For 85 years, this fabled street has been important to the region
North Sacramento was originally part of a 44,000-acre land grant made by the Spanish government to Eliab Grimes in 1844. Called Rancho Del Paso, its ownership changed hands several times until James Ben Ali Haggin acquired it in 1862. Haggin converted the ranch on the property into a thoroughbred horse-breeding farm, which earned international renown, producing California¹s first Kentucky Derby winner “Ben Ali” in 1886.
In 1915, Johnson laid out a streetcar line – the Sacramento Northern, connecting North Sacramento to Sacramento, which greatly increased the activity and population of the area. North Sacramento incorporated and formed its first city government on June 18, 1924. Officially it was the Town of North Sacramento, a general law city of the State of California.
In 1934, the bridge between North Sacramento and Sacramento was widened to four lanes and Del Paso Boulevard (part of the Historic US 40 route also known regionally as the Lincoln Highway) become one of the most highly traveled roads in Northern California and the business center of North Sacramento. From 1926 to 1964, Route 40 was a transcontinental highway, and during the mid-1950s, it carried more automobile traffic than any other transcontinental highway. In 1998, the California Legislature designated the remnants of Highway 40 as a historic route.
After 1948, when special lighting was installed on Del Paso Boulevard (one of Sacramento’s first lighted roads), the City regularly hosted exuberant parades that attracted people from outside the neighborhood.
The construction of Highway 160 in 1955 diverted much of the traffic away from Del Paso Boulevard and onto the highway, basically cutting North Sacramento off physically and economically from the City of Sacramento.
Through a series of annexations in the 1950s and ’60s, North Sacramento as a separate city ceased to exist. In the decades that followed, the once prosperous area began to see disinvestment, with businesses and residents struggling.
In 1992, North Sacramento (Uptown District) became a redevelopment area. The North Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, along with residents and city leaders, began developing an arts and entertainment theme for the community. In 1993, the community worked with the American Institute of Architects to establish the North Sacramento Special Planning District.
The Del Paso Boulevard Property and Business Improvement District was formed in 2005 by the City Council to help improve the commercial corridor district along Del Paso Boulevard in North Sacramento. The assessment levied on property within the Del Paso PBID provides funding for image enhancement, security and safety, business advocacy, and economic development initiatives above and beyond those currently provided by the City of Sacramento.
Our Board of Directors is comprised of 11 members representing business & property owners within the district, a representative from Sacramento Regional Transit, City Council District 2, and from Economic Development Department – City of Sacramento.
I was born and raised in North Sacramento in 1941, 82 years ago. I lived at 112 Empress St. and went to No. Sacto. Elementary and graduated from Norte Del Rio HS class of 1959. So, with this background you might understand better how I loved growing up in my small town America.
I moved to Utah many years ago and visit home often to visit with family/friends.
I remember when my young friends and I could walk up and down Del Paso Blvd. and never worry about being accosted by strangers. The police had a constant presence on the street. Capt. Bill Wilson made himself know to all children in the city by visiting at schools. We felt safe.
I visited my family/friends 2 years ago for a class reunion. I was shocked and disgusted to see what has happened to my town. The homeless have degraded the city to the point that no one feels safe any longer. I’m not ignorant about the state of the Union and the homeless situation. But, why is the situation down by Del Paso Blvd where the bridge goes over to the Garden Hiway. It’s like a little community there. Shocking is putting it mildly.
The art that has gone up in hopes of bringing people there to do business looks like to me a failure.
I don’t mean to be negative, but what I remember and what it has become it so sad.
I don’t know what the answer is. Maybe Washington’s help with grants.
I was once inspired to bring some life to N. Sac. I attended a City Council meeting and proposed to have a parade. I was told it would be impossible because I proposed having it on the 4th of July in competition with the Carmichael parade. I asked to be given some time and see if I could do it.
If you’ll look back in your meetings of about 1985-89, you’ll see we had a humdinger of a parade. We had Martial music playing on CDs and blaring away to raise the spirits of the watchers. The blvd. was loaded with people. We had walking units, clowns, LowRider units, Scouts, motorcycle units, city officials. It was deemed a success.
That is what, I feel, is needed in N. Sac. Woodlake Park should be used as a Municiple gathering place. Once a month or more often some kind of gathring of the whole city come together for a baseball game, picnic, games. Go invite the homeless to play ball. If you get them involved, they might finally want to have some interest and want the city to appear better. If they are going to be there anyway, then use them. Have someone that is a motivator go and talk to them. Invite them to council meetings.
I know that some are druggies, some are alcoholics, some are shiftless, but I also know that the human spirit also can be moved upon and encouraged to do better.
The City Father’s are the Leaders of the community. You must do more. Get people involved in a weekly yard sale at one of the parks. Publicize a huge sidewalk sale. Let people put up a table and sell stuff. Let people know from outside the community that there are things happening in N. Sac that are fun. I have friends that are going out of the community to giant Flea Markets to buy things. Why isn’t N. Sac doing the same thing. Invite people through advertisement that they can come to N. Sac and see Flea Markets, parades, ballgames (including the homeless who want to play), other games on Saturday afternoons. Put up big screens and have a movie night at the park.
If you do nothing but try to put statues, art pieces, etc. up you don’t reach enough people. But, with fun, games, activities you give the kids and the adults something to do. Contact the businesses and see how they can participate by offering discounts or prizes for games.
I don’t know what is planned for the Grand Theater, but the owners need to hurry up and get it open for something. It is horrible to go down the Blvd. and see so many businesses boarded up or just plain closed.
Enough. I’m sorry to see what has happened to North Sacramento. It all started with the I60 taking the business away but it also happened when Sacramento annexed N. Sac.
The North Sacto. I was raised in is gone. The police don’t have much of a presence, that I could see. I know there is a lot of crime in the area. All these things contribute to the slide downwards that has happened. BUT, there’s got to be some answers. Not all small towns with homeless, crime are lost. The American Rescue Plan that Pres. Biden signed off on should be used to the very last penny available.
I hope I haven’t been redundant in some of my suggestions. It’s about dedications, energy of the Leaders of the community, It’s about inclusion of everyone in the community. It’s about letting the underprivileged, people of color, those that historically haven’t been included in decision making practices within the community.
There is help available. There are people who sincerely care about N. Sacto. It takes rallying them together and seeing what some of their ideas for improvements are.
There are old timers there that remember what it used to be like. We live in a different time under different circumstances, but where there is a will there will always be a way.
Sincerely,
Nancy Lee
427 S. Post St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
.