Sacramento Overview

Founded on gold-rush prosperity and the dreams of California's earliest pioneers, Sacramento is the Golden State's capital and historic showcase. The town is shaped by its location at the meeting of two mighty rivers, the Sacramento and the American, and by the agricultural bounty and natural beauty that surrounds it on every side. Named as one of the most livable cities in the country in a recent study, it is easy to see why both 9th century pioneers and present-day residents chose to call Sacramento home. Shaded by leafy oaks and basking in a Mediterranean climate, the city also boasts a wealth of cultural and entertainment attractions: it is home to the oldest public art museum west of the Mississippi, world class theater and performing arts venues, and a large and vibrant historic district that is designated a US National Historic Landmark. Once the western terminus of the first transcontinental railroad and vital to the development of western North America, Sacramento remains a key commercial and political hub as the capital city of a state that boasts the world's tenth largest economy. Whether you are wine tasting, exploring the city's frontier history, visiting one of its many fine museums, or strolling along one of its lovely riverfront walks, Sacramento is sure to seduce you with its historic charm and lush beauty.

History

Although Nisenian and Plains Miwok Indians had likely lived in small communities in the area for years, it wasn't until Swiss pioneer John Sutter established a small fortified settlement in 1839 that Sacramento got its start as a city. Sutter's Fort was what the tiny community came to be known as, although Sutter and his fellow pioneers called it New Helvetia ("New Switzerland"). Sutter's agricultural enterprises grew quickly, and by the mid-1840s his community was cultivating nearly 150,000 acres of fertile land and Sutter's Fort was a bustling trading post known for its hospitality and prosperity. All of that changed in 1848, when gold was found at Sutter's Mill, a small satellite village located about 50 miles north of the fort. John Sutter's agrarian utopia was soon overrun by prospectors with gold fever. The settlement's population quickly mushroomed, and Sutter's son, John Sutter Jr., began to work with the newcomers to lay out streets and plan a town named Sacramento. The fledgling state legislature recognized the town as incorporated in 1849, and in 1854, they decided to locate the legislature in Sacramento. Once its status as the new state's capital was assured, the city thrived, becoming the westernmost station of the Pony Express in 1860 and then the western terminus of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869.