Lower American River

Flowing through Sacramento County, the American River has long been a dynamic neighbor to those living along its waters. As the American River flooded, its banks were leveed, and its course was corrected to allow for further settlement and industry. Sacramento, in a feat of civic engagement, raised its business district above the floodplain, echoing the earthen mounds the Nisenan people used to raise their homes. Massive dredgers tore the riverbed in search of California's famous mineral. Railroad tracks, and later roads, were built to accommodate for more and more people living along its banks. The American River pressed those banks, but the residents of the Sacramento Valley persisted and created a vibrant capital for one of the world's largest economies.

Sacramento Public Library Authority employees Jason Weekley and Chris Curran present images from the Center for Sacramento History and the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library as they discuss the American River's history. Through archival research, Weekley and Curran demonstrate the river's evolution from a fury to be controlled to a natural resource to be enjoyed.