West Sacramento

History

In 1844, John Schwartz, a Flemish traveler, was the first Euro-American to permanently settle in the area of West Sacramento, which at that time was part of Mexico. He built a shack on the west bank of the Sacramento River south of its connection with the American River. John, with the help of his brother George, founded a salmon fishery along the river. In addition to the fishery, they also found the soil to be fertile and began farming and raising livestock. The announcement of the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 brought a multitude of miners to the region. This also coincided with the end of the Mexican–American War. In 1846, a man named James McDowell bought from John Schwartz. With his wife, Margaret, and their three daughters, McDowell settled in the area we know today as Broderick. The McDowell family experienced first-hand the violence that the gold rush era brought with it. In May 1849, James McDowell was shot and killed in a barroom argument that he had supposedly started. With the loss of the sole supporter of the McDowell family, Margaret needed to find a way to provide for her family. In October 1849, Margaret hired a land surveyor to map out , which was then divided into forty one blocks. She sold individual lots within this platted area which she named the "Town of Washington". The first lot was sold to August W. Kaye for $500. During its first ten years, the rural Town of Washington went through a significant increase in business development and shipping activity. One of the first businesses to be established in the town was the California Steam Navigation Company, which was attracted to the area in 1859 by how close the Sacramento River is to it. Other businesses in early Washington included hotels, saloons, and restaurants catering to…

Geography

West Sacramento is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (5.84%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  41,785
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  39,608
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  38,685
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  38,326
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  34,067
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  33,792
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  29,933
• Yellow-rumped Warbler

  Setophaga coronata (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  28,914

Largest nearby schools

• River City High
  High · West Sacramento · 2,216 students · 22.6:1 ratio
• Bridgeway Island Elementary
  Elementary · West Sacramento · 1,063 students · 24.2:1 ratio
• Stonegate Elementary
  Elementary · West Sacramento · 883 students · 22.1:1 ratio
• Southport Elementary
  Elementary · West Sacramento · 708 students · 22.1:1 ratio
• Riverbank Elementary
  Elementary · West Sacramento · 616 students · 18.1:1 ratio
• Elkhorn Village Elementary
  Elementary · West Sacramento · 584 students · 20.1:1 ratio
• Pioneer Elementary
  Elementary · Davis · 582 students · 25.3:1 ratio
• Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High
  Middle · Davis · 564 students · 20.9:1 ratio