CA State Archives Speaker Series: Sacramento’s Railroad Shops

Description

• Visit Website

On Thursday, May 30, Mary A. Helmich will be discussing her new book, A Legacy in Brick & Iron: Sacramento’s Central & Southern Pacific Railroad Shops, co-authored with Kevin V. Bunker, which describes the history of the Central and Southern Pacific Railroad shops – at one time the largest heavy industrial complex west of the Mississippi River and currently under development as the Railyards – before the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Focusing on the complex’s wide variety of industries, innovations, and jobs performed by railroad workers, the book captures the evolution of the city’s industry and the implications of this history beyond the Sacramento region.

Interpreting and preserving California’s past for present and future generations has been a focus of Mary A. Helmich’s personal and professional life for more than 40 years. While at the California State Archives for ten years and California State Parks for twenty-six, she researched, planned and developed exhibits, authored interpretive plans, histories, reports and web content. She coordinated special activities around the state to commemorate the 150th anniversaries of California’s War with Mexico, the gold discovery at Coloma, Gold Rush, and Statehood (including Capitol Park’s Admission Day festival in 2000). She has served on several non-profit boards, most recently the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, and continues to consult on history-related projects and programs.

Find other events tagged under: authors, book signing, free, local history

Event Categories

• Special Interests