.

2015 Vacation: Trip to Sacramento and San Francisco

Old Sacramento Historic District

 

The history of Sacramento, California, began with its founding by Samuel Brannan and John Augustus Sutter, Jr. in 1848 around Sutter’s Fort established by his Sutter’s father, Captain John A. Sutter, in 1839. The city was named after the Sacramento River, which forms its western border. The river was named by Spanish cavalry officer Gabriel Moraga for the Santisimo Sacramento (Most Holy Sacrament), referring to the Catholic Eucharist.

The California Gold Rush started when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, one of Sutter, Sr.’s assets in the city of Coloma in 1848; the arrival of prospectors in droves ruined Sutter’s New Helvetia and trade began to develop around a wharf he had established where the American and Sacramento Rivers joined. In the region where Sutter had planned to establish the city of Sutterville, Sacramento City was founded. Sutter, Sr. put his son in charge and Sutter, Jr. worked to organize the city in its growth. However, its location caused the city to periodically fill with water. Fires would also sweep through the city. To resolve the problems, the city worked to raise the sidewalks and buildings and began to replace wooden structures with more resilient materials, like brick and stone. The original city level can be seen in the Pioneer Park in the Historic District.

Sacramento was selected as the capital of the state of California in 1854.

Old Sacramento Historic District  is a National Landmark that boasts 53 historic buildings and 5 about million visitors annually. It is a living historic district, spread over eight-block section of Downtown Sacramento. The area has seen vast improvements since it was first redeveloped in the 60’s.

The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation [HOSF] and the Old Sacramento Business Association [OSBA] were founded in 2003. The goal of the HOSF is “to realize the area’s potential as California’s hub of historic education and preservation. By broadening the historic and cultural offerings of Old Sacramento, the story of California’s beginnings can be preserved and shared in a way that truly brings history to life“.  The HOSF works in partnership with  OSBA and DSP [Downtown Sacramento Partnership], the City, the State of California, property owners, merchants and other stakeholders in their common goal of improving the OSHD [Old Sacramento Historic District] as a local, regional and national historic and cultural asset by preserving and protecting the historic district and conducting successful historic, interpretive and entertainment programs.

 

.

 

 

Old Sacramento Historic District

My trip to the Old Sacramento Historic District began at the Visitor’s Center at 1002 2nd St. Here I collected some leaflets which guided me in exploring the place.

 

.

Some highlights of Sacramento’s history to understand the Old Sacramento Historic District..
During the gold rush, Sacramento was a major distribution point, a commercial and agricultural center, and terminus for wagon train, stagecoach, riverboat, telegraph, pony express, and the first transcontinental railroad.
– In 1855 construction began on the Sacramento Valley Railroad, with the financial backing of shopkeepers known as the Big Four: Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker, and Leland Stanford (after whom Stanford University is named).
– In 1856 Sacramento became the terminus of California’s first railroad.
– Then came the Pony Express and, in 1861, the transcontinental telegraph.
– The Central Pacific Railroad joined the east and west coasts in 1869, permitting Sacramento farmers to ship their produce to the east. The railroad also transformed what had been a six-month trip between the coasts to six days; in time it also superseded the river as a means of transportation. In another important change, agriculture eventually replaced the gold mines as the primary industry.
– Mather Field was established to prepare planes to fly to Europe during World War I; McClellan Air Force Base was established in 1937 and was an important base of operations during World War II. These military installations drew a large influx of people into the area, many of whom stayed after World War II and spurred the development of the private sector. The first suburban shopping mall in the United States was established in North Sacramento in 1945.

Like many cities in the United States, downtown Sacramento had fallen into decay by the 1950s, since most of the moneyed population had moved to the suburbs.

The city eventually experienced a resurgence, marked by the redevelopment of the downtown area, with the city’s historical sections being preserved and restored. Sutter’s Embarcadero, for instance, now houses shops and restaurants. Sacramento’s redevelopment has been acclaimed as one of the most successful in the United States. Today’s Sacramento is experiencing further growth; population within the six-county Sacramento Region increased by 20 percent between 1990 and 2000. The city’s economic growth, livability, and comparatively low cost of living has made it one of California’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas.

