My son Eric was visiting from Hawaii, so we went
in search of something to do... and we'd driven by this
place several times so we decided to stop...
Introducing Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park.
The 1895 plant, one of the oldest hydroelectric facilities
in the WORLD is located on a scenic bluff overlooking
the west bank of Lake Natoma on the American River.
(Remember you can click on any photo for a larger view.)
It took us about an hour to walk thru the beautiful
display in the visitor center and
read all the signs.
Prisoners from nearby Folsom Prison (that's another story) built
the dam and walked across it many times during construction
when there were no guard rails!!!
These 2 displays helped me understand a little
more about hydroelectric power.
Then it was time to head outside to get the rest of the story.
It's wintertime so most of the oak leaves had fallen along
the rivers edge and the water level was very low due to several years of
drought in this part of CA.
This place is not only a National Historic Landmark it is a
"National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark". Never
visited one before, how about you Coleen?
Click the photo to get more facts...
We headed over to the Powerhouse Buildings. The tall one
in the center is the original Powerhouse building.
And, since this is a state park in addition to the visitor center,
, the exterior buildings were
also open for public viewing. Eric stopped to read a sign
and here's a close-up so you can also read it... if you
click on the photo for a larger view.
Whenever I'm traveling and/or site seeing, I try very hard
not to get power poles and lines in my "shots", but they
seemed appropriate in this case!!!
There was even a guide on duty who explained to us (in detail)
how the turbines worked. A lot of this was greek to me, about the
only thing I understood was "alternating current" and "direct current"
probably from the days when Eric & sister Kristine listened
to a lot of music by the group AC/DC...
You'll definitely want to click on this photo for a larger view.
This inexpensive hydropower was a boon to Sacramento.
The Sacramento Electric Light and Power Company was created
in 1892 and sold Folsom Powerhouse's electricity for the Central
Pacific Shops, streetcars, street lights, and the Phoenix Gristmill,
the Buffalo Brewery and the California State Capitol.
Home use of electricity was limited at the time; later, bare light
bulbs hung from the ceilings of most buildings!!!
(Stay tuned for Folsom CA part 2 where you'll
learn a little about Folsom Lake as Eric and I continue
to wander about.)
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