East Sacramento is home to a 48-acre plot of land that currently lies uncultivated and unused. Plans to turn the area into new housing have failed over the years, but Riverview Capital Investments (RCI) has begun the early stages of getting the idea back on track.

The project, dubbed McKinley Village because of the land’s proximity to McKinley Park, would be made up of new homes for people who wish to live near the downtown area. RCI is headed by developer Phil Angelides, who was also part of the 2006 McKinley Village plan. The 2006 design is being updated for the company’s 2013 attempt. Coming from Arden Fair Mall, the land is visible from Business 80, looking east.

Megan Norris, vice president of RCI and spokesperson for the project, detailed what the company is doing.

“We are currently updating the proposed design of McKinley Village taking into account input that we have received from the community and current market information about the desires of consumers/potential homebuyers who are seeking to live in or near downtown, midtown, and the East Sacramento and McKinley Park neighborhoods,” Norris said in an e-mail.

No final plans have been officially submitted for a vote and may not be submitted until sometime in the spring, but that hasn’t stopped some East Sacramento residents from paying close attention.

At a regularly scheduled East Sacramento Preservation meeting on Feb. 12, some 25 residents showed up to hear what was going on at the mere mention of the housing project getting back on track.

Ellen Cochrane, president of East Sacramento Preservation, said that she expects the numbers of concerned citizens to climb rapidly as the plan moves forward.

“Usually our meetings are attended by 5-10 people, but word got out that McKinley Village was going to be discussed,” Cochrane said. “That is still a very small number compared to what we expect when a final plan comes.”

The Feb. 12 meeting was used by RCI’s Norris and Bret Hogge to ask residents for possible improvements to the 2006 plan. One of the questions posed by those in attendance was whether a traffic study will be done. Cochrane called the possible traffic ramifications of the project “a huge concern,” particularly on Elvas Avenue.

There are no current financial figures for the project, but Norris said “we will have the capital resources to build the community, particularly given the increasingly strong demand of homeowners who want to live in a sustainable, urban infill neighborhood.”

While RCI wants to push forward, Cochrane remains skeptical that the plan will be a success.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but my feeling is that not doing anything with the land is fine as far as residents are concerned,” Cochrane said.

Cochrane also said that there are a number of residents who would like to try to turn the area into a Soil Born farm. The Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture & Education Project is an organic farming non-profit that promotes healthier eating among people in Sacramento.

“It would be a legacy to leave for our children,” said Cochrane.

Norris said that RCI hopes to have model homes available in 2015 if all goes according to plan.

“We will ensure that the community is well designed with strong community amenities, tree-lined streets, attractive parks and public spaces, and homes with architectural distinction,” Norris said.

In Australia they call them kangatarians—people who eat kangaroo exclusively. Such a person in East Sacramento would need to know about Cookie’s. Located at 5640 H St., the East Sacramento drive-in and “institution” has gone wild and now serves ostrich, buffalo and kangaroo meat burgers.

COOKIE’S DRIVE-IN offers fruit shakes, frosties, traditional burgers…and game burgers that take patrons for a walk on the wild side. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Susan Laird

Lean-diet advocates have long touted the health benefits of game meat. Compared to its beef cousins, it wins the low fat contest.

But kangaroo?

Will Americans warm to “Skippy” and other game burgers? Are they soon to be in the meat sections, or will they remain a culinary oddity?

The test

On a warm Sacramento afternoon, East Sacramento News conducted a scientific-ish test. Three average East Sacramentans agreed to try the “wild” burgers.

Each subject volunteered to taste ostrich, kangaroo and buffalo. All of the meat was humanely raised or harvested. The test subjects cringed at the inclusion of kangaroo, but gamely acquiesced.

The test subjects were Tessa Stoddard, Jon Lynch-Lloyd and his mother, Eileen Lynch. They would rank the burgers according to texture and taste.

The “control group” was Pat Lynch, Eileen’s sister. She was supposed to eat a beef burger, but instead licked a soft serve.

“I know the beef is delicious,” she said. “You can’t pay me enough to eat a kangaroo.”

Three generous burgers were served up. The group eyed the choices with raised eyebrows.

Each “guinea pig” smelled the burgers and inspected them visually. They picked up the buffalo, breathed deeply and began.

