Sacramento, California City History and Historical Figures

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Sacramento, California

City History
Historic People

City History

Valley Miwok, Shonommey and Maidu Indians have lived in this area for perhaps thousands of years. Unlike the settlers who would eventually make Sacramento their home, these Indians left little evidence of their existence. Traditionally, their diet was dominated by acorns taken from the plentiful oak trees in the region, and by fruits, bulbs, seeds, and roots gathered throughout the year.

In either 1806 or 1808, the Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga "discovered" and named the Sacramento Valley and the Sacramento River after the Spanish term for 'sacrament', specifically, after "the Most Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ."

The pioneer John Sutter arrived from Liestal, Switzerland in the Sacramento area with other settlers in August 1839 and established the trading colony and stockade Sutter's Fort in 1840. Sutter's Fort was constructed using labor from local Native American tribes. Sutter received 2,000 fruit trees in 1847, which started the agriculture industry in the Sacramento Valley. In 1848, when gold was discovered by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, a large number of gold-seekers came to the area, increasing the population. John Sutter, Jr. then planned the City of Sacramento naming the city after the Sacramento River.

The citizens of Sacramento adopted a city charter in 1849, which was recognized by the state legislature in 1850. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, incorporated on February 27, 1850. During the early 1850s the Sacramento valley was devastated by floods, fires and cholera epidemics. Despite this, because of its position just downstream from the Mother Lode in the Sierra Nevada, the newly founded city grew, quickly reaching a population of 10,000.
The California State Legislature named Sacramento as the permanent home of the state capital in 1854. Begun in 1860 California State Capitol was completed in 1874. With its new status and strategic location, Sacramento quickly prospered and became the western end of the Pony Express, and later the First Transcontinental Railroad.
In spite of major military base closures and the decline of agricultural food processing, Sacramento continued to experience massive population growth in the 1990s and early 2000s. Primary sources of population growth are people migrating from the San Francisco Bay Area seeking lower housing costs, as well as immigration from Asia,

Sacramento City and County are served by a customer-owned electric utility, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Sacramento voters approved the creation of SMUD in 1923. SMUD today is the sixth-largest public electric utility in the U.S., and has a worldwide reputation for innovative programs and services, including the development of clean fuel resources, such as solar power.

The same rivers that earlier brought death and destruction began to provide increasing levels of transportation and commerce. Both the American and especially Sacramento rivers would be key elements in the economic success of the city. In an effort to control the flooding the Sacramentans raised the level of the city. Now both rivers are used extensively for recreation.

Historic Figures

Lietenant Gabriel Moraga (unkown)

Lietenant Gabriel Moraga (unkown)
In 1806, he lead his expedition to modern-day Kings Canyon, California and named "The River of the Holy Kings." Later it was shortened to "Kings River." During this part of his trip, he also named "Sacramento", which means "Blessed Sacrament". After discovering yet another major river in the central valley, Moraga named it after "Our Lady Of Guadalupe". It was later renamed to honor a native indian leader by the name of Estanislao . . the Stanislaus River. He also named the Merced River during this expedition, in honor of "Our Lady Of Mercy".

April 20, 2024