Historic Property #9: 2922 Bedford Avenue; Zeuner-McKay-Grover Basement

Year Built: Approximately 1896

(basement likely circa 1850s)

Architect: Unknown

Builder: Possibly Walter Miller

Architectural Style: Cottage

On the 1872 map of Placerville, the property at 2922 Bedford Avenue, designated as Block 27 Lot 8, is listed as owned by George Zeuner. However, Zeuner was not the original owner. Earlier records from the El Dorado County Recorder’s Office, dating back to 1865, before the establishment of blocks and lots, indicate that Charles Crippen sold land north of his property to George Zeuner. Fred Geary also sold land north of Crippen’s property to Zeuner. These parcels, both acquired by George Zeuner, were consolidated to form Lot 8 on Block 27, which is now 2922 Bedford Avenue.

Zeuner-McKay-Grover Basement; Circa 2025

In 1891, the property was sold to Walter Miller. Miller, who had the home at 2928 Bedford Avenue constructed to the south, may have been responsible for constructing the house currently at 2922 Bedford. El Dorado County records suggest this house was built in 1896 during Miller’s ownership. However, the cellar beneath the present-day home tells a different, older story.

Preliminary geological assessments of the cellar reveal that the hand-hewn foundation stones were likely quarried near Diamond Springs. These stones are estimated to date back to the 1850s, though their original purpose remains unclear. Given the presence of identified mine shafts and remnants on neighboring properties, a connection to early mining operations is plausible.

By the early 20th century, the cellar appears to have been converted into an apartment. Evidence of plumbing remnants in the outer porch area indicates the addition of a bathroom. Notably, the cellar apartment walls are still lined with early 1900s Stockton Record newspaper mat molds, which were used as a substitute for wallpaper. These mat molds, newspaper-sized sheets used to create lead negative images for letterpress printing, are now obsolete due to digitization. While letterpress printing survives for artistic purposes and in some small-town newspapers, its primary use was for advertisements.

The home changed hands several times before John McKay purchased it in 1916. McKay renovated the property, rented it out, and then bought a house across Bedford Avenue, where he lived until 1930.

McKay, born in Coloma in 1864, was a fruit grower and, in the early 1900s, had mining interests in Amador County. He filed a location notice on the Vulture Mine in 1926 and renamed it the Gold Bug Mine. McKay discovered a more prominent gold vein in the Gold Bug and laid tracks for ore removal. The improvements he made are what visitors see at the Gold Bug Mine today. No records were kept of the amount of gold extracted during McKay’s ownership.

Speculation suggests that McKay's interest in 2922 Bedford stemmed from its possible 1850s association with early mining operations. He subsequently sold the property to the Grover family, who occupied it for several years. Later, the property was further developed with the addition of apartments housed in two buildings at the rear.