|
|
|
|
Sacramento, California
|
| |
|
| |
Sacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. Located along the Sacramento River and just south of the American River's confluence in California's expansive Central Valley, it is the seventh-largest city in California.. With a 2007 estimated population of 460,242, it is also California's 2nd largest inland city. Sacramento's name is taken from the Spanish language, in which "Sacramento" is Spanish for "sacrament".
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Sacramento, California' Start a new discussion about 'Sacramento, California' Answer questions from other users |
Encyclopedia
Sacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. Located along the Sacramento River and just south of the American River's confluence in California's expansive Central Valley, it is the seventh-largest city in California.. With a 2007 estimated population of 460,242, it is also California's 2nd largest inland city. Sacramento's name is taken from the Spanish language, in which "Sacramento" is Spanish for "sacrament". Sacramento is the core cultural and economic center of its four-county metropolitan area (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties) with a combined population of 2,136,604. The Sacramento Metropolitan Area is the largest in the Central Valley, and is the fourth-largest in California, behind the Greater Los Angeles Area, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Diego area. Greater Sacramento has been cited as one of the five "most livable" regions in America in 2004, and the city was cited by Time magazine as America's most integrated in 2002.
Sacramento became a city due to the efforts of John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant, and James W. Marshall. Sacramento grew faster due to the protection of Sutter's Fort, which was established by Sutter in 1839. During the California Gold Rush, Sacramento was a major distribution point, a commercial and agricultural center, and a terminus for wagon trains, stagecoaches, riverboats, the telegraph, the Pony Express, and the First Transcontinental Railroad.
California State University, Sacramento, more commonly known as Sacramento State or Sac State, is the major local university. It is one of the twenty-three campuses of the California State University system. In addition, the University of California, Davis is located in nearby Davis, just west of the capital.
History
Indigenous culture
Nisenan (Southern Maidu) and Plains Miwok Indians have lived in the 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 1799 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", referring to the Roman Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist.
From pioneers to gold fever
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 (as New Helvetia or "New Switzerland") 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 (located some , northeast of the fort), a large number of gold-seekers came to the area, increasing the population. John Sutter, Jr. then planned the City of Sacramento, in association with Sam Brannan against the wishes of his father, naming the city after the Sacramento River for commercial reasons. He hired topographical engineer William H. Warner to draft the official layout of the city, which included 26 lettered and 31 numbered streets (today's grid from C St. to Broadway and from Front St. to Alhambra Blvd.). However, a bitterness grew between the elder Sutter and his son as Sacramento became an overnight commercial success (Sutter's Fort, Mill and the town of Sutterville, all founded by John Sutter, Sr., would eventually fail).
The part of Sacramento originally laid out by William Warner is situated just east and south of where the American River meets the Sacramento River (though over time it has grown to extend significantly north, south, and east of there). A number of directly adjacent towns, cities or unincorporated county suburbs, such as Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove,
Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Rocklin, West Sacramento, Orangevale, and North Highlands extend the greater Sacramento area.
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.
Capital city
The California State Legislature, with the support of Governor John Bigler, moved to Sacramento in 1854. The Capital of California before 1846 was located in Monterey where in 1849 the first Constitutional Convention and state elections were held. In 1849 the State Legislature voted to sit the State Capitol in San Jose. After 1850, when California was ratified as a state, the Capitol was also located in Vallejo, and Benicia before moving to Sacramento. In the 1879 Constitutional Convention, Sacramento was named to be the permanent State Capital.
Begun in 1860 to be reminiscent of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, the Classical Revival style California State Capitol was completed in 1874. In 1861, the legislative session was moved to the Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco for one session due to massive flooding in Sacramento. The legislative chambers were first occupied in 1869 while construction continued. From 1862-1868, part of the Leland Stanford Mansion was used for the governor's offices during Stanford's tenure as the Governor; and the legislature met in the Sacramento County Courthouse.
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 (which began construction in Sacramento in 1863 and was financed by "The Big Four" – Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker, Collis P. Huntington, and Leland Stanford) Leland Stanford is known as the man who hammered in the last (golden) spike into the transcontinental railroad and also, the man who founded Stanford University in honor of his fifteen-year old son, who had died.
In 1850 and again in 1861, Sacramentans were faced with a completely flooded town. After the devastating 1850 flood, Sacramento experienced a cholera epidemic and a flu epidemic, which crippled the town for several years. In 1861, the legend has it that Governor Leland Stanford, who was inaugurated in early January 1861, had to attend his inauguration in a rowboat, which was not too far from his house in town on N street. The flood waters were so bad, the legend says, that when he returned to his house, he had to enter into it through the second floor window. In 1862 Sacramento raised the level of the city by landfill. Thus the previous first floors of buildings became the basements, which were later connected by tunnels under the streets of Old Sacramento. The tunnels became a network of opium dens, which were also mostly filled in. However, it is still possible to view portions of the "Sacramento Underground."