The trio silently nibbled the bison.

Eileen Lynch grimaced and said, “I can’t think about what it looks like, when I do it’s weird.”

Next was the ostrich. Tessa Stoddard gazed at the burger, bit and swallowed a morsel. She frowned.

“It looks less appetizing. It’s smoother than other meats,” she said.

Buffalo meat is processed in the same way as beef and looks very similar. But ostrich is another story. Most of the meat comes from the thigh. It is reddish in color, even after cooking.

GAME BURGERS come labled at Cookie’s Drive-In. In addition to traditional beef burgers, the drive-in offers buffalo, kangaroo and ostrich burgers. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

The “roos” were last. The burger warriors were most reluctant to sample the marsupial, but each gingerly noshed a bite.

“What does a kangaroo really look like?” asked Lynch-Lloyd. He pulled out his iPhone and googled “kangaroo.” A giant red kangaroo peered back at him from the screen.

“Okay, but where does the meat come from on it?” he asked.

Lynch-Lloyd eyed the tail and paws suspiciously. The concept was difficult to digest.

What he didn’t know is that there are 48 known species of kangaroo, but only four are harvested for meat. The roos are culled from the wild or large privately owned ranges. There are no kangaroo farms, barns or pens. The meat is portioned much like beef and Australia exports the meat around the world.

The winners and losers

The three conferred and unanimously agreed on the final ranking for the test.

1. Buffalo

2. Kangaroo

3. Ostrich

All acknowledged the superiority of game’s nutritional value, but wanted to stick to beef.

“Yeah, it’s good they serve this meat,” said Lynch-Lloyd. “There’s such a disconnect between the food we eat and where it comes from. Wild game makes you think more about what you eat; that it’s a living creature.”

The buffalo was very similar to beef with a richer flavor and slightly smokier.

“I could easily order a buffalo burger,” said Eileen Lynch.

Pat Lynch stayed out of the fray, licking her soft serve and watching.

“I would never eat game, but this cone was harvested from a wild glacier of soft serve,” she said. Then she smiled and popped the end of her cone into her mouth.

All three of the test subjectd said that none of the game burgers came even close to Cookie’s high quality, sizzling beef burgers.

Cookie’s

THE CHUK FAMILY has owned Cookie’s Drive-In for 25 years. Stella handles the front of the restaurant, while Paul works the grill. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

American drive-ins are cultural icons and Cookie’s is one of the front-runners. So why would the owners dive into the exotic meat market?

Paul and Stella Chuk have owned Cookies restaurant for 25 years. They live in the Pocket and commute to 56th and H streets six days a week. The drive-in was named after the wife of the first owner who started the neighborhood favorite in 1956.

The Chuk kids, Joyce and Jesse, grew up behind the counter and still help out in the restaurant.

“I grew up at Cookie’s. My mom even came to work when she was pregnant with me,” said Joyce Chuk.

Paul still flips the burgers and Stella now works part-time time. They loved the original drive-in menu but decided to add healthier choices.

“We added ostrich first because a customer requested it. The others came later, all by customer request. They all sell very well but the best-seller is the ostrich,” Stella Chuk said.

“Our nice customers wanted more variety. Many people enjoy wild game. It took a while for the meat to take off, but now it’s popular.”

There are not many local eateries that have the ’roo-ostrich-buffalo trifecta. If you want to walk on the wild side or just want good ’ole American drive-in grub, Cookie’s is the place.

Little green creatures are terra-forming East Sacramento. They are not from Alpha Centauri and they don’t speak Martian, but they are members of a Green Team.

The small beings are students at Theodore Judah Elementary School. They dig, collect and process more than 50 pounds of compost and maintain multiple gardens on the elementary school campus.

The Science Alive program at the school makes this all possible with the student Green Team.

Shannon Hardwicke is their fearless leader.

Hardwicke cultivated the program in 2008. The school’s principal approached her with a simple garden plan that grew and grew.

“Now we have a whole campus science and green program with a multi-zone garden,” she said.

Hardwicke loves the mess of country life and so do the children.

“I have three kids at the school. This is the perfect place to work,” she said.

Hardwicke is the only paid employee of the program. She receives a small salary from the school’s PTA. All the other adult coordinators are volunteers.

