Elk Grove History

Elk Grove History. . , Gold South Of Elk Grove In 1847!, History books claim that gold was first discovered in the greater Sacramento area by James Marshall in 1848. There is another story that indicates that the first discovery of gold was a bit closer to Elk Grove in 1847 by Elizabeth Rhoads and Jemima Powel., The women were washing their clothes in Dry Creek when they saw shiny objects that were later confirmed to be gold. The women were guests of John Sutter, of Sutter's Fort. Their husbands, John Powell and Thomas Rhoads, quietly informed Sutter of their discovery. Sutter and the families elected to keep this discovery a secret, mining only at night. This covert mining operation is only documented in journals, but suggests that gold brought about the establishment of the City of Elk Grove., Elk Grove Hotel and Stage Stop, In 1850, Elk Grove was established as a hotel and a stop for the stagecoach. Located 15 miles south of Sacramento's historic Sutter's Fort, Elk Grove became a crossroads for business, entertainment, mail service and agriculture, and was home base for gold miners in nearby communities., The Elk Grove Train Depot, A close-knit community with a distinctly rural and western lifestyle evolved following the early Gold Rush and after California achieved statehood. Elk Grove began where Elk Grove Boulevard and Highway 99 currently meet, but relocated one mile east to the railroad tracks when the railroad came through town in 1868. The train service allowed local farmers and ranchers a faster way to sell their produce and conduct business and meant improved travel for all. The Elk Grove Depot station was a wooden structure of the same style architecture as many depots across the United States. Its distinctive look made it a landmark in downtown Elk Grove. As time went on, rail services began to dwindle. Passenger service was the first to go. After the passenger services were gone, all the depots soon closed. By the late 1970's, Elk Grove's railroad depot building landmark was dismantled and relocated to an unknown location in southern California., The City of Elk Grove purchased the property where the building once stood in October, 2012. The efforts to preserve the historic depot may have been unsuccessful, but the City of Elk Grove has created a formal gathering space for its residents where members of the community can congregate and enjoy current events in a historic setting.,