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 fact, Sacramento effectively controlled commerce on these rivers, and public works projects were funded though taxes levied on goods unloaded from boats and loaded onto rail cars in the historic Sacramento Rail Yards.
Now both rivers are used extensively for recreation. The American River is a 5-mph (8-km/h) waterway for all power boats (including jet-ski and similar craft) (Source Sacramento County Parks & Recreation) and has become an international attraction for rafters and kayakers. The Sacramento River sees many boaters, who can make day trips to nearby sloughs or continue along the Delta to the Bay Area and San Francisco. The Delta King, a paddlewheel steamboat which for eighteen months lay on the bottom of the San Francisco Bay, was refurbished and now boasts a hotel, a restaurant, and two different theatres for nightlife along the Old Sacramento riverfront.
The modern era
The city's current charter was adopted by voters in 1920, establishing a city council-and-manager form of government, still used today. As a charter city, Sacramento is exempt from many laws and regulations passed by the state legislature. The city has expanded continuously over the years. The 1964 merger of the City of North Sacramento with Sacramento substantially increased its population, and large annexations of the Natomas area eventually led to significant population growth throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Sacramento County (along with a portion of adjacent Placer County) is served by a customer-owned electric utility, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Sacramento voters approved the creation of SMUD in 1923. In April, 1946, after 12 years of litigation, a judge ordered Pacific Gas & Electric to transfer title of Sacramento's electric distribution system to SMUD. 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 Sacramento-Yolo Port District was created in 1947, and ground was broken on the Port of Sacramento in 1949. On June 29 1963, with 5,000 spectators waiting to welcome her, the Motor Vessel Taipei Victory arrived. The port was open for business. The Nationalist Chinese flag ship, freshly painted for the historic event, was loaded with 5,000 tons of bagged rice for Mitsui Trading Co. bound for Okinawa and 1,000 tons of logs for Japan. She was the first ocean-going vessel in Sacramento since the steamship Harpoon in 1934. The Port of Sacramento has been plagued with operating losses in recent years and faces bankruptcy. This severe loss in business is due to the heavy competition from the Port of Stockton, which has a larger facility and a deeper channel. As of 2006, the city of West Sacramento took responsibility for the Port of Sacramento. During the Viet Nam era, the Port of Sacramento was the major terminus in the supply route for all military parts, hardware and other cargo going into Southeast Asia.
In 1967, Ronald Reagan became the last Governor of California to live permanently in the city. A new executive mansion, constructed by private funds in a Sacramento suburb for Reagan, remained vacant for nearly forty years and was recently sold by the state.
The 1980s and 1990s saw the closure of several local military bases: McClellan Air Force Base, Mather Air Force Base, and Sacramento Army Depot. Sacramento is the capital of California and therefore the Government sector is the largest employer. As a result, the U.S. armed forces have little presence in the city except for recruiting offices. Also, in 1980, there was another flood. The flood's damage affected the Boat Section of Interstate 5. The culmination of a series of storms as well as a faulty valve are believed to have caused this damage.
In the early 1990s, Mayor Joe Serna attempted to lure the Los Angeles Raiders football team to Sacramento, selling $50 million in bonds as earnest money. When the deal fell through, the bond proceeds were used to construct several large projects, including expanding the Convention Center and refurbishing of the Memorial Auditorium. Serna renamed a city park for controversial farm labor organizer Cesar Chavez. Through his effort, Sacramento became the first major city in the country to have a paid municipal holiday honoring Chavez.
In spite of major military base closures and the decline of agricultural food processing, Sacramento has continued to experience massive population growth in recent years. Primary sources of population growth are an influx of resident of the San Francisco Bay Area seeking lower housing costs, as well as immigration from Asia, Latin America, and former Soviet republics. From 1990 to 2000, the city's population grew by 14.7%. The Census Bureau estimates that from 2000 to 2007, the county's population increased by nearly 164,000 residents.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mayor Heather Fargo made several abortive attempts to provide taxpayer financing of a new sports arena for the Maloof brothers, owners of the Sacramento Kings NBA Basketball franchise. In November 2006, Sacramento voters soundly defeated a proposed sales tax hike to finance this, due in part to competing plans for the new arena and its location.
Despite a devolution of state government in recent years, the state of California remains by far Sacramento's largest employer. The City of Sacramento expends considerable effort to keep state agencies from moving outside the city limits. In addition, many federal agencies have offices in Sacramento.
The California Supreme Court normally sits in San Francisco.
Geography and climate
Geography
- Elevation: 25 feet (8 m) above mean sea level.
