PBS Documentary: REPLACING THE PAST - Sacramento's Redevelopment History

The Center for Sacramento History and producer Chris Lango present this 30-minute documentary, which premiered on KVIE (PBS) April 20, 2016. The film examines the massive and controversial urban renewal efforts to remake downtown Sacramento during the 1950s and 60s. These redevelopment projects, including the creation of Capitol Mall, Old Sacramento, Interstate 5, Macy's and the K Street Mall significantly changed the urban core of Sacramento, shuttering hundreds of businesses and displacing thousands of residents, especially the city's ethnic populations.
This film received the 2016 Local Vision Award from the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the American Planning Association - which recognized "Replacing the Past" for making an outstanding contribution toward creating better communities throughout the region.
Produced and narrated by Chris Lango. Video services provided by Steve Davis Productions and film technician Mahlon Picht. Stills and footage courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History.
#redevelopment #sacramento #history

[@missdoommm]

As a young person growing up in Sacramento I would have absolutely loved revisiting those historic places. I always thought Sacramento was old but didn't realize that it's been rebuilt. So sad that we lost so much history.

[@thesierrastandard7281]

Same with me! Sad to see what we lost :_(

[@treynelson3967]

This is treypound from Sac thanks alot for your comment Stay Real...🙏🏾🙏🌍🥊

[@1HeatWalk]

I grew up in Sacramento. I think Sacramento would be way more interesting if Japan Town and China town still exists along with Old Sacramento.

[@benjaminlarkey8562]

I was born, raised and now live in Sacramento. Loved this. Need more films on the city

[@ambulancerv114]

Sacramento's loooong history of demolition its history is so sad I was born here in 1965 and love my city, but very disappointed in its lack of protecting its history from developers and replacing historic buildings with concrete buildings

[@johnharris6655]

Stockton went through the same thing, the Crosstown freeway went right through Little Manila, a vibrant Filipino community that had been there for a very long time. Then Jerry Brown cut the funds and the thing went no where for 20 years. It was affectionately known in Stockton as "The Jerry Brown Freeway" while it went no where.

[@mn7392]

Very informative film. I moved here in 1991 and had no idea of the history of the West End and Japan town. My drive thru I-5 will never be the same. Thank you.

[@fearless3geclipse]

What a great documentary.. I moved from the bay as a kid back in 1989 and was raised here in Sacramento. I will never move from Sacramento, great city with a mix a cultures. Beautiful Sacramento I love you dearly!

[@billspurgin7600]

You brought it all back - memories. I had both the old, redevelopment, the land grabs, skid row to opening night at the Firehouse, and the K St Mall was a Christenson nightmare. Keep up the good work.

[@sactownbites-foodtouradven6737]

Excellent! Important history about Sacramento that most locals have no idea about. Thank you for making this!

[@davidmayhew8083]

I was a kid and remember the pile drivers building I - 5 across the street from my dad's shop. Going to Macy's for the first time was a wondrous thing. Surrounding it , block after block of nothing. I saw every new building as an event. I loved the new Crocker Bank with all it's fountains. And not to forget. Going into Breuners Dept. store with that cool air. Bliss. The search lights in front of the many movie theaters. Roberts Fish Grotto with the big stuffed sword fish and regal balcony.

[@MZV807]

I'm currently a student at CSUS and we were watching this video in my Anthropology 101 class. This is a very interesting video. I'm not from the area but I definitely feel sad for those who were affected.

[@LuckyClovers]

I know it’s been 3 years but whenever you watch a video in school it’s because the teacher was hungover

[@davidsanson3769]

Thank you for this video. So much history here. Love it!

[@ericx4124]

Great film. I have pics of my dad and grandparents at their home near 6th and Q that’s no longer there because of the federal building. I now own a home at 24th and F and find it sad that so many neat, old homes and buildings were destroyed for “progress”.

[@isfpilot2274]

Thank you for shearing.

