, a bookstore, a music store, Placerville Coffee House, and today, the Cozmic Cafe, established in 2003.
We at the Cozmic Cafe promise to respect this unique
building and honor its spectacular history.
Historical Resources:
"Pearson's Soda Works is a Landmark of the Community" by Jonni Kiyola and Angie Yanick, Mt. Democrat, November 12, 1992.
"Pearson's Soda Works", El Dorado County A to Z, Mountain Democrat, April 2, 1993
Ghost Town And Mining Camps of California by Remi Nadeau
"History of the Placerville Soda Works Building" by Trish Fernandez
"Haunted Pearson Soda Works Building Welcomes New Tenant" by Claire Paris, From: A Bit of History, www.visiteldorado.com