- Latitude: 38° 31' N; Longitude: -121° 30' W
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and water; 2.1% of the area is water. The population in 2000 was 407,018; the 1980 population was 275,741. The city's current estimated population is approximately 454,330. Depth to groundwater is typically about . Much of the land to the west of the city (in Yolo County) is a flood control basin. As a result, the greater metropolitan area sprawls only four miles (6 km) west of downtown (as West Sacramento, California) but 30 miles (50 km) northeast and east, into the Sierra Nevada foothills, and 10 miles (16 km) to the south into valley farmland.
The city is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River, and has a deepwater port connected to the San Francisco Bay by a channel through the Sacramento River Delta. It is the shipping and rail center for the Sacramento Valley, fruit, vegetables, rice, wheat, dairy goods, and beef. Food processing is among the major industries in the area.
Climate
Sacramento has a Mediterranean climate that is characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers (Koppen climate classification Csa). The area usually has high humidity during winter but low during summer. Rain typically falls only between November and April, with the rainy season tapering off almost completely by the end of April. The average temperature throughout the year is 61 °F (16 °C), with the daily average ranging from 46 °F (8 °C) in December and January to 76 °F (24 °C). Average daily high temperatures range from 55 °F (13 °C) in December and January to 93 °F (34 °C) in July and August. Daily low temperatures range from 41 to 61 °F (5 to 16 °C). The average year has 73 days with a high over 90 °F (32 °C), with the highest temperature on record being 115 °F (46 °C) on July 25, 2006, and 18 days when the low drops below 32 °F (0 °C), with the coldest day on record being December 11, 1932, at 17 °F (-8 °C). During summer cool down occur from the delta breeze during the evening. The delta breeze is a breeze which blows off the bay area into the valley. At times the delta breeze brings low clouds during summer mornings. The delta breeze is speed of 10-15mph but gustier near the delta regions. These areas are usually under low clouds during summer morning but warm up again. The breeze rises humidity dramatically during the evening. The delta breeze doesn't occur during heatwave because of offshore flow.
Average yearly precipitation is 19.9 inches (505 mm). Sacramento receives an average of 58 days of precipitation annually, most of which occur during the winter months. While the month of January receives an average rainfall of 4.2 inches (106 mm) in January, almost no rain falls during the summer months. In February 1992, Sacramento had 16 consecutive days of rain, for an accumulation of 6.41 in (163 mm). A record 7.24 in (184 mm) of rain fell on April 20 1880.
On average, 96 days in the year have fog, mostly in the morning (tule fog), primarily in December and January. The fog can get extremely dense, lowering visibility to less than 100 feet (30 m) and making driving conditions hazardous.
The city's record snowfall was recorded on January 4 1888, at 3.5 inches (9 cm). Snowfall is rare in Sacramento (with an elevation of only or 16 m above sea level), with a dusting of snow every eight to ten years. In contrast, snow accumulation is an annual occurrence in the foothills located 40 miles (65 km) east of the city.
City neighborhoods
The city groups its neighborhoods into four areas:
Area one (Central/Eastern)
Alkali Flat, Boulevard Park, Campus Commons, Sacramento State, Dos Rios Triangle, Downtown, East Sacramento, Mansion Flats, Marshall School, Midtown, New Era Park, Newton Booth, Old Sacramento, Poverty Ridge, Richards, Richmond Grove, River Park, Sierra Oaks, Southside Park.
Area two (Southwestern)
Airport, Freeport Manor, Golf Course Terrace, Greenhaven, Curtis Park, , Land Park, Little Pocket, Mangan Park, Meadowview, Parkway, Pocket, Sacramento City College, South Land Park, Valley Hi / North Laguna, Z'Berg Park
Area three (Southeastern)
Alhambra Triangle, Avondale, Brentwood, Carleton Tract, College Greens, Colonial Heights, Colonial Village, Colonial Village North, Curtis Park, Elmhurst, Fairgrounds, Florin-Fruitridge, Industrial Park, Fruitridge Manor, Glen Elder, Glenbrook, Granite Regional Park, Lawrence Park, Med Center, North City Farms, Oak Park, Packard Bell, South City Farms, Southeast Village, Tahoe Park, Tahoe Park East, Tahoe Park South, Tallac Village, Woodbine
Area four (North of the American River)
Natomas (north, south, west), Valley View Acres, Gardenland, Northgate, Woodlake, North Sacramento, Terrace Manor, Hagginwood, Del Paso Heights, Robla, McClellan Heights West, Ben Ali, and Swanston Estates.
