Discuss Parking Management in Kings Beach at our Jan. 10 and 11 community meetings
Applications are now open for District Attorney’s 2024 Spring Citizen’s Academy
Placer Land Trust acquires 595 acres in west Placer
Winter Book Bingo challenges Placer readers to expand horizons
Placer County Sheriff’s Office welcomes first bomb-sniffing dog
Prescribed burns and fuel-reduction projects continue in North Lake Tahoe
 Around 7 a.m. on Jan. 3, 1922, Ursula Ahart, one of Lincoln’s most prominent long-time residents, stoked the fire in her fireplace. The sleeve of her gown dipped into the flames and instantly caught fire. Within seconds, her entire gown was ablaze. Hearing the screams of her mother, Sarah Hogan rushed to her aid and desperately tried to extinguish the flames, but her clothing, too, caught fire.
Neighbors arrived and the fire alarm was sounded, but Ahart passed away before anyone else could help. Hogan, who was severely burned, died the next day.
Ursula Prudence Ragsdale married Peter Ahart on May 9, 1861, in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Lincoln. Peter emigrated from Germany with his parents in 1845 and they settled in Missouri. In 1852, he came to California to mine for gold. By 1857, he had amassed enough wealth to buy a large farm in Lincoln where he became a successful farmer and rancher. Peter Ahart and Ursula Ahart had 11 children, 10 of whom lived into adulthood. Peter Ahart died in 1900, and Ursula Ahart continued to successfully manage the ranch.
From the mid-19th century into the early 20th century, many women suffered the same fate as Ursula Ahart and Sarah Hogan. Open weave fabrics such as bobbinet, cotton muslin, gauze and tarlatan were common fabrics in women’s clothing, including nightgowns, and were very flammable. In a world where women were often near candle flames, gaslights, fireplaces and wood cookstoves, this combination sometimes proved deadly.
Peter Ahart and Ursula Ahart are buried in the Manzanita Cemetery in Lincoln. Sarah Hogan and five of her siblings are also buried there.
Photo: Drawing of the Ahart Farm, published in “History of Placer County” (1882)
 Don’t miss the fun coming this next week in...
Roseville: Step into the New Year
North Lake Tahoe: Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series
...and many Placer County Library and Placer County Museum events.
Visit our regional partners to discover more of the fun happening right here in Placer County!
Placer County Visitors' Bureau
North Tahoe Community Alliance
Tahoe City Downtown Association
The Arts Council of Placer County
Placer Valley Tourism
PlacerGROWN
Placer Wine Trail
Find current state COVID-19 guidance, along with local data and resources, here.
 Whether it’s representing your community or sharing your expertise on topics like agriculture or parks, there are always opportunities for you to help advise county leaders on the issues that matter to you most. Recruitment is open now to fill seats on the following committees or commissions, among others. Learn more and apply
Current recruitments include:
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