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The Culture And History Of Sacramento County

Sacramento may be overshadowed by such larger cities as San Francisco and Los Angeles, but it is, after all, the capital of California” and it has a fascinating history, too. It began in 1839, when the area was still part of Mexico. That year, a Swiss pioneer named John Augustus Sutter set up a colony along the American River. By pledging loyalty to Mexico, he received 50,000 acres of land, where he set up a fort that served as the western terminal for pioneer wagon trains; it still stands as a reminder of those days.Additional information can be found at http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nic_o/2/1308901237/tpod.html. Sutter’s son and namesake founded Sacramento in 1848, at the beginning of the gold rush following the Mexican War, and named it for a river. The town soon became a center of mining activity. From 1860 to 1861, Pony Express riders followed a route from Sacramento to St. Joseph, Missouri.

Culture in Sacramento is represented by basketry and other Indian handiwork on display at the State Indian Museum, and by the Crocker Art Museum, the oldest in the West. Visitors can also go on steam train rides in the historic district of Old Sacramento and learn about the city’s history at the Sacramento History Museum.