Adjacent Areas
Demographics
Sacramento
Population by year | | 1860 | 13,785 | | 1870 | 16,283 | | 1880 | 21,420 | | 1890 | 26,386 | | 1900 | 29,282 | | 1910 | 44,696 | | 1920 | 65,908 | | 1930 | 93,750 | | 1940 | 105,958 | | 1950 | 137,572 | | 1960 | 191,667 | | 1970 | 254,413 | | 1980 | 275,741 | | 1990 | 369,365 | | 2000 | 407,018 | | 2008 | 475,743 |
As of the census of 2000, there are 407,018 people (2004 Est. 454,330), 154,581 households, and 91,202 families residing in the city. The population density is 4,189.2 people per square mile (1,617.4/km˛). There are 163,957 housing units at an average density of 1,687.5/sq mi (651.5/km˛). The racial makeup of the city is 48.29% White, 15.47% African American, 1.30% Native American, 16.62% Asian, 0.95% Pacific Islander, 10.96% from other races, and 6.41% from two or more races. 21.61% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 154,581 households out of which 30.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% are married couples living together, 15.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% are non-families. 32.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.35.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $37,049, and the median income for a family is $42,051. Males have a median income of $35,946 versus $31,318 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,721. 20.0% of the population and 15.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Factors such as mild climate, a location at the crossroads of major interstate highways and railroads, and the availability of campsites along the rivers, as well as an outlook of tolerance, attract homeless people.
Sacramento is notably diverse racially, ethnically, and by household income, and has a notable lack of inter-racial disharmony. In 2002, Time magazine and the Civil Rights Project of Harvard University identified Sacramento as the most racially/ethnically integrated major city in America. The U.S. Census Bureau also groups Sacramento with other U.S. cities having a "High Diversity" rating of the diversity index.
Politics
In the state legislature Sacramento is located in the 6th Senate District, represented by Democrat Darrell Steinberg, and in the 5th, 9th, and 10th Assembly Districts, represented by Republican Roger Niello, Democrat Dave Jones, and Republican Alan Nakanishi respectively. Federally, Sacramento is located in California's 5th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +14 and is represented by Democrat Doris Matsui.
Education
Colleges and universities
Sacramento is home to Sacramento State (California State University, Sacramento), founded as Sacramento State College in 1947. In 2004, enrollment was 22,555 undergraduates and 5,417 graduate students in the university's eight colleges. The university's mascot is the hornet, and the school colors are green and gold. The 300 acre (1.2 km˛) campus is located along the American River Parkway a few miles east of downtown.
In January 2009, Philadelphia-based Drexel University opened a Center for Graduate Studies in downtown Sacramento.
National University of California maintains a campus in the city.
A satellite campus of Alliant International University offers graduate and undergraduate programs of study.
Sacramento is home to an unaccredited private institution, University of Sacramento, a Roman Catholic university run by the Legionaries of Christ. Currently, the university offers course work in graduate programs. Nearby Rocklin, CA is home to William Jessup University, an evangelical Christian college.
The University of California has a campus, UC Davis, in nearby Davis and also has a graduate center in downtown Sacramento. The UC Davis Graduate School of Management (GSM) is located in downtown Sacramento on One Capital Mall. Many students, about 400 out of 517, at the UC Davis GSM are working professionals and are completing their MBA part-time. The part-time program is ranked in the top-20 and is well-known for its small class size, world class faculty, and involvement in the business community. UC also maitains the for undergraduate and graduate studies. Similar to the UC's Washington DC program, "Scholar Interns" engage in both academic studies and as well as internships, often with the state government.
Also, the UC Davis School of Medicine is located at the UC Davis Medical Center between the neighborhoods of Elmhurst, Tahoe Park, and Oak Park.
University of San Francisco has one of its four regional campuses in Sacramento. At the undergraduate level they offer degrees in Applied Economics, Information Systems, Organizational Behavior and Leadership, and Public Administration. At the graduate level, Master's programs are offered in: Information Security and Assurance, Information Systems, Organization Development, Project Management, Public Administration, Nonprofit Administration, and Counseling.
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, a top 100 law school according to U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings of U.S. law schools (2006, 2007 & 2008), is located in the Oak Park section of Sacramento.
The private University of Southern California has an extension in downtown Sacramento, called the State Capital Center. The campus, taught by main campus professors, Sacramento-based professors, and practitioners in the State Capitol and state agencies, offers Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Health degrees.
The Los Rios Community College District consists of several two-year colleges in the Sacramento area – American River College, Cosumnes River College, Sacramento City College, Folsom Lake College, plus a large number of outreach centers for those colleges.
Universal Technical Institute (UTI), a nationwide provider of technical education training for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians has a campus located in Sacramento.
Sacramento has a number of private vocational schools as well.
In the PBS KVIE building, there is also an extension of San Francisco's Golden Gate University.