[@hottiecougar40]

small reminder of japantown is seen on j street

[@sacramentohistorian]

That's Chinatown. Japantown was farther south, but there's a reminder left at 4th & O Street, the old Nisei VFW Hall.

[@TronUmba]

Thank you for posting this.. Now I know our development history of our city. :)

[@treynelson3967]

I love SACRAMENTO TREYPOUND!!! It's so different know world is completely changing...

[@madfzr]

Thank you for this film and footage. My family has been in Sacramento / owned homes in tahoe park and colonial heights and a restaurant 8th and J since the 1930s/1940s. Its now a huge office bldg at 8th and J. I spent most of my life in Sacramento and it truly is a diverse and great/fun city to live in. I wish more people knew more heritage, this and other history. This film definitely does a good job and is easier to watch than some of the other ones out there. Oak park and del paso heights used to be upscale neighborhoods before all the redevelopment. Sad what the japanese had to go thru in Sacramento. I got to see Mary Tsukamoto speak during a class in elk grove, ca circa late 1980s.

[@sunnyday7843]

My home town in Los Angeles was ruined when LAX was expanded . It would have been good for our friends and neighbors in Westchester and Playa del Rey to make a video about their story. Maybe there is still time ?

[@Thepancakekid]

Great Video!

[@valerieodonnell6764]

I have only lived in Sacramento for 3 years but the house I live in was built in the 40s. I wonder who lived in it and what they were like. What did they think about the “redevelopment” this documentary covers?

[@seankm6nfo990]

My home town. Thanks.

[@MellowOutAbout]

This is fascinating.

[@ChrisLango]

Thank you!

[@staceparsons3034]

And their little game continues to this day...

[@duritanfrostwolf8237]

Good stuff Maynard..

[@josephstringfellow9974]

💯 🎤 drop! Awesome Video

[@LucasCastleman]

This documentary has clips from a documentary that was made in the 50's prior to the old sac redevelopment, which beautifully lays out the history of sacramento, the gold rush, and the like. Where it calls the abandoned buildings "silent witnesses to history". I have been trying to find that documentary again, but can't find it. Does anyone know that documentary?

[@LucasCastleman]

It drove me crazy so I called the Center for Sacramento History, and they were able to help me! It was from 1965 and is called Sacramento: A Place To Remember and is available on archive dot org by the Junior League of Sacramento in the Center for Sacramento History Collection.

[@sunnyday7843]

@@LucasCastleman it’s on you tube - I just watched it !

[@LucasCastleman]

@@sunnyday7843 that’s awesome!! It looks like they put it up a couple months after my call :)

[@sunnyday7843]

@@LucasCastleman I enjoyed it a lot ! That’s great you made it happen 👍

[@LuckyClovers]

This blew Lady Bird out of the water. One historic town baby!

[@MellowOutAbout]

Interesting

[@nonservitium]

Any one know of the documentary from the the early 60s, produced by kvie, on the west end/old sac bum/transient population. I've tried looking for this years ago when i saw it broadcast here in Sacramento about 16 years ago.

[@salvatorericca8353]

I’ve seen it on KZbin. Can’t recall the name it was given for the video title but I know exactly the video you’re referring to. It’s on here, just do some digging. If I can find it I’ll come back on here and respond with the link to it.

[@nonservitium]

@@salvatorericca8353 thanks! I've looked, even asked bill burg, the sac historian/noise rock guru, and he came up short

[@preservationsacramento5958]

It's called "The Marshes of Two Street" but I don't think it is posted online anywhere.

[@victorcisneros.1196]

Te Amo sacramento Ca.

[@KendrickSacTown]

Go KINGS!

[@madfzr]

Im still sad at the loss of FORDS REAL HAMBURGERS sutterville/freeport and the wong family closing LUAU GARDENS/the rage nightclub in the arden area. At least Sams hof brau is still going strong. Original family (sam gordon) still owns and operates. 2500 watt avenue

[@user-bk7wz6gw1s]

I was arrested for digging up old bottles during the redevelopment of old Sac? I’m 76 today’

[@FindingNorcal]

👌💥

[@roddiemc91]

Government has way too much control.

