Cuba Gooding Jr. might grab the spotlight in the new film “Red Tails,” about African-American fighter pilots in World War II, but one of the men behind the character Gooding plays* was a pilot with Sacramento ties. George Roberts served as the operations officer in the 99th Pursuit Squadron in World War II, and he was one of the first five graduates out of the group that would later be known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Roberts came to Sacramento with his wife, Edith, in the 1960s, where he worked for Wells Fargo. Though he died in the 1980s, Edith, 92, still lives in the area, and she proudly visits local schools and civic groups to educate them on the history of pilots. “It was a different

Sacramento County Historical Society Presents Images of America, Mather Field by James Scott and Tom Tolley Tuesday, January 24, 7:00 PM Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Building, 5380 Elvas Avenue, Sacramento Join us on January 24th at 7:00 pm, as historians James Scott and Tom Tolley present a history of Mather Field from prehistory to closure and introduce their book: Images of America, Mather Field. Born from America’s need to train aviators for the Great War, Mather Field has sat sentinel to the east of Sacramento for nearly a century. Overnight, the base transformed a lonely domain of cattle and vineyards into an aerie where fledgling “man-birds” were taught to fly and kil

For those of you not in the know, "diggins" is an old term used in reference to a mine, wash, or other site where gold rush era mining or prospecting took place. Old treasure maps, as we called them anyway, had the name of a previous claim holder or another reference before the term "diggins". It was often accompanied by the customary pick and shovel in an x formation. I remember reading these old treasure maps as a kid, because back in 1960 or so, we were planning a trip to Alaska for hunting, fishing, and of course, treasure hunting. I wish I still had one of these maps for nostalgiac purposes, but it was not among the various collections of items from my grandparents belongings when the

After a record-breaking attendance of more than 115,000 visitors last year, 28 Sacramento area museums will offer free or half-priced admission all day on Saturday, February 4, 2012, during the 14th Annual Sacramento Museum Day.  New this year, 26 of the 28 museums will offer free admission whereas two destinations located in residential areas -- the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town -- will offer half-priced admission to offset parking control and security costs.  This hugely popular community event is presented by the Sacramento Association of Museums (SAM) and proudly supported by Umpqua Bank. Sacramento Museum event hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with the last guests admitted at 4 p.m.).

The 75-year-old Tower Bridge connecting Sacramento and West Sacramento may be one of the area’s icons, but the more industrial steel-truss I Street Bridge is older – built 100 years ago. “The I Street Bridge is a very important part of our business today,” said Aaron Hunt, spokesman for the Union Pacific railroad, which owns the bridge. “We run trains across it every day of the year.” The I Street Bridge is 363 feet long and weighs about 7 million pounds, according to a fact sheet distributed by Union Pacific. When it was built, the swinging center of the bridge was the heaviest of its type in the world, and though it no longer holds that distinction, it remains the heaviest in the Unit

A slice of life in pre-Prohibition Sacramento was on display at the Sacramento County Historical Society’s monthly meeting Tuesday night as saloon ware collector Steve Abbott gave a presentation on artifacts from the 1860s through the 1920s. The Sacramento Press caught up with Abbott Wednesday for a more in-depth look at his collection. “I come from a family of collectors,” the 73-year-old retired English teacher from Rancho Cordova said. “One day I was in Old Sacramento in an antique store, and I saw an old whiskey bottle for $7. That was when I got into it – about 30 years ago.” While whiskey was made back east, in states such as Kentucky, Ohio, New York and Indiana, it was shipped to

Alkali Flat is the oldest standing residential neighborhood in Sacramento, with homes and businesses that date back to the early 1850s. The story of Alkali Flat is etched in the constantly shifting cultural and socioeconomic climate and the homes and buildings themselves. Alkali Flat is nestled between Midtown and downtown. It lies within the boundaries of H Street and North B Street and extends from Seventh to 13th streets. I have lived in Alakli Flat with my husband for nearly six months. Curious about the history of the buildings that I walk by regularly, I started researching the stories behind the homes and businesses that surround us. Tom Tolley and James Scott’s book, “Sacramento

A 100-year-old building on the border of downtown and Midtown Sacramento officially reopened Wednesday after about a year of renovation work in what proponents said is an example of redevelopment at its best. More than 100 businesspeople, developers, city staff and government officials were present at the opening of the Maydestone building as Mayor Kevin Johnson cut a chain with bolt cutters in a twist on the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This is something that we’re very proud of in Sacramento,” Johnson said. “(In 1912, the building) had people that lived upstairs who were architects, it had small businesses, there were waiters and waitresses – it was affordable. You fast-forwar

Sacramento Old City Association 36th Annual Home Tour What: A tour of 8 historic buildings in the Marshall School neighborhood, and street fair at 27th and J Street. When: Sunday, September 18, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM Where: Marshall Park, 27th & J Street, Sacramento How Much: $20 in advance, $25 day of event On Sunday, September 18, the Sacramento Old City Association (SOCA) presents its 36th annual tour of historic homes in Sacramento’s central city. Each year, we offer an inside look into the beautiful and historic buildings that line Midtown and Downtown streets, and some of the newest infill development projects in the city. This year’s tour of the Marshall School neighborhood, in the north

Snow cones are a seasonal favorite of the Osaka-Ya pastry shop and market, but it’s taken more than snow cones to keep the shop in business for almost 100 years. A vestige of Sacramento’s former Japantown, which sat in the area around L, N, Third and Fourth streets, Osaka-Ya still provides traditional Japanese sweets, hot food and other edibles near the corner of 10th and V streets downtown. “My mom and dad took over this business in 1963,” said owner Linda Nakatani. “A friend gave them the recipe for the snow cone syrup, and they used a hand-crank snow cone machine to shave the ice.” Her father installed a motor, and the snow cones have been a summer favorite at the business ever since