Public schools
Several public school districts serve Sacramento. Sacramento City Unified School District serves most of Sacramento. Other portions are served by the Center Unified School District, Natomas Unified School District, San Juan Unified School District, Twin Rivers Unified School District (the North Sacramento School District, the Del Paso Heights School District, the Rio Linda Union School District, and the Grant Joint Union High School District merged), Folsom-Cordova Unified School District, and Robla School District.
The Valley Hi/North Laguna area is served by the Elk Grove Unified School District, despite being in the city limits of Sacramento and not in Elk Grove.
Private schools
Catholic schools
Continuing an educational history that began in the Sacramento region at the time of the Gold Rush, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento operates 1 diocesan high school within the city and surrounding suburbs, St. Francis High School. Various Roman Catholic religious congregations operate four additional Catholic "private" (i.e., non-diocesan) high schools in the city and suburbs: Loretto High School (sponsored by the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Christian Brothers High School (sponsored by the Brothers of Christian Schools), Jesuit High School (the Society of Jesus, or "Jesuits"), and, as of the Fall of 2006, Cristo Rey High School Sacramento (co-sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Jesuits). Sacramento is one of 12 cities in the United States with a Cristo Rey Network High School, the first of which was founded by the Jesuits in Chicago in 1996 on a reduced tuition model designed to be accessible to those otherwise unable to afford conventionally-priced private education.
Additionally within the city and surrounding suburbs are 30 "parochial" schools – i.e., schools attached to a parish. These range from the oldest still operating, St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School (1895), to the newest, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (2000), to the recently consolidated, John Paul II School (2005), combining All Hallows (1948) and St. Peter (1955) Schools at the All Hallows Parish site.
In 1857, almost immediately upon their arrival from Ireland, the Sisters of Mercy opened the first school of any kind in Sacramento. Open to all regardless of religious denomination, St. Joseph Academy continued operation through the late 1960s. The final school site is now a city of Sacramento parking garage. The "St. Joseph Garage" honors the name of the school that marked the arrival of formal education in Sacramento.
Independent schools
While Catholic institutions still dominate the independent school scene in the Sacramento area, in 1964, Sacramento Country Day School opened and offered Sacramentans an independent school that is affiliated with the California Association of Independent Schools. SCDS has grown to its present day status as a learning community for students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Additionally, the suburb of Fair Oaks hosts the expansive riverside campus of the Sacramento Waldorf School, a Steiner school adjacent to the Rudolf Steiner College, and the largest Waldorf school in North America. Sacramento Waldorf School educates students from pre-K through 12th Grade on a secluded, pastoral site that incorporates a large, functioning biodynamic farm.
Other religious schools
There is one Islamic school in Sacramento, founded in 1988. Shalom School is the only Jewish day school in Sacramento.
Capitol Christian School is a pre school - 12 grade private, christian school. It currently has roughly 1100 students enrolled. There's also a small bible college on campus where you can get an associates degree in bible or theology.
Culture and arts
The primary newspaper is The Sacramento Bee, founded in 1857 by James McClatchy. Its rival, the Sacramento Union, started publishing six years earlier in 1851; it closed its doors in 1994. Writer and journalist Mark Twain wrote for the Union in 1866. In late 2004, a new Sacramento Union returned with bimonthly magazines and in May 2005 began monthly publication, but does not intend to return as a daily newspaper. In 2006, The McClatchy Company purchased Knight Ridder Inc. to become the second-largest newspaper publisher in the United States. The Sacramento Bee has won five Pulitzer Prizes in its history. It has won numerous other awards, including many for its progressive public service campaigns promoting free speech (the Bee often criticized government policy, and uncovered many scandals hurting Californians), anti-racism (the Bee supported the Union during the American Civil War and publicly denounced the Ku Klux Klan), worker's rights (the Bee has a strong history of supporting unionization), and environmental protection (leading numerous tree-planting campaigns and fighting against environmental destruction in the Sierra Nevada).
The oldest part of the town besides Sutter's Fort is Old Sacramento, which consists of cobbled streets and some historic buildings, some from the 1860s. Buildings have been preserved, restored or reconstructed, and the district is now a substantial tourist attraction, with rides on steam-hauled historic trains and paddle steamers.
The "Big Four Building", built in 1852, was home to the offices of Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, and Charles Crocker. The Central Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Railroad were founded there. The original building was destroyed in 1963 for the construction of Interstate 5, but was re-created using original elements in 1965. It is now a National Historic Landmark. Also of historic interest is the Eagle Theatre, a reconstruction of California's first permanent theatre in its original location.
Theatre Arts
There are several major theatre venues for Sacramento. The Sacramento Convention Center Complex governs both the Community Center Theatre and Memorial Auditorium. The Wells Fargo Pavilion is the most recent addition. It is built atop the old Music Circus tent foundations. Next to that, is the McClatchy Main stage, originally built as a television studio, it was renovated at the same time the pavilion was built. It is the smallest of the venues providing seating for only 300. The Sacramento Ballet, Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sacramento Opera perform at the Community Center Theatre.
