The Placerville City Council has voted unanimously to remove a noose from the city’s longtime logo, a holdover from the days it was known as "Hangtown" during California’s Gold Rush.
The reputation followed lynchings of criminal suspects by mobs of miners, a common occurrence during the era.
The so-called "Hangman’s Tree" still stands across from Placerville City Hall marked with a plaque, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. The circular logo, which shows a miner in a red shirt bent over washing gold in a stream, also features a noose hanging from a tree in the background.
The vote came after the city council listened to emotional, one-minute comments from residents during a six-hour meeting on Tuesday. While some argued the noose is part of the history of the town, others said it’s violent and gives the city a bad look.
Removal of the noose from the city’s logo would cost roughly $3,500.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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