Lost Gold Rush Towns of Sacramento

The Cannibal City
In the early days of the California Gold Rush, Sacramento City had several competing towns vying for the influx of newcomers. Many of its rivals not only had vibrant multicultural communities but also enjoyed superior geography for transportation and flood control. Even the initial land grant from Johann Sutter is considered controversial if not downright fiction, yet Sacramento thrived where others failed. Once-bustling Mormon Island was initially the proposed site of the railway that would end up bypassing it, and Brighton became a hotbed of agitation after the deadly "Squatters' Riot," leading to its decline. Hoboken, Prairie City and more were also wiped off the map.
The Special Collections of the Sacramento Public Library explores the history of these lost Sacramentos.

Set in the original 1918 Carnegie Foundation--funded section of the Sacramento Public Library, the Sacramento Room was founded in 1995 as an archives and special collections for primary and secondary research materials relative to the history of the Sacramento region. Its rare book, book art, map, city directory, photograph, digital and manuscript collections make it one of the premier spots for historical research in Northern California.