Professional theatre is represented in Sacramento by a number of companies. California Musical Theatre and its Summer stock theatre, Music Circus lure many directors, performers and artists from New York to Los Angeles to work along side a large local staff for their productions at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. During the fall, winter and spring seasons Broadway Sacramento brings bus and truck tours to the Convention Center Theatre. The Sacramento Theatre Company provides non-musical productions as an Equity House Theatre, performing in the McClatchy Main stage. At the B Street Theatre, smaller and more intimate professional productions are performed as well as a children's theatre. The Sacramento Shakespeare Festival provides entertainment under the stars every summer in William Land Park.
The Sacramento area has one of the largest collection of smaller Community Theatres in California. Some of these include, the 24th Street Theatre, River City Theatre Company, Runaway Stage Productions, Magic Circle Theatre, Big Idea Theatre, Celebration Arts, Lambda Player, Synergy Stage and the historic Eagle Theatre. Many of these theatres compete annually for the Elly Awards overseen by The Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance or SARTA.
On Wednesday June 13, 2007 a new studio for the performing arts was announced to be built alongside the Sacramento Theatre company and the Wells Fargo Pavilion. The new multi million dollar complex will be named the "E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts" and will provide rehearsal space for 4 of the regions principal arts groups, the Sacramento Ballet, California Musical Theatre, Sacramento Opera and the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, centralizing most of the city's Arts organizations.
Visual Arts
The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission is an organization which was established as the Sacramento arts council in 1977 to provide several arts programs for the city. These include Art in Public Places, Arts Education, Grants and Cultural Programs, Poet Laureate Program, Arts Stabilization Programs and Other Resources and opportunities.
Sacramento Second Saturday Art Walk is a program of local art galleries that stay open into the late evenings every second Saturday of each month providing a unique experience for the local population as well as tourists to view original art and meet the artists themselves.
Museums
Sacramento has several major museums. The Crocker Art Museum, the oldest public art museum west of the Mississippi River is one of the finest. On July 26, 2007 the Museum broke ground for an expansion that will more than triple the buildings floor space. The Modern architecture will be much different from the Victorian style building it is added to. Construction is to be completed by 2010.
Also of interest is the Governor's Mansion State Historic Park, a large Victorian Mansion which was home to 13 of California's Governors. The Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park, which was completely restored in 2006, serves as the State's official address for diplomatic and business receptions. Guided public tours are available. The California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts, home of the California Hall of Fame, is a cultural destination dedicated to telling the rich history of California and its unique influence on the world of ideas, innovation, art and culture. The Museum educates tens of thousands of school children through inspiring programs, sharing with world visitors California's rich art, history and cultural legacy through dynamic exhibits, and serving as a public forum and international meeting place. The California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento has historical exhibits and live steam locomotives that patrons may ride. The Towe Auto Museum, located just south of Old Sacramento, is filled with automotive history and vehicles from 1880 to 2006 and is the oldest non-profit automotive museum in the West. The mission of the Towe is to preserve, promote, and teach automotive culture and its influence on our lives – past, present and future. In addition, the Sacramento History Museum, located in the heart of Old Sacramento, focuses on the history of Sacramento from the region's pre-Gold Rush history through the present day.
There is a Museum Day held in Sacramento every year, where all museums in the greater Sacramento area are free. This year's Museum Day is held on February 7, 2009.
Music
Classical music is widely available in usual and unusual venues. The Sacramento Philharmonic, the [Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra], the Sacramento Youth Symphony, and the Camellia Symphony each present a full season of concerts. Two local churches feature unusually sophisticated classical music programs. Sacred Heart Church, located in affluent East Sacramento, is host to Schola Cantorum, an ensemble chorus that features a full season of performances, while also participating at Sunday liturgies at Sacred Heart. All Hallows Church, serving working class south-central Sacramento, is host to the nation's only parish-based full symphony orchestra, which presents a full range of performances each season. Sections of the orchestra also perform at significant parish school events, and orchestra members teach a complete curriculum of choral music at the inner-city school. The parish also features periodic individual recitals, including on its Yamaha Concert Grand Piano and Italian-built Viscount Digital Pipe Organ, one of only nine four-manual Viscounts in the world. All Hallows promotes its vast music programs around the theme "Transforming the Inner-city Through the Beauty of Art."
Each year the city hosts the Sammies, the Sacramento Music Awards. Sacramento also has a reputation as a center for Dixieland jazz, because of the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee which is held every Memorial Day weekend. Events and performances are held in multiple locations throughout the city. Each year thousands of jazz fans from all over the world visit for this one weekend. Sacramento is also home to the Sacramento French Film Festival, a cultural event held every year in July that features U.S. premiers of French films and classic masterpieces of French cinema. In addition, Sacramento is home to the Trash Film Orgy, a summer film festival celebrating the absurd, B-movies, horror, monster, exploitation.
