An Hangtown fry is an egg scramble made with bacon and oysters. The origins date to the days of the California gold rush circa 1850. Placerville, California, in the heart of the gold country was then known as Hangtown, thanks to a local judge with a summary concept of justice. The Hangtown fry originated when a gold miner struck it rich and asked a Hangtown eatery to prepare something with the most expensive ingredients at hand. That turned out to be eggs, oysters, and bacon. Those are fine ingredients, so why not try it out?