The Placer Life

Bonus Episode: The Placer life during World War II - Inside the Lines

In this special bonus episode of our miniseries, The Placer Life during World War II, we step inside the world of Martín Ramírez, the internationally celebrated self-taught artist who created hundreds of extraordinary drawings while living at the former DeWitt State Hospital in Placer County. Featuring insights from a leading expert who has studied Ramírez’s life up close, we explore how an immigrant laborer from Jalisco navigated displacement, institutionalization and isolation—and still transformed scavenged materials into some of the most captivating works of 20th-century art. Through stories, personal stories, and a deeper look at Ramírez’s time at DeWitt, this episode reveals the humanity, creativity and resilience that shaped his legacy, and why his art continues to inspire audiences around the world. 🎧Listen to “Inside the Lines” to discover the story behind the lines that changed outsider art forever. Transcript: https://www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/99664/The-Placer-life-during-WWII---Inside-the-Lines

The Placer life during World War II - The Heart of Auburn

World War II was perhaps most visible to Placer County residents in the form of the Army’s DeWitt General Hospital in Auburn. Developed in 1943 to treat servicemembers injured in the Pacific Theater, it transformed the community in ways that still resonate today. In this final episode of our four-part miniseries, “The Placer Life during World II,” we explore the history of the hospital, its later uses as a state psychiatric hospital and the Placer County Government Center, and how future plans for the hospital campus call for broadening its use for housing and economic development. AI disclosure: This episode includes a passage in which an AI-generated voice reads an original opinion piece published in the Auburn Journal newspaper. Transcript: https://shorturl.at/QlWLB

The Placer life during World War II - Seeds of hope

Placer County is home to one of America’s oldest Japanese communities. Many Japanese immigrants built a life here in agriculture. And despite hardships and prejudice, Placer’s Japanese families and Japan towns thrived. Until World War II, when Japanese exclusion laws and internment threatened to take it all away. In this third episode of our four-part miniseries about the ways World War II changed life in Placer County, we explore the experiences of our Japanese American neighbors. It’s a story of hardship and tragedy, but also of resilience, kindness and hope. Transcript: https://shorturl.at/p1k3J Visit Placer County Museums’ virtual exhibit, “The Japanese Community During World War II“: https://express.adobe.com/page/9942dkYpeg4dU/?ref=https%3A%2F%2F

Healing beyond the battlefield

As veterans return to civilian life, many face new battles — all too commonly grappling with PTSD or confronting mental health and substance use challenges. This Veterans Day, we explore the transformative impact of Placer County’s Veterans Court through the stories of two local veterans in recovery. Listen to raw, honest conversations that will move you and shed light on the ongoing battles veterans face — and how they overcome. Transcript: https://bit.ly/4ennYhG

The Placer life during World War II - Climb to Glory

Maybe you've driven by the "10th Mountain Division Memorial Highway" signs on your way to the mountain resorts along state Route 89. And maybe you've wondered, why here? There's no official connection to the 10th at all here, really. But in fact, the Tahoe we know and love today - and America's experience of mountain sports in general - would look a lot different if it weren't for the 10th. In this episode of "The Placer Life," the second of our four-part miniseries about the ways World War II changed life in Placer County, we share the incredible story of the 10th's heroic efforts during World War II - and how veterans of the 10th changed the way we look at the mountains forever. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains historical reenactments of combat that may be difficult for some listeners. Discretion is advised. Transcript: https://shorturl.at/grM15 To learn more about the history of the 10th Mountain Division and its influence on mountain sports, check out the Ninety-Pound Rucksack podcast: https://christianbeckwith.com/ And visit the SNOW Sports Museum popup exhibit at the Boatworks building in Tahoe City to see artifacts from the 10th Mountain Division's service during World War II: https://www.thesnowmuseum.org/snow-sports-museum-at-the-boatworks/