A growing number of hardcore and metal bands hail from the Sacramento area, including Deftones, Far, Dance Gavin Dance, Catherine, Elysia, Moral Pestilence andVital Perception. FishCatFish, Stars are Falling, the funky explosion, groove on the streets of Sacramento. Other bands such as A Skylit Drive hail from Lodi. Famous alternative rock band Cake hails from Sacramento as do rock bands Tesla and Oleander.
There is also a growing number of Indie and Alternative bands becoming popular, such as Agent Ribbons, Bidwell, and Burgundy .
Sports and Recreation
ARCO Arena is home to two professional level basketball teams: the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association and the Sacramento Monarchs of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Kings came to Sacramento from Kansas City in 1985, and the Monarchs are one of the eight founding members of the WNBA, which started in 1997. The Monarchs won the WNBA Championship in 2005 to become the first major, professional sports team in Sacramento to do so.
The Sacramento Solons, a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League, played in Sacramento during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909-1914, 1918-1960, 1974-1976), mostly at Edmonds Field. In 2000, AAA minor league baseball returned to Sacramento with the Sacramento River Cats, an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The River Cats play in the recently constructed Raley Field, located in West Sacramento.
Several smaller leagues have and continue to be in Sacramento. The Sacramento Heatwave of the American Basketball Association currently plays at Natomas H. S. Event Center. In the past, the city hosted three professional football teams, the Sacramento Surge of the World League of American Football, the Sacramento Gold Miners. Sacramento will also host a UFL team in the upcoming "premiere" season of the UFL. of the Canadian Football League, and the Sacramento Attack of the Arena Football League. Sacramento was also home to an indoor soccer team, the Sacramento Knights of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (later called the World Indoor Soccer League). The Sacramento River Rats of Roller Hockey International also played in the city for several years. The Sacramento XSV (pronounced "excessive") of the National Professional Paintball League represents the City but is based in Modesto, CA.
Sacramento has frequently hosted the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship as well as the 1st and 2nd rounds of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. The Sacramento Mile is a national flat-track motorcycle racing event. From 1961 to 1980, Sacramento hosted the Camellia Bowl, which selected or helped select ten national champions in college football's lower divisions.
Sacramento also hosts some recreational facilities and events. The Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, that runs between Old Sacramento and Folsom Lake, attracts cyclists and equestrians from across the State. The California State Fair is held in Sacramento each year at the end of the summer, ending on Labor Day. Over one million people attended this fair in 2001. Sacramento residents play softball more than any city except Detroit, Michigan.
Among other activities in Sacramento is Discovery Park, a park studded with stands of mature trees and grasslands, this park where the American River flows into the Sacramento River, its a destination for fisherman and travelers alike.
In amateur sports Sacramento claims many prominent Olympians such as Mark Spitz, Debbie Meyer, Mike Burton, Summer Sanders, Jeff Float (all swimming), and Billy Mills (track). Coach Sherm Chavoor founded his world famous Arden Hills Swim Club just east of the city and trained Burton, Myer, Spitz and others.
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|
| Sacramento Kings | NBA | Basketball | ARCO Arena | 1945 (1985) | 1 NBA Championship, 2 NBL Championships (as Rochester Royals) |
|---|
| Sacramento Monarchs | WNBA | Basketball | ARCO Arena | 1997 | 1 WNBA Championship |
|---|
| Sacramento River Cats | PCL | Baseball | Raley Field | 1978 (2000) | 2 Triple-A Titles, 4 League Titles |
|---|
| Sacramento Capitals | WTT | Tennis | Allstate Stadium | 1987 | 5 Championships |
|---|
| Sacramento Heatwave | ABA | Basketball | Natomas H.S. Event Center | 2003 | |
|---|
| Sacramento Knights | NPSL | Soccer | Cosumnes River College | 2003 | 1 Championship |
|---|
| Sacramento Sirens | IWFL | Football | Foothill High School | 2001 | 1 WAFL Title, 3 IWFL Titles |
|---|
| F.C. Sacramento Pride | WPSL | Soccer | Lincoln High School | 1995 | |
|---|
| Mandarins | DCI | Drum & Bugle Corps | DCI members tour nationally | 1963 | Class A-60/Division III Champions (1987, 1988, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999), Division II Champions (2001) |
|---|
Notable Residents
Notable people with ties to Sacramento include designer architect Ray Eames, painter Wayne Thiebaud, professional skateboarder Brandon Biebel photographer Michael Williamson, philosopher Cornel West, author J. Maarten Troost, astronaut Stephen Robinson, U.S. Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy, record producer Charlie Peacock, War Hero COL Greg Reilly and writer Joan Didion. Journalist Mary K. Shell, the mayor of Bakersfield from 1981-1985, and her husband, the then petroleum lobbyist Joe Shell, lived in Sacramento during the 1970s.
