One of California’s first incorporated cities is Benicia, situated on the waterfront of the Carquinez Strait at the mouth of the Sacramento Delta region. It‘s less than 35 miles northeast of San Francisco, but this historic small town is worlds apart. It was firmly established before the advent of the 1848 California Gold Rush, and by 1853 it served as California’s third State Capital. 13 months later, the Capital was relocated to Sacramento, but the town continued to thrive as a rail head for the Transcontinental Railroad, and a century long legacy as the location of the military’s West Coast Arsenal.
I’m correspondent, Tom Wilmer, come along and join me for a visit with Nancy Martinez, the Executive Director of the Benicia Main Street Program, for a walking tour down First Street. We’ll also stop in for a visit with Leah Shelhorn, owner of Studio 41 a showcase of local and regionally crafted art. As an aside, I belatedly learned that old-timers have their own distinctive pronunciation of their town’s name.
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