The program is a lunchtime optional class. Kids eat lunch and then hit the dirt. They are part of the school’s Green Team that works the land. It’s a commitment for the pint-sized farmers.

“It’s a lot for a seven year-old to give up lunch free time,” she said.

Hardwicke watches a batch of children chew, as they hurry eating so they can get to work.

“We started with just a few kids and now we have more than 45 students on the Team,” she said. “At first it was just the elementary pupils. Today the primary, pre-kindergarten and pre-school are involved.”

The pupils study science lessons and manage multiple stations in the operation. There are several vegetable plots, a compost operation, a green house, butterfly pavilion, and the students participate in a nationwide study.

Science Alive is also a pilot program for Sacramento City Unified School District.

Harvesting dirt

A rangy girl with turned backwards, adult-sized gloves, (on the wrong hands, too) held up a wriggling line on her palm, “Look, it’s a worm!” she crowed. A smiling circle gathered to stare at the worm and then enthusiastically began to mine for more.

“OK, let’s put the worms back,” a volunteer gently steered the group back to work.

It’s dirt season and the kids love it. On a cool school day, a cluster of pupils moved earth. They dug, sifted, and bagged pounds of fresh, rich compost.

Students labeled lunch bags with crayon and lined up the soil-stuffed sacks on a table.

“This is harvest time. They’ve been prepping, turning, adding to and ripping biodegradable lunch trays for the compost all year. Now we’ll be selling it at a fundraiser,” Hardwick said.

Tap and stack

“I guess you could call me a waste manager,” Yolanda Milken smiles.

Milken is one of the volunteer parents.

Garbage mounts up quickly at a school. Milken figured out a way to cut down the number of trash pickup days and use more waste in the compost heap.

Students now empty milk cartons before throwing them away.

“With the milk out of the carton, the garbage doesn’t stink,” she said. “This cuts garbage pick up from five days a week down to two.”

Each student also carefully taps food leftovers from their trays into a collection can. This is added to the compost.

Flight

Behind a group of portables, stands a tall, black mesh tent. This is the Butterfly Pavilion.

Monarchs and other types of butterflies are nursed here. The students raise the wild things from eggs, through babyhood to adults, and then release them.

The pollenators help the kids complete the growing cycle and teach them about the circle of life.

Scientific inquiry

A tripod with a mini solar panel crouches over a broccoli patch at the school.

The Science Alive program at Theodore Judah Elementary was awarded $20,000 from Hidden Valley and selected to be one of five American schools to participate in an agricultural study.

A solar camera watches one section of the garden and the growth is measured and compared to four other student gardens across the country.

“We’ve had a slow start with the odd weather, but we’re still participating,” said Hardwicke.

The classroom

One half of the project is practice and the other half is theory. The project’s science lab gives teachers a hands-on area to teach conservation principles and green technology.

Kindergarten teacher Audrey Marshall is a teacher-partner.

“I’m part of the Green Team. Several teachers and I bring students to the class,” she said.

The community

“I never envisioned all this when we started. Our kids learn real science and conservation techniques,” said Hardwicke.

The Green Team is a group effort. Dozens of volunteer parents help at the school.

“The adults all work together and shuffle responsibilities to sustain the Green Team,” Hardwicke said.

The community also pitches in. Seland’s restaurant is one of the local waste-contributing vendors.

Compton’s Market hosts an annual fundraiser for the school. Students sell bags of super dirt (compost) to neighbors at the event and enjoy a festival with a barbeque and other fun activities.

The women have gone far beyond sustaining the Team. They’ve created a nationally recognized pilot program. They’ve got the ‘green’ stuff and they are growing.

Cathryn Reynolds cuddles one of the cats that is available for adoption to a “fur-ever home” at Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary in East Sacramento. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

Cats like Tarzan are “second chance cats” and they are Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary’s specialty.

Rescued from an uncertain fate at the Sacramento City Animal Shelter, he was brought to Happy Tails on Folsom Boulevard for a second chance at adoption. He was cleaned up, microchipped, checked, vaccinated and neutered.

Happy Tails won’t refuse a cat.

“But first do everything you can to help us out,” says Cathryn Rakich, events coordinator. “Ask everyone if they’ll adopt the cat. Try to find the owner. People should know that we are bursting at the seams.”