[@twentystwentythree]

That damn freeway destroying our riverfront and cutting through our city... It needs to be capped with a park connector on top of it or relocated

[@darrylnoyer2101]

Should have never torn down the Alhambra Theater

[@BitchinSpectre]

17:34 bolgy wolgy?

[@Dweller415]

4:21 How Bay Area snobs describe our humble burg. 😂😂😂

[@hottiecougar40]

redlining equals black codes.

[@joelouis5118]

Sacremanto the great one

[@afxmnstr]

23:15 - this guy died right when this was being put together.

[@johnharris6655]

The story is that the Raley Family was friends of Lyndon Johnson and when he became President they did not want I-5 going through their land in West Sacramento. The only major city I-5 was supposed to go through was Stockton, because they could not build it in the Delta. I-5 would have cut through West Sac to Woodland in an near straight line.

[@user-bk7wz6gw1s]

Edmonds baseball field on Broadway and is now our Target was the Sac. Dump! I was arrested their for digging holes all after ‘Chinese artifacts’ then, I moved my hole digging to Old Sac. Got arrested their too! I love my Sac. History’ I love our Broadway Cemetery! Ronald Reagan was heading towards becoming our greatest Governor!’

[@davidho9238]

The way they targeted the Chinese and Japanese and throw them out from their home, business, life is a dirty dark history. Also, the great things that they forced people out to build are long gone.

[@georgehudson5019]

So Old Sac isn't really old sac 🤦🤦🤦

[@preservationsacramento5958]

The term "Old Sacramento" probably comes from a B-grade Western called "In Old Sacramento" produced in about 1940, and yes, that area was called the Labor Market prior to its "rebranding."

[@buckdowner]

Read the book by Thomas Wolfe, "You Can't Go Home Again..." Pigs at the development trough slopped up people's lives like discarded waste. Now look at Sac Town...a congested and ugly disaster.

[@ryanadams5554]

The unrelenting destruction of Sacramento goes back to the early 60s with Pat Brown and carried on by Jerry Brown Browns have ruined Sacramento

[@Xrayballer88]

Way to conspicuously ignore every other governor CA has had since the 50s so you can use the video to complain about a politician you don't like.

[@drummerboy0626]

Its called outsourcing.... Who owns what?

[@kurtisle]

The destruction of Sacramento's past.. Money always wins. With every "win" there were homes destroyed, and another loss of our culture. The rich got richer and the rest can just go to hell I guess. This film should be named "The Destruction of Sacramento" There is no reason to go downtown when Arden Mall has better accommodations and eateries. The fake "Old Town" is no better than a mall. I repeat there is no reason to go to downtown Sacramento unless you're going to court or jail.

[@michaelanderson548]

The redevelopment agency screwed the pooch with everything associated with it. K st. was thriving. Now, it's a dead zone.

[@1969ChevroletCamaro]

So South Sac Iraq, Is Actually Japan town

[@agermason7890]

No! NEGRO BAR COUNTY!!! MODERN DAY SOUTH SACRAMENTO COUNTY!!! GOOGLE

[@nelsonumama3632]

How sacramento was Ruined Sad.

[@tekxpert1708]

SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@courtneyhall7140]

pat brown,like his worthless son jerry are two piles of feces stacked high as feces can be .

[@PortPowerTX]

4:56 Calm down, Gen Z's.. That's most likely no relation to Steve Aoki's family.. 😄

[@thervers2140]

make it a racest gig. glad they did it. What about germen town?

[@chabouyamoreno5258]

Why no Mexican shown the natives of that land having buisness I see everything else how funny

[@Anyse]

Shit, they had to “Whiten” the premier area of Sacramento. Shame on them!

[@courtneyhall7140]

a classic case of liberals like lipp himself destroying america from with in itself.socialism.