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Description
This postcard shows the Folsom Powerhouse in 1911. The structure first opened in 1895 and sent hydro-electric power twenty-two miles away to downtown Sacramento's Station A. A 100-gun salute took place on July 13 of that year at four in the morning near Station A to celebrate the arrival of the electricity. While electricity had been used in Sacramento in the form of small, private fossil fuel fired power plants, gas lights were still the primary source of light for many. Later that year, a Grand Electrical Carnival was held in Sacramento to further celebrate this achievement. The powerhouse became a reliable and cheap source of power for Sacramento, enabling it to further expand as well as experiment with a hydro-electric powered streetcar system. The powerhouse was in use until 1952, when the completion of the Folsom Dam made it obsolete. It now sits as California Historical Landmark No. 633.
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