On September 9, 1895, Sacramento held a parade to celebrate the arrival of hydroelectric power to the city. The parade drew a crowd of 60,000 participants who gazed upon some 25,000 lights, many of which were attached to parade floats.
Electricity was delivered to the city by the newly built system at Folsom Powerhouse on the American River (Now a fellow State Historic Park). It was the world’s first “long distance” delivery of power, as electricity was transmitted from 22 miles away at the power house.
Take a close peek at the historic flyer, and you’ll see two views of Sutter’s Fort. Power lines are shown connecting the American River and Folsom dam to a Sacramento trolley car and Sutter’s Fort. Artists also depicted Sutter’s Fort “before restoration.”
The text of the invite says, “The citizens of Sacramento, California cordially invite you to join them in the Grand Electrical Carnival, commemorative of the successful installation by The Sacramento Electric Power and Light Company of the greatest operative electrical plant on the American Continent. Monday, September 9th, 1895”
Photo courtesy California State Library Digital Collection, Grand Electric Carnival (2017-0534). Use this link to see the larger file on their website.
The following article is from the The Record-Union on Monday, Sep 9, 1895, Page 6
The Record-Union Sacramento, California • Mon, Sep 9, 1895 Page 6