.

.

.

 

.

The Old Sacramento Historic district is nested between Sacramento River [in west] and Third Street [in east].. and Capitol Mall [south] and I Street [in North]. I, J, K and L streets cuts through it parallel lines. It is best to begin the trip from one corner.

I Street:
To the north are of I Street are Sacramento History Museum, the Big Four Building, the Dingley Spice and Coffee Mill and the California State Railroad Museum.

.

.

1. The Sacramento History Museum: Located in the reconstructed building that originally housed the city water works, Mayor’s office , council chambers, police office, city prison, sleeping room for policemen and storage rooms for fire department. The original building was built in 1854 at a cost of 120,000.

.

.

2. The Big Four Building: was built as the result of merger of Sacramento’s early settlers, Collis Huntington and Mark Hopkins, who formed a partnership and opened the Huntington-Hopkins Hardware Store, with Leland Stanford and Charles Crocker. They formed the Central pacific Railroad, thus becoming the Big 4 of California railroading.

3. The Dingley Spice and Coffee Mill: was owned by Nathaniel Dingley, a very thrift man who lived in austere quarters on the second floor of the building. He tapped the steam line of the city’s waterworks to run his machinery.

.

.

4. The California State Railroad Museum: displaying 21 restored locomotives and cars and 46 exhibits, is the largest interpretive railroad museum in North America.

.

Between I and J streets on the Second street are:
Pioneer Park [Raising of the streets], Schroth Building, Hall and Lurhs and Company building.

.

.

5. Pioneer Park – Raising of the streets: is an important part of Sacramento’s history. The courtyard on the northwest corner of Second and I streets show the original level of the city streets. Constantly plagued by floods, in 1873 the streets were raised 12 feet with dredged out dirt from the American River.

.

.

6. The Schroth Building: Housed the Eureka Swimming Bath in 1854. With 14 rooms, reservation were made as numer 1, 11 or 21, as the water was replaced after every 10 baths. A metal tank in the back of the building stored the water which was heated by the sun.

.

.

7. Hall, Lurhs and Company building: constructed in 1880s, it is one of the largest brick structures in Old Sacramento. It was the site of Sacramento’s first hospital, and it became home to Hall, Luhrs and Company Wholesale Grocers- one of the first companies to ship fresh fruit to east coast.

.

J Street:
Pony Express Monument, Heywood Building, B.F.Hastings Building and Brannan Building.

.

.

8. The Pony Express: Commemorates the 1,966 mile mail run from Sacramento to St. Joseph, Missouri in less than 10 days, completed in 1860 by 80 young riders. in 1861, the completion of the transcontinental telegraph put the “Express” out of business.

.

.

9. The Heywood Building: was built in 1857 by Joseph Heywood, Sacramento’s first butcher. The beautifully restored brick building later was sold out to its most famous owner, D.O.Mills.

.

.

10. The B.F.Hastings Building: was built immediately after the fire of 1852. It was the western terminus of the Pony Express and the Sacramento Office of Wells Fargo. It also housed the California State Telegraph offices and the chambers of the California Supreme Court.

.

.

.

11. The Brannan Building: San Brannon opened a general store in Sutter’s Fort, and after the discovery of gold, opened another store in Old Sacramento. This building, in Old Sacramento was erected by Henry E. Robinson in 1853 and was used as the first meeting place of the Pioneer Association and other organizations of early days. It carried everything a miner might need. Brannon became California’s first millionaire.

Continued to Part II..click here..

 

---

 

Reference: Sacramento: History / CityData.com.. click here..

.

---

.

Related Links:
Home.. click here..
2015 Vacation: Trip to Sacramento, San Francisco, Carson City & Lake Tahoe.. click here..

My Vacations.. click here..
Vacation: USA.. click here..
Vacation: UK.. click here..
Vacation: India.. click here..
UNESCO World Heritage Site.. click here..

.

---

.