Waterfront Park Historical Sign (3 of 3) - Sacramento, CA
N 38° 34.893 W 121° 30.387
10S E 630091 N 4271400
This historical placard is one of three located within Waterfront Park on the corner of J Street and Firehouse Alley in Old Sacramento, CA.
Waymark Code: WMHB7G
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 06/18/2013
Views: 4
Visitors walking through Old Sacramento probably won't notice this tiny park tucked away next to an alley and hidden by large trees that conceal its rich history. The few tourists who happen across this secret treasure are welcomed with two historical placards that highlight this place. One particular placard reads:
Sacramentans looked forward to holidays, like the Fourth of July, which they celebrated with a 35-gun salute from the waterfront levee. Cannon fire also commemorated President Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, an annual event hosted by African-American residents. During the Civil War, Sacramentans gathered at the waterfront to honor Union victories, including a four-cannon salute on April 9, 1865 - the day Southern troops surrendered to the North, ending the war. |
Of all the places in Old Sacramento I visited, this was at the top of my list for the reason that the city has preserved this area of rusting iron facades and gives visitors the look and feel of the 'fall of Rome' with crumbling old pieces of yesteryear. Also, by standing on the ground in the center of the park, one realizes how many feet upward the city needed to raise the surrounding streets and buildings to prevent floods that kept destroying the neighborhood in the 1800s.
Old Sacramento has much going on throughout the year, if you're planning on visiting Sacramento, this historic district is a must-see-visit in your travels.