Sacramento Archives Crawl 2023: Myth, Folklore, & Legend

It's nearly spring and generally the time when we reveal the theme of the 2023 Sacramento Archives Crawl. This year, the crawl will tackle myth, folklore, and legend and their lifespan within the context of the Sacramento Region's history. Whether or not you believe in a myth, folklore, or legend, it does exist in some form to someone and for a reason. Is there a single human heart buried in the Old City Cemetery next to the gravesite of its owner's lost love? Is there a lady in red that roams the stairwell and stacks of the 1918 main free public library at 8th and I? Were the elms that lined the Victory Highway, as it made its way through the village of Freeport, actually grown from seeds taken from the World War I battlefields of France and Belgium? While this obviously just scratches the surface, it might be helpful to ask yourself why myth, folklore, and legend even exist. Is it a primal drive to bring order to a disordered world? Perhaps the desired end to a story, told in such a way that lifts the human spirit? Join us on Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 10 am to 4 pm as a bevy of archival repositories, historical societies, and other cultural heritage groups present examples of myth, folklore, legend and tackle these compelling questions and so much more.

The Wrap-Up...

Dear Crawlers: A big thanks to all of you - the hundreds of you - who visited your archival and cultural heritage professionals throughout the day on October 1. Your passion, curiosity, and smiles were elevating and an ever reminder of how special the Capital Region history community is. 

So, is it too early to talk about next year? If you have any ideas on themes you'd like us to consider, feel free to write something in the comments section below. Next year's Sacramento Archives Crawl will be held on October 7, 2023, from 10 am to 4 pm. Until then, think happy thoughts of shuttlebuses, drawings, Mylar, and friendly archivists.

     From the Sacramento Public Library Photographic Slide Collection

A Few More Things Before "Go Time"

With the 2022 Sacramento Archives Crawl a day away, we thought it important to go over the basics:

The Who, What, Where: The four biggest archival repositories in the city of Sacramento - Sacramento Public Library, Center for Sacramento History, State Library, and State Archives - will be hosting cultural heritage organizations from all over the Capital Region, all of whom will be showing off their best and brightest archival wares relating to food and agriculture. What's more, the always informative and entraining writer, Maryellen Burns, will be presenting Sacramento Food History A to Z at Central Library at 1:00 pm while the amazing California Revealed team will be showing - throughout the day - a montage of film relating to the ag and food prowess of California.

The When: The crawl runs from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday October 1, but you can start anytime you want and stop anytime you want. It typically takes folks 90-minutes to 2-hours to visit all four sites and take in the magic. Shuttles will be running every 15 to 20 minutes to get you and yours from spot to spot.

Registration: None required.

The Price: Free.

The Other Stuff: You can win prizes just by showing up. You will get a set of our coveted SAC coasters just by visiting 3 locations. You also can win either a $100 gift certificate to Chicago Fire Pizza if you're a non-adult or a $100 gift card to Corti Brothers if you're an adult merely by completing our scavenger hunt, the form for which can be acquired at any crawl venue. And, there's also the drawing. Make sure to get a ticket and place it in the prize box that grabs you the most: hand crafted ice cream, artisanal beer (not for those under 21!), historic grocers, a free tour of a foundry, swag bags to the Railroad Museum and Marshall Gold Discovery Park, and on and on. 

The Must: Have fun and shower yourself in the power of the primary source!  

Railroad Stations in El Dorado County: A History

When the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad finally extended the line east from Folsom, they went to the communities of Latrobe, Shingle Springs, El Dorado and Diamond Springs, and then ended the line in Placerville.  These stations served both passengers and freight for many years.  These historical photographs are from the El Dorado County Historical Museum’s collection.

The Extraordinary Contributions of World War II Nurse, Frances Barrett

From the El Dorado County Historical Museum, experience this powerful online exhibit addressing the World War II experience of El Dorado County native Frances Barrett:

Frances Barrett grew up in Camino, a small community east of Placerville, and earned her nursing degree in the late 1930s.  Within a few days of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Frances joined the United States Nurses Corps, serving in the China-Burma Theater.  She was presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross for her service as a Flight Nurse.  These artifacts and historical photographs are from the El Dorado County Historical Museum’s collections

Back to School in El Dorado County!

Check out this charming virtual display from the El Dorado County Historical Museum on the process of returning to school. 

The first California Constitution required communities with at least six school-age children to hire a teacher, build a school building, and elect a school board.  Within just a few years of the discovery of gold, El Dorado County had many one-room schoolhouses. These artifacts and historical photographs are from the El Dorado County Historical Museum’s collections.