Located about 100 miles inland from the coast, Sacramento isn't always considered a port town. Yet beginning in the mid-1850s, barges, riverboats, and steamers began plying the river between here and San Francisco, carrying passengers, supplies, livestock, and produce between the coast and valley regions. The deepwater era began in 1911, when plans began on a canal and lock system that could accommodate large ships. In 1947, the Sacramento–Yolo Port District was created, ushering in many decades of worldwide shipping and commerce that was critical to the growth of California. Along the way, the facility hosted virtually every manner of oceangoing vessel and cargoes and equipment of every description.
The West Sacramento Historical Society, led by Thom Lewis and Jeri Hughes-Wingfield, presents here a wide-ranging collection of vintage images illustrating the port's journey from early to modern times. Lewis, a past president of the historical society, and photograph archivist Hughes-Wingfield worked with the port's archives after the City of Sacramento transferred the property to West Sacramento in 2005. The port, which along with the Port of Stockton is one of only two inland ports in the entire state, continues to provide an important juncture in California's commercial infrastructure.