A Walk Through Old Sacramento and Downtown (Self Guided), Sacramento

Though little physical evidence of their early settlements is visible today, the Sacramento Valley was home to the Nisenan, Plains Miwok, and Patwin Wintun Native American peoples for thousands of years before the arrival of Spanish explorers and later American settlers. John Sutter Sr. arrived near the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers in 1839. In 1841, the Mexican government granted him nearly 49,000 acres, where he established New Helvetia. He had his eyes on creating an agricultural empire. You can tour Sutter’s Fort today, which is a state historic park.

It was at Sutter’s Mill near Coloma that James Marshall discovered gold in 1848. The discovery helped spur the famous California Gold Rush and, in 1849, the arrival of the “Forty-Niners” — thousands of pioneers traveling west across the US in search of riches. Sacramento became one of the original Gold Rush boomtowns.

Near Sutter’s Embarcadero on the Sacramento River, all sorts of businesses sprang up to support the influx of settlers. Sacramento was laid out and founded by John Sutter Jr., with the assistance of other early developers. It is the oldest incorporated city in California and became the seat of state government in 1854.

The community continued to grow, along with the burgeoning US State of California around it. Sacramento marked the western end of the famous Transcontinental Railroad, which you can learn more about at the California State Railroad Museum.

Today, it’s a diverse city of art and history. If you like art, don’t miss the Crocker Art Museum. If history is your thing, start at the Sacramento History Museum and tour Old Sacramento. The State Capitol Building, Capitol Park, and the Leland Stanford Mansion are all worth visiting to learn more about the state’s government and the people who have shaped it.

With so much history and culture, and many things to do, it’s no wonder that Sacramento is one of California’s largest cities.