Midtown Monthly » History

Governing Midtown - The People Led, the Leaders Followed

OldManFoster — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:50:45 +0000

By William Burg photos by Scott Duncan

When compared to the ongoing downtown crisis on K Street, Midtown Sacramento is a success story. But does Midtown owe its success to a lack of attention from government, as some assume, or… Read more

California State Fair: 20th and H in Midtown! - Before Boulevard Park!

OldManFoster — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:03:45 +0000

The California State Fair opens tomorrow… but did you know that the State Fair used to be held IN Midtown? Bill Burg’s got the details…

Midtown State Fair - Exposition at 20th and H

OldManFoster — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:58:25 +0000

By William Burg

The California Exposition and State Fairgrounds, site of the California state fair since 1968, seems like a permanent fixture to many Sacramentans. Older generations still remember the old fairgrounds at Stockton and Broadway. But that site was… Read more

Sacramento: 1910 - The End of An Era

OldManFoster — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:15:51 +0000

By William Burg Photos courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History

In 1910, Sacramento was a city on the edge of change. Its rowdy Gold Rush era was long past, its role as western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad superseded… Read more

Your One Stop Old Timey Shop - Sacramento City Dry Goods

OldManFoster — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:40:02 +0000

By Niki Kangas photos by Jesse Vasquez

“What does that place sell- granola or something?”

Ah, my buddy Rebecca was dead wrong, making the same mistake that many of you may have made in regard to Sacramento City… Read more

A Brief History of Oak Park - From a Home in the Country to the Heart of the City

OldManFoster — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:59:47 +0000

By William Burg Photos courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History

In 1887, real estate developer Edwin Alsip subdivided the 230-acre William Doyle ranch into 56 whole and partial blocks and gave the subdivision the name “Oak Park,” named after… Read more

Some Historic Buildings of Oak Park

OldManFoster — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:40:55 +0000

Lewis Building, and Victor Theatre/Guild Theatre
Corner of Broadway and 35th

Built in 1915 by businessman Joseph L. Lewis, this building included upstairs apartments and downstairs retail. Former tenants included Azevedo’s Women’s Apparel (owned by former Sacramento mayor Clarence… Read more

Red Menace! - The Sacramento Conspiracy Trial of 1935

OldManFoster — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:33:27 +0000

By William Burg Photos courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History

In 1935, was Sacramento a hotbed of Communist conspirators, plotting the destruction of the American government? Did right-wing organizations work with business owners to break unions and jail… Read more

A Last Look at the Bel-Vue? - City Landmark Faces Destruction

OldManFoster — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:30:40 +0000

By Bill Burg

The Bel-Vue Apartment Building, located at 809 L Street, is an understated and long-neglected landmark that faces demolition in the near future. Some of Sacramento’s architectural landmarks are obvious, based on their prominent role in history,… Read more

A Sacramento Zine History - Reviews of Homebrew Underground

OldManFoster — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:33:37 +0000

by William Burg

Before the days of the World Wide Web, social networking sites and weblogs, zines created an underground network of communication, using the post office and in-person distribution to disseminate news and ideas between subcultures. Zine creators were… Read more