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Folsom Information
Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. Though
Folsom is most commonly known by its famous Folsom Prison, it is a thriving,
utopian suburb of Sacramento. As of 2006, the state of California estimates
Folsom's population is 45,445.
History
Folsom started as a small town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold
miners seeking fortune in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Though few amassed a
great deal of wealth, the city prospered due to the Joseph Folsom's lobbying to
get a railway to connect the town with Sacramento. Though Folsom died in 1855,
the town was later renamed to Folsom in his honor. The railway was abandoned in
the 1950's[verification needed] but later opened up as the terminus of the Gold
Line of Sacramento Regional Transit District's light rail service. A few former
gold-rush era towns are located within city limits of Folsom, including Prairie
City, and Mormon Island.
Folsom Prison was established in 1880, when the Livermore family made an
agreement with the state to donate land for the prison in exchange for prison
labor. Their plan was to build a hydro-electric dam from the American River for
a sawmill. Though the sawmill did not work out, the Livermore's soon realized
that the natural force of running water could provide enough power to transmit
to Sacramento, and the Folsom Powerhouse, now a National Historic Landmark, was
opened. At the time it was opened, it had the longest overhead run of
electricity (22 miles) in the country. The powerhouse operated until 1952.
Folsom Dam was built in 1956, providing much-needed flood control and water
rights for the Sacramento Valley. The creation of this dam also created one of
the most popular lakes in Northern California, Folsom Lake.
After 9/11, the Bureau of Reclamation did an analysis on potential targets for
terrorism and measures that can be done to eliminate or reduce this threat. With
several hundred thousand residents directly surrounding the American River, the
possibility of an attack on Folsom Dam was great enough concern for Bureau
officials to close down access to the road which went over the dam.
Unfortunately for Folsom residents, this Dam Road was a major artery in the
city. With its closure, traffic has been severe during rush hour times, and
businesses along the snarled traffic areas have suffered. Residents and Folsom
officials alike have been calling for re-opening the Dam Road in some venue.
This effort has been successful, as the road will be re-opened during commute
hours for a toll.
A bridge to bypass the road is in the works and may be open as early as 2007.
Today, Folsom is most known as being a popular middle-class suburb, with
abundant parks, good schools, and a strong community. Folsom is home to Folsom
Lake College, Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake, and a charming historic district. Folsom
is also home to the largest employer in the Sacramento area, Intel. The
population was 51,884 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Location of Folsom, California
Folsom is located at 38�40′20″N, 121�9′28″W (38.672127, -121.157838)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.6
km� (24.2 mi�). 56.3 km� (21.7 mi�) of it is land and 6.3 km� (2.4 mi�) of it
(10.09%) is water, primarily accounted for by Folsom Lake.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 51,884 people, 17,196 households, and
12,518 families residing in the city. The population density was 921.5/km�
(2,386.7/mi�). There were 17,968 housing units at an average density of
319.1/km� (826.5/mi�). The racial makeup of the city was 77.89% White, 5.99%
African American, 0.58% Native American, 7.19% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander,
4.71% from other races, and 3.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of
any race were 9.47% of the population.
There were 17,196 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 21.8% of all
households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was
65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average
family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.6%
from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there
were 123.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $73,175, and the median income
for a family was $82,448. Males had a median income of $60,616 versus $42,434
for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,210. About 2.6% of
families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1%
of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Landmarks
* Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
* Folsom State Prison
* Rainbow Bridge
* Folsom Dam
* Folsom Lake College
* Historic Sutter Street
Famous residents
* Cristina Mendonsa, news broadcaster
* Peter Camejo, former vice presidential candidate and Green Party activist
* Phil Cowan, radio personality ("Paul & Phil")
* Chuck Peterson, owner of Folsom Lake Ford, and Folsom Lake Toyota
Sister cities
* Jiaohe City, Jilin Province, PR China
* Crespano del Grappa, Italy
Arts
* Home to the Folsom Lake Civic Ballet
* Home to Hawkins School of Performing Arts, the official school of the Folsom
Lake Civic Ballet
* Home to Folsom Lake Symphony Orchestra
* Home of the Award-winning Folsom High School music program