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Sacramento Pioneers of Power and Light tells the story of how one of California's most important cities went from candlelight to electric power. Published by the Sacramento Historical Society, this collection brings together three historical essays that trace the arc of energy in Sacramento from the mid-1800s through the early electric age.

The first essay follows Wells Fargo's unlikely involvement in the Sacramento Gas Company and the politics behind lighting the city streets with gas. The second recounts the dramatic arrival of electricity generated at the Folsom Powerhouse, and the public celebration that greeted it. The third takes a deeper look at the engineers and visionaries behind the Folsom Powerhouse, and how their innovations shaped the foundations of modern power systems.

Together, these essays paint a vivid picture of the people and decisions that brought light to Sacramento, and in doing so, helped define what an American city could become.