El Dorado County Historical Museum · Placerville, California
Heisler No. 2
One photograph out of thirty thousand — and for the first time in more than a century, you can see it from anywhere.
The Photograph
A locomotive, a crew, and a stand of timber
Three men pause for the camera — two in the cab, one standing at the pilot beam — while the trees they came to cut rise behind them.
- Subject Heisler No. 2, a geared steam locomotive, with three crew members
- Date ca. 1898
- Format Black-and-white photograph, digitized for online access
- Collection Folder Railroad
- Photographer No credit recorded
- Held By El Dorado County Historical Museum, 104 Placerville Drive, Placerville, California
- Catalog Entry View this photograph online
Historical Significance
Why this photograph matters
A photograph like this one is not a portrait of a machine. It is a record of work — of the men who did it, the ground they did it on, and a county whose economy once ran on timber and rail.
Heislers were geared locomotives, built for a job that ordinary rod engines could not do. Where a mainline locomotive needed gentle grades and well-laid track, a geared engine traded speed for pulling power, and could haul loaded log cars up steep pitches and over the rough, temporary lines that logging outfits laid down and pulled up as they moved through a stand. In the Sierra Nevada foothills, that was the difference between timber that could be reached and timber that could not.
What survives here is the human scale of it. Two men in the cab. One standing on the pilot beam with a hand on the rail, hat pushed back, entirely at ease on a piece of equipment that would terrify most of us. Behind them, the trees. Within a generation, both the locomotive and the forest in this frame would be gone.
For most of the last century, seeing this image required a drive to Placerville and a visit to the museum. That has changed.
Most of these photos have never been seen by the public, until now.
El Dorado County Historical Museum
The People Behind the Collection
Bringing thirty thousand photographs online
1974
The Museum Opens
- Since 1974, the El Dorado County Historical Museum has been a place to see and learn about the rich history of El Dorado County.
- The museum collects, protects, and presents the diverse stories and comprehensive history of the county, connecting its narrative to California and to the nation.
- It serves as a widely accessible and collaborative community cornerstone, fostering appreciation and providing enriching educational opportunities through dynamic engagement in person, online, and through public programming.
2025
A Gift That Opened the Doors
- The El Dorado County Library, which oversees the museum, received a generous donation from the El Dorado Hills Friends of the Library.
- The gift enabled the museum to begin building a historical photo database.
- The database draws from a collection of 30,000 photographs that had been accessible only by visiting the museum in person.
Now
Hundreds Uploaded, and Counting
- Hundreds of photographs have been uploaded in recent months, with new content added continuously.
- The collection is viewable by anyone with an internet connection, on the device of their choosing.
- Most of these photographs have never been seen by the public before now.
Beginning 2027
Artifacts Join the Record
- Photographs and scans of artifacts and cultural items housed at the museum will also be added to the database.
- The addition will bring another dimension to the user experience — objects alongside images, in one searchable place.
Collection Context
The El Dorado County Historical Museum Collection
30,000
Photographs in the collection
1974
Serving the county since
2027
Artifacts and cultural items go online
Historical Photographs
The heart of the collection. Hundreds are already online, with new material added continuously as scanning proceeds.
Railroad
Images of the engines, crews, and lines that moved timber and freight through the county, including this month’s featured photograph.
Artifacts & Cultural Items
Objects held at the museum will be photographed and scanned into the same database, joining the images already published.
County & Regional History
The museum documents the comprehensive history of El Dorado County and connects that narrative to California and the nation.
Online Access
The database is viewable by anyone with an internet connection, on whichever device they prefer. No appointment, no travel, no fee.
On-Site Research & Programs
The museum remains open to the public in person, and engages the community through exhibitions and public programming.
Contributing Institution
El Dorado County Historical Museum
Placerville, California
Thursday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Open to the public, free of charge
Since 1974, the El Dorado County Historical Museum has been a place to see and learn about the rich history of El Dorado County. The museum collects, protects, and presents the diverse stories and comprehensive history of the county, connecting its narrative to California and the nation.
It serves as a widely accessible and collaborative community cornerstone, fostering appreciation and providing enriching educational opportunities through dynamic engagement in person, online, and through public programming.
The museum is overseen by the El Dorado County Library. Its move to publish the photograph collection online extends a mission the institution has held for fifty years — making the county’s history available to the people whose history it is.
With Gratitude
The historical photo database was made possible by a generous donation from the El Dorado Hills Friends of the Library to the El Dorado County Library in 2025.
Featured photograph courtesy of the El Dorado County Historical Museum. No photographer credit is recorded for this image.