Folsom - History and Geographic Features:

History of Folsom:

Folsom has a rich and wonderful history dating back to the 1800’s. Its first inhabitants were the Maidu Indians, hunters and gatherers who lived peacefully along the American River. With the onset of the Gold Rush era, their population, land and native products began disappearing as miners and commercial growth settled in the area. In 1827, Jedidiah Strong Smith led a group of trappers through this area leading the way for other trappers to hunt and settle along the American River. In 1844, California Governor Manual Michaeltorena granted 35,000 acres of land along the American River known as “Rancho Rio de Los Americanos” to William Alexander Leidesdorff, a San Francisco trader. He became owner of the land on which Folsom sits today.

In 1849, Joseph Libby Folsom, a captain in the U.S. Army, arrived and purchased the land from Leidesdorff’s mother who owned the land after Leidesdorff passed in 1848. Upon his purchase, he hired Theodore Judah and two other engineers to survey the land near the mining camp of Negro Bar for a railway and township called Granite Bay. Folsom passed away in 1855, before he could see his land developed and before their first railway, The Sacramento Valley Railroad, was laid. In 1856, the Sacramento Valley Railroad completed its first train excursion from Sacramento to the new town of Folsom, renamed from “Granite City” in honor of Joseph Libby Folsom.

With the new railroad, Folsom became a major stop for stage and freight lines running throughout the Gold Country. Sutter Street became known for its merchants, hotels and commerce and soon became the terminus for the Pony Express from July 1860 to July 1861. The Folsom Telegraph published its first issue in 1856, and continued to be the city’s leading newspaper.  

In the years following, Folsom saw continued development that brought the establishment of the Folsom Prison in 1880 as the second penitentiary in the state. In 1893, the Folsom Dam was built followed by the completion of The Folsom Powerhouse in 1895. They began delivery of electricity over 22 miles, the longest run in the world, to Sacramento and remained in operation until 1952. That year the old dam was destroyed as part of the construction of the new Folsom Dam It is now preserved as a part of the California State Park System.

Folsom has experienced tremendous growth in recent years and continues to be a city with community traditions, economic development, celebrations and abundant recreation.

Geographic Features: 

Folsom Lake -- water skiing, sailing, swimming, fishing – Folsom Lake State Recreation area is one of the most visited units in the California State Park system. The lake offers all kinds of water recreation including fishing, water skiing, sailing and more. There is a campground at the Beal’s Point access, which also has a boat ramp, beach and picnic area. A large marina is located at Brown’s Ravine in El Dorado County and Granite Bay in Placer County has a large sandy beach, launch ramps and boat rental concessions.

Folsom Prison -- Folsom Prision is one of the city’s better known attractions. The Folsom Museum is located near the entrance of Folsom Prison.  Run by volunteers, the museum contains documents and artifacts from throughout Folsom's long and colorful history.  Folsom State Prison's location was selected due to an unlimited amount of native stone for building the prison.  Also, the American River offered ample water and formed a natural boundary for the prison.  As one of the nation's first maximum prisons, Folsom received it's first 44 inmates on July 26, 1880.  They were transferred by boat and train from San Quentin. 

Folsom Dam -- Folsom Dam is located about 23 miles northeast of Sacramento. The multipurpose project was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers and is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. Although its primary function is flood control, Folsom stores water for irrigation and domestic use and for electrical power generation. Preservation of the American river fishery, downstream control of salt water intrusion in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and water-related recreation are also important activities. The main dam consists of a 340-foot high concrete center section flanked by long earthen wing dams extending to high ground at either end. This along with other project features, holds over a million acre-feet of water in Folsom Lake. Directly below the dam is the Folsom Power Plant. Its three generators produce 198,207 kilowatts of power. Each year Folsom Dam prevents potential flooding downstream from winter storms and spring snow runoff.

 Folsom Area Map