In addition to Huntington, Hopkins, Stanford, and Crocker, the city's more successful entrepreneurs have included Russ Solomon (Tower Records), Frank Fat, and Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson (Shakey's Pizza).
Actors, singers, rap artists, bands, and other performers with ties to the city can be found under Sacramento entertainers. For sports figures with ties to Sacramento see Sacramento sports figures.
Transportation
The Sacramento region is served by freeways (notably I-5, I-80, Business Loop 80 (Capital City Freeway), U.S. Route 50, and State Route 99). No new freeways have been built -- that is, if one excludes numerous freeway expansion projects adding lanes-- since the mid-1970s despite a near-doubling of population in the metropolitan area since that time. Some Sacramento neighborhoods, particularly the central downtown and midtown areas, are pedestrian and bicycle friendly. And as a result of litigation, Sacramento has undertaken to make all city facilities and sidewalks wheelchair accessible. In an effort to preserve its urban neighborhoods, Sacramento has constructed traffic-calming measures in several areas.
The freeways that serve Sacramento dominate life in the city, providing high levels of both automobile-based mobility and pollution (air and noise). In addition to promoting high-speed commuting and access to shopping malls, the freeways occupy space along the Sacramento River and south and east of downtown that might otherwise be used to enhance access to the riverfront or to create high-quality neighborhoods or public spaces with parks, shops, schools or gathering places. High-speed vehicles entering or exiting freeways are a signicant deterrent to increased walking or bicycling in Sacramento.
Amtrak service
Amtrak provides passenger rail service to the city of Sacramento. The Sacramento Valley Rail Station is located on the corner of 5th and I streets near the historic Old Town Sacramento and as of April, 2007, is currently undergoing extensive renovations. The station also serves as an RT light rail terminus.
Amtrak California operates the Capitol Corridor, a multiple-frequency service providing service from the capital city to its northeastern suburbs and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sacramento is also the northern terminus of the Amtrak San Joaquins route which provide direct multiple-frequency passenger rail service to California's Central Valley as far as Bakersfield; Thruway Motorcoach connections are available from the trains at Bakersfield to Southern California and Southern Nevada.
Sacramento is also a stop along Amtrak's Coast Starlight route which provides scenic service to Seattle via Klamath Falls and Portland to the north and to Los Angeles via San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara to the south.
Amtrak's California Zephyr also serves Sacramento daily and provides service to the east serving Reno, Salt Lake, Denver, Omaha, Chicago and intermediate cities.
The Sacramento Valley Rail Station also provides numerous Thruway Motorcoach routes. One route serves the cities of Marysville, Oroville, Chico, Corning, Red Bluff and Redding with additional service to Yreka and even Medford, Oregon. A second serves the cities of Roseville, Rocklin, Auburn, Colfax, Truckee, Reno and Sparks. The third and final thruway motorcoach route serves Placerville, Lake Tahoe, Stateline Casinos, and Carson City, Nevada. Each of these routes provides multiple frequencies each day.
On March 15, 2007 around 5:40 p.m. a rail trestle along the American River set fire and left an Amtrak train stuck on the track for over 5 hours until Amtrak buses arrived to help the stranded travelers.
Other transportation options
Sacramento Regional Transit's bus and light-rail system provide service within the city and nearby suburbs. Light-rail lines have recently been expanded east as far as the city of Folsom. Sacramento's light rail system goes to the Sacramento Valley Rail Station, Meadowview RD. in south Sacramento and north to Watt/I-80 where I-80 and Business 80 meet.
The Sacramento International Airport handles flights to and from various United States destinations (including Hawaii) as well as Mexico and Canada.
Bicycling is an increasingly popular transportation mode in Sacramento, which enjoys a mild climate and flat terrain. Bicycling is especially common in the older neighborhoods of Sacramento's center, such as Alkali Flat, Midtown, McKinley Park, Land Park, and East Sacramento. Many employees who work downtown commute by bicycle from suburban communities on a dedicated bicycle path on the American River Parkway. Sacramento was designated as a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists in September 2006. The advocacy organization Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates co-sponsors the city's Bike Commute Month promotion each May.
Sister cities
Sacramento has eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
Media
Television
Sacramento newspapers
Magazines
- Sactown Magazine
- Sacramento Magazine
- Sacramento Parent Magazine
- Comstock's Magazine
Radio
See also: List of radio stations in Sacramento
See also
External links
- from the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau
- – Official website
|
| |
|
|
