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SEQUENCE:19012975
CREATED:20220629T223000Z
DESCRIPTION:Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. was the first elected 
 Treasurer in San Francisco and first US Diplomat of African Descent.  Join 
 us share the Stolen Legacy of California Pioneers of African Desent.\n\nOn 
 his 35,521 acre Mexican Land Grant the mining camp, a mile long gravel bar, 
 was the first gold site in today’s Sacramento County where the Historic 
 Folsom was established in 1856.\n\nNegro Hill, Mormon Island and Negro Bar 
 all bustling gold mining towns essential to authentic world history and our 
 California Underground Railroad Network to Freedom (1850-1875)\n\nNew 
 California State Parks officials continue to work with their “hand 
 selected” local community and A few targeted stakeholders changing the 
 place name of the day-use area, now temporarily identified as Black Miners 
 Bar, within the vast Folsom Lake State Recreation Area in Sacramento County 
 that did not exist until Folsom Dam and Nimbus Dam built.\n\nUsing the 
 public and stakeholder feedback as well as a limited history evaluation 
 State Parks’ staff presented a recommendation for pre-determined 
 decision, this ongoing process continues.\n\nThe place name is present on 
 three (3) signs located within and adjacent to the park facilities. 
 \n\nThere is a large entrance sign and a smaller sign that identifies a 
 boat launch ramp. Outside the park is a roadway sign on Greenback Lane east 
 of Folsom-Auburn Road. \n\nThe name is also used on the California State 
 Park website, maps, and literature identifying the day use 
 facilities.\n\nSadly, cognition of the Gold Mining District in authentic 
 historic records globally has no value in the current process.\n\nThe 
 actual footprint of the Gold Mining Town of Negro Bar may one of the most 
 endangered historical preservation sites in America.\n\nThe effort to 
 distort, discredit and destroy salient contributions by people of African 
 Descent is clear and present.\n\nFalse Historical Background\n\nThe 
 historical use of the name appears in reference to Black miners during the 
 gold rush including from an 1850 newspaper article noting Black miners 
 finding gold at this location in 1848. A few years prior to the gold rush, 
 in 1844, the area was part of a Mexican government land grant named Rancho 
 Rio de los Americanos received by the multiracial West Indian immigrant and 
 entrepreneur William Alexander Leidesdorff.\n\nThe historic townsite of 
 Negro Bar was south of the historic city of Folsom, California, across the 
 American River from what is today’s day use facilities.\n\nThe 1850 U.S. 
 census, as well as election returns from the 1850s, refer to Negro Bar as 
 having 500-600 residents. In the early 20th Century, the townsite was 
 covered by soils and debris processed by various dredge companies that 
 would later merge into Natomas Consolidated of California in 
 1908.\n\nOutreach to Public, Stakeholders and Scholars since the turn of 
 the century, California State Parks has been working to address requests 
 from park visitors and the interested public and stakeholders to consider a 
 name change, given the perception that the place name is derogatory and 
 does not reflect a modern view of inclusion and acceptance of all 
 Californians.\n\nMeetings with diverse stakeholders and formal 
 consultations with California Native American tribal governments and tribal 
 community members continue.\n\nAdditionally, research into the history of 
 the area is shared and discussions about alternative names continue. 
 \n\nThese efforts are not only providing input into changing the place name 
 but also into drafting interpretive panels for the completed day use 
 facility improvements project.\n\nBased on feedback State Parks has 
 received to date, some want to keep the current name. The majority of local 
 interested parties prefer a name change that would still include the 
 historic reference to the Black miners’ era in the name, and propose the 
 name be changed to Black Miners Bar. Although more outreach and research is 
 necessary before a name can be recommended, other proposed names to date 
 include: African American Bar, Black Freedom Bar, Eagle Bar, Freedom Bar, 
 Historic Negro Bar, Leidesdorff Bar, Main Bar, and Miners Bar. State Parks 
 would like your feedback regarding the renaming, please share your comments 
 via the comment form.\n\nTimeline\nRenaming the day-use area has garnered 
 local and statewide interest and remains a priority for State Parks’ 
 staff, who continue to work diligently to address all the feedback received 
 so far. Ongoing steps include statewide outreach and collaboration with 
 scholars and historians to evaluate the statewide significance of this area 
 to help in identifying a new name. Using the public and stakeholder 
 feedback as well as the history evaluation, State Parks’ staff hope to 
 present a recommendation for decision this summer. As information becomes 
 available, it will be shared with the public via this webpage.\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2022/06/29/18850783.php
SUMMARY:Stolen Legacy: California Pioneers of African Descent
LOCATION:Leidesdorff Street\nFinancial District 
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2022/06/29/18850783.php
DTSTART:20220729T213000Z
DTEND:20220729T233000Z
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