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UID:Indybay-18876710
SEQUENCE:19049622
CREATED:20250522T213000Z
DESCRIPTION:Have you heard of the Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. 
 “African Founding Father of California?”\n\nLeidesdorff Plaza was 
 dedicated May 1966 by the Negro Museum and Library Association of 
 Sacramento, In. and is one the most historic locations in the Western 
 United States of America.  \n\nAn ancient future fitting tribute to William 
 Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. will become manifest as the old Leidesdorff 
 Plaza makes way for an expanded Historic Folsom District.\n\nLeidesdorff 
 Plaza is named in memory of William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr., a prominent 
 civic leader and pioneer in the successful quest for California to become 
 the 31st state in the United States.  \n\nHe was elected first Treasurer in 
 the City of San Francisco, owned the largest home in the city, constructed 
 the first S.F. City Hotel, built the first commercial shipping warehouse, 
 and donated the land to build the first public school today’s State of 
 California at Portsmouth Square in Downtown San Francisco where Leidesdorff 
 St. was the initial San Francisco Waterfront.\n\nBorn in St. Croix, Virgin 
 Islands, October 1810 to Anna Marie Sparks, an African woman, and William 
 Leidesdorff, Sr., a citizen of Denmark.\n\nIn 1834, Leidesdorff was 
 naturalized a U.S. Citizen in New Orleans, Louisiana and forced to leave 
 his lucrative maritime shipping business because of the Negro Seamen Acts 
 in second busiest port in the United States.\n\nIn 1840, Leidesdorff 
 travels to New York, NY and makes final trips into the Gulf of Mexico, 
 Cuba, Honduras, Virgin Islands Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Hawaii and 
 relocates to the Pacific Rim.\n\nIn 1841, Leidesdorff sailed the first 
 United States shipping vessel, the Julia Ann, into the sleepy Mexican 
 fishing Village of Yerba Buena, modern day San Francisco, to establish a 
 world maritime center.\n\nIn 1843, he was naturalized as a Mexican citizen 
 in order to facilitate acquiring a vast land grant from the Mexican 
 authorities in the Sacramento Valley and was an early advocate of creating 
 dual United States citizenship.\n\nIn 1844, William Alexander Leidesdorff, 
 Jr. obtained title to Rancho Rio de Los Americanos, well over 35,521 acres 
 of prime real estate along the south bank of the American River. His global 
 trade and commerce projects financed, developed, and helped stabilize the 
 Sacramento Valley.\n\nIn 1845, he accepted the position of United States 
 Vice-Consul to the Mexican Alta California region; as such, he was the 
 first African-American diplomat in history and was affectionately known as 
 the “African Founding Father of California.”\n\nIn 1846, he was an 
 active leader in the Bear Flag Revolt during the Mexican-American War.  He 
 went on to captain the first and only steam ship in California prior to the 
 Gold Rush of 1848, the Sitka. His maiden steam voyage up the Sacramento 
 River is immortalized on the California State Seal and recognizes his 
 vision for increased maritime transportation of California’s agricultural 
 products to world markets.\n\nIn 1848, prior to his untimely death from 
 brain fever, he received official notification of vast quantities of gold 
 on his immense cattle and wheat ranch along today’s Route 50 corridor.  
 He is buried near the front entrance of the Roman Catholic Church, Old San 
 Francisco Mission Delores.\n\nThe Leidesdorff Memorial Highway was named by 
 the California State Legislature, by Assembly Concurrent Resolution 131, 
 Chapter 41, May 3, 2004.  2025 Memorial Day Weekend we pause to celebrate 
 Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. and share the early records of 
 Historic Negro Bar Mining Town and initial designation of the Sacramento 
 Valley Railroad as seen in the September 1854 Survey Map.\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/05/22/18876710.php
SUMMARY:Leidesdorff Plaza - Memorial to the “African Founding Father of California”
LOCATION:Folsom Historic Lite Rail Station \nLeidesdorff Street & Reading 
 Street\nHistoric Folsom, CA 
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2025/05/22/18876710.php
DTSTART:20250524T183000Z
DTEND:20250524T203000Z
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