Fountain-Tallman Soda Works

The Fountain-Tallman Soda Works stands as a two-story stone and brick structure featuring thick walls over two feet deep, constructed with slate and serpentine materials from nearby hillsides in the mid-19th century.

Built in 1853 by John Fountain and Benjamin Tallman as a soda water factory during California's Gold Rush era, this building served miners and townspeople with carbonated beverages before changing ownership multiple times after financial difficulties in 1857.

The building represents the entrepreneurial spirit of Gold Rush settlers and now houses the Fountain & Tallman Museum, operated by the El Dorado County Historical Society, displaying artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Located at 524 Main Street in Placerville, the museum is within walking distance of other historical markers and offers educational exhibits about early industrial processes, beverage production, and local commerce history.

Renovation efforts uncovered fascinating artifacts beneath the original stone floor, including a bowie knife with rotted handle, gold flakes, and broken soda bottles bearing the builders' marks, which are now displayed inside the museum.