Center for Sacramento History

Center for Sacramento History CSH is a research and collections center that preserves local archives and artifacts and makes them accessible to the public.

We are open by appointment only for research needs. Sorry, we cannot accommodate walk-in visitors. Disclaimer: This account is intended to be a limited forum for communication and discussion between the City of Sacramento and members of the public about specific topics. The City of Sacramento reserves the right to remove inappropriate comments including those comments that are not topically relate

d, comments that include profane or obscene language, sexual content, threats, defamatory statements, the encouragement of illegal activity, violations of the legal ownership interests of another party, solicitations of commerce, statements in support or opposition to political candidates or ballot propositions, content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination, or information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems. Any content posted may be subject to public disclosure upon request. Activity on this account is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws regulations and policies.

08/07/2026

Our jobs are quiet, but never boring. Come research historic drama with us!

In 1977, the Sacramento Bee described Police Dispatch Supervisor Jan Richer as “cool and unflappable.” Richer began her ...
08/06/2026

In 1977, the Sacramento Bee described Police Dispatch Supervisor Jan Richer as “cool and unflappable.” Richer began her career in 1957 and was drawn to the job because of its fast pace. She observed that the dispatchers she supervised seemed to also thrive on the stress of the work.

(Sacramento Bee Collection, 1983/001/SBPMP0810)

Born in Sacramento in 1913, Julia Van Slack Craig was the youngest of three daughters of Ella McGee Van Slack and Henry ...
08/05/2026

Born in Sacramento in 1913, Julia Van Slack Craig was the youngest of three daughters of Ella McGee Van Slack and Henry O. Van Slack. Henry, born in Oklahoma in 1856, was the son of a Chickasaw woman and a Black man. As an adult, he identified as either Native American or Black in census records depending on the year. Henry moved to California around 1890 where he found employment as a teamster and married Ella McGee in 1909. The Van Slack family moved to Stockton when Julia was young and she attended Stockton schools.

As a young adult, Julia worked in Stockton and Monterrey canneries. She moved back to Sacramento in 1938 to attend Sacramento Junior College. Her mother, having divorced Henry in 1921, was living in Sacramento with her new husband, James Mills. In 1941, Julia married Louis Vernon Craig, a private in the U.S. Army. Later, he’d be a heavy equipment operator for the Division of Highways. The couple had two daughters. Julia maintained a career in administration, holding positions at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public Health. Like her mother, she was a member of a Sacramento chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. Julia retired in 1973 and passed away in 2003.

(Julia Craig portrait, 1948, 1985/051/045; Julia Craig (center) in a group staff photo for the State Office of Public Health, 1969, 1985/051/003)

KFBK sent out this folding baseball-shaped announcement to listeners in 1946 to let them know when they could catch the ...
08/04/2026

KFBK sent out this folding baseball-shaped announcement to listeners in 1946 to let them know when they could catch the Sacramento Solons games on the radio that season. We especially like the tiny Gabby, Scoopy’s radio-broadcasting cousin, on the front an inside.

(Ephemera collection, MS0098)

🚨New collection alert! 🚨 “Know Music, Know Life!” After years of hard work from many staff members here at the Center, t...
08/03/2026

🚨New collection alert! 🚨 “Know Music, Know Life!” After years of hard work from many staff members here at the Center, the Tower Records collection (MS0129) is officially processed and open for research. The collection, which comprises over 200 boxes, documents the Sacramento-based international retailer as well as its founder Russell Solomon from the 1940s to its eventual closure in 2006 and into the 2020s. Materials include business records, personal papers, products, audiovisual and audio recordings, photographs, posters, artifacts, and correspondence. We shared a behind-the-scenes look into processing the collection in our newsletter a few months ago (link in comments).

The searchable finding aid for the collection can be found on our Online Archive of California page (link in comments). To make a research appointment to access the collection, or to ask us any questions about it, email us at [email protected].

(Russ Solomon photo, 2009/038/00883; Watt Avenue photo, 2009/038/01168; Pulse cover, April 1990; Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young poster; Calendar, 1977, Tower Records collection)

In operation from 1854 to 1971, the Sacramento Brick Company on Riverside Boulevard in the Pocket provided building mate...
07/30/2026

In operation from 1854 to 1971, the Sacramento Brick Company on Riverside Boulevard in the Pocket provided building material for several local projects including Memorial Auditorium, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, and the State Capitol. At its peak, the company produced 50 million bricks a year. The clay for the bricks was dug from a clay pit we know today as Greenhaven Lake. This teeny tiny brick was produced as a sample or commemorative and is stamped “Mike O’Leary” on the back. Mike was co-owner of the Sacramento Brick Company, and “GI 2-3021” was the company’s phone number at least up to 1964.

(Tiny sample brick produced at the Sacramento Brick Company, 1982/131/018; standard size brick produced at Sacramento Brick Company, 1991/036/013)

A McCurry Foto photograph from the 1920s shows a photographer using an automobile to capture the perfect shot. The photo...
07/30/2026

A McCurry Foto photograph from the 1920s shows a photographer using an automobile to capture the perfect shot. The photo accompanied a 1978 Sacramento Bee article that reported on how the McCurry Foto Company, founded in Sacramento in 1908, was adapting to changing times by offering audiovisual products and photofinishing services instead of the studio portraits and roving cameramen that defined its early years.

(Sacramento Bee Collection, 1983/001/SBPMP05840)

A little photo of some little kids in Courtland in 1932. From left to right are George Matsumoto, Seyou Uyeda, and John ...
07/28/2026

A little photo of some little kids in Courtland in 1932. From left to right are George Matsumoto, Seyou Uyeda, and John Muranishi. They were students of teacher Helen Margaret Howe at what was called the Oriental School in Courtland, a school for non-white children, primarily Chinese and Japanese.

(Howe Family collection, MS0082, 2003/056/012/014)

Opened in 1987 at 22nd and L streets, where the Geery Theater is now, the Show Below was a little theater with 49 seats ...
07/27/2026

Opened in 1987 at 22nd and L streets, where the Geery Theater is now, the Show Below was a little theater with 49 seats in the basement of the Pease Conservatory of Music. It took over the space from the Exchange for the Performing Arts, and after some renovations, opened to great success with two one-act plays in October and November of 1987, “Graceland” and “Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music.”

The Show Below founder Charlie Slater is seen here in a photograph that accompanied an article from the August 11-18, 1988, issue of the Suttertown News. Slater founded the company the summer before opening after his retirement as a theater arts professor at American River College. He took on a partner, John Beaudry, who began as general manager but also filled the roles of production manager and director over the years. Bill Wahl was the artistic director before Ivan Sandoval took the role in 1989. Eventually, Beaudry took over the company and, after producing 50 plays since its opening and winning numerous Elly awards, the Show Below closed in 1995.

(Suttertown News newspapers and photo morgue, 1995/026/2108b)

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551 Sequoia Pacific Boulevard
Sacramento, CA
95811

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