Friday, members of the newly elected Board of Directors of Equality Action NOW announced their elation about the signing of the certification by President Obama that all branches of the U.S. Military are fully ready for the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the long-standing policy of kicking perfectly good solders out of service just because of their sexual orientation. Ken Pierce, Chairman of the Board of Directors sent this statement on behalf of Equality Action NOW. “Our organization has always led the way in speaking out about civil rights and the fair treatment of all. With the signing of this very important certificate LGBT people can now lift their heads high and be even more proud

What: The Greenest Building Documentary Film, followed by a panel discussion on the connections between historic preservation, green building and economic sustainability. When: Monday, July 25 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Movie 7:00 PM, discussion panel 8:00 PM) Where: The Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street, Sacramento How Much: Free! Over the next 20 years, Americans will demolish one third of our existing building stock (over 82 billion square feet) in order to replace seemingly inefficient buildings with energy efficient “green” structures. Is demolition in the name of sustainability really the best use of natural, social, and economic resources? Or, like the urban renewal programs of the 1960’s, i

“Freedom has not come as a gift, but as a triumph.” –Alice Paul The 1911 victory for California women made California the sixth state to win equal suffrage for women. The California win doubled the number of women who could vote in the United States, building electoral power and support for the 1920 passing of the 19th amendment, which would give all women in the country the right to vote. The Sacramento History Museum has unveiled a unique and wonderfully elaborate exhibition detailing the long struggle women fought to win the vote, not only in California but in all of the United States, aptly titled “We Won the Vote! 100 years of Equal Suffrage in California.” The exhibit displays tru

Wednesday evening, the Department of Parks and Recreation presented plans to expand Old Sacramento’s excursion train and further explore the underground ruins to provide visitors a more exciting learning experience of the Gold Rush, commerce and river transportation. The preliminary general plan for Old Sacramento State Historic Park would span 20 years. The project is currently set to develop the Front Street area between J and I streets. Capital District Superintendent of Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks Catherine Taylor explained that the project will educate visitors on the Gold Rush era. The underground ruins will feature active archaeological digs and exhibits and

About 250 formally and historically dressed guests gathered at the L Street Dock on Front Street in support of the preservation and exploration of Sacramento’s historical legacy Friday evening. Under the guidance of the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, party-goers traveled through the 1850s, 1960s and back to the present on the Empress Hornblower along the Sacramento River for the hour-long cruise Casino Royale on the River: Where Old Sacramento Meets Monte Carlo. This was the second year HOSF had hosted the event to raise funds for its educational and interpretive programs, including the historical exhibitions in the Sacramento History Museum on I Street. Last year the event was held

“Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass. For your lorry loads pumping petrol gas. And you make them long, and you make them tough. But they just go on and on, and it seems that you can’t get off… Well you’ve cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air. But will you keep on building higher til there’s no more room up there? … I know we’ve come a long way, Were changing day to day, But tell me, where do the children play?” Cat Stevens In the rush to make Sacramento a big city we seem to concentrate on the expanding bars, restaurants, basketball arena, high rises, and other superficial aspects of a big city. We forget that key components to a successful revitalized city are the childr

Sacramento Jane’s Walk 2011: Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8 Jane’s Walk USA is a series of free neighborhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Since its inception in 2007, Jane’s Walk has happened in cities across North America, and is growing internationally. Sacramento’s Jane’s Walk series incorporates elements of urban planning, neighborhood advocacy, urban history, and architectural history, to demonstrate how a neighborhood’s physical form promotes its walkability, sustainability and economic and social vitality. All tours are free o

On Wednesday, May 4th, the Center for Sacramento History, in association with the Sacramento History Foundation, will host a panel discussion with the authors of the recent book, Remaking California: Reclaiming the Public Good. The panel will delve into the causes of California’s governmental gridlock, the effects on its citizens and environment, and prospects for restoring a healthy democracy. The event, Remaking California: Breaking Political Gridlock, will be held at the Jean Runyon Little Theater in Memorial Auditorium (1515 J Street, Sacramento); doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation begins at 7:00 p.m. The event is open to the public; a $5.00 donation is requested at the door.

Sacramento’s Local Roots Food Tours are a fun way to experience Sacramento’s culinary scene by sampling different restaurants and learning new recipes, like homemade pasta noodles. The tours began in February, and were created by Lisa Armstrong who is the owner and only tour guide at the moment. “My first experience on a food tour was in Seattle,” Armstrong said. “After coming home from Seattle I couldn’t stop thinking about how much fun I had and what a great idea it would be to put together a tour for a city like Sacramento.” At 11:15 a.m. on a Tuesday, Armstrong conducted her first official three hour tour with a group that included eight people. “We are hoping to attract anyone who

Monday night, a huge Dia de los Muertos caricature welcomed guests to Tequila Museo Mayahuel on 12th and K streets. Inside, sugar skulls, candles and marigolds transformed the new tequila museum and restaurant into a Dia de Los Muertos party, called “Subterraneo” put on by Jose Cuervo Tradicional tequila. The party was a sneak preview of the not-yet-open Tequila Museo Mayahuel. Only those in the restaurant and bar industry were invited. Jose Cuervo Tradicional is touring cities around the country with the Dia de los Muertos party and selected Sacramento to host Monday’s event. According to Gina Castillo, tequila ambassador for Jose Cuervo and Don Julio Northern California, Tequila Mus