Established in 1993, and located at 60th Street and Folsom Boulevard, the Sanctuary is a no-kill facility (all cats are kept until adoption or death, no euthanasia). An all-volunteer team of 300 people, with 50 foster homes, moves a continuing cycle of cats, like Tarzan, through a careful adoption system.

From cage cleaner to board member, there are no paid positions.

Volunteers can work from one to 20 hours a week. There are no set requirements for volunteers. People do what they can.

Chow time. During the spring kitten season, Happy Tails volunteers foster kittens in their homes. This little one is about three weeks old. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

About 70 percent of the felines come from the Sacramento area community and about ten percent are rescued from other shelters. These are cats like Tarzan – with lots of character and pizzazz that deserve a second chance.

Happy Tails also has an adoption partnership with PetSmart. The store provides a holding room, bank of cages, food and litter for adoptable felines. The Happy Tails team maintains the Arden and Watt PetSmart location and shows animals for adoption at the on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kitty out!

A brindled tabby squirmed quickly through an open condo door.

“Kitty out!” several volunteers shouted. The crew hustled to secure the middle and exterior doors to catch the escapee. Speed saved the day and the cat (with a surprised look on his face) was returned.

The Folsom Boulevard site includes exam and intake rooms, a sick bay and a triple secure door system: interior, middle and exterior door.

The residents aren’t kept comfortable in cages, instead there are seven glass walled enclosures, or condos, that divide different populations. One is for the more senior residents, two are for adults and four are for special needs cats.

Got milk? This little one is off to a better start, thanks to the help of volunteers at Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

Special needs include positive tests for cat leukemia, FIV, or social challenges and provides sick cats ‘assisted living’ until they’re back on their paws.

Every room is decorated with toys, cat trees and ample bedding. Cleaners keep the rooms clean and the cats are relaxed.

Kitten season

The saddest time of the year for cats may be spring.

“Traditional kitten season kicks in when the weather warms up,” Rakich said. “It used to be primarily May through July but now it runs late April through September.”

This is the time when unsprayed mom cats give birth to kits that are very hard to place in good homes. The cat population swells, as do deaths and abuse.

Happy Tails kittens are kept in foster homes. On the day this writer visited, there was a wiggling carry bag on the floor.

“A homeless man found four abandoned kittens and put them on the conveyor belt at PetSmart,” said Joelle McChesney, Adoption Center coordinator. She gently poked a rubber nipple into a grey kitten’s protesting mouth. “These are young, maybe three weeks old.”

McChesney will be a surrogate mom, feeding and loving the babies, until they are old enough to be put up for adoption.

Tarzan is a “second chance cat.” His days of outdoor adventure are over, however, and he is awaiting a new forever home as an indoor kitty. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

The bag of kittens was on its way to a foster home because the sanctuary is not equipped for kitten needs. “Each kitten takes more than $100 to move through the adoption process,” said McChesney.

Life on the edge

Feral cats also fall under the protection of the shelter.

“We have two secret feral cat colonies in Sacramento,” said Rakich. “We practice catch and release – spay and neuter, and feeding. The sites are secret so people won’t dump cats near the area.

“A hard life does not make a grumpy cat,” Rakich continued, stroking and hugging a chubby black tom named Bronco. He was moved into the sanctuary from the feral population. Purring and limp, Bronco carries a ragged neck scar from a collar that had grown into his skin. His frayed ears and nicks made him look like a hardened felon.

“We have to have thick skins,” said Rakich. “We never get used to (the cruelty). We want all cats to be safe, sound, nurtured and have a home to blossom in.”

Help needed

Cats at the Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary live in comfortable, home-like rooms – just like an indoor cat in a home would experience. The cats are relaxed and ready to give humans a second chance. / Valley Community Newspapers

Happy Tails needs any help the Sacramento community can offer, but it especially needs homes for the cats.

Potential adopters are screened carefully and some balk about the shelter’s no outside cat rule. All new owners must pledge to keep the cat indoors, no exceptions.

“It’s just safer for the cat,” says Rakich.

Rakich ponders the plight of the animals.

“People say it’s not their responsibility…‘I just found it,’…or ‘I’m just helping to get it to the shelter,’…I believe it’s everyone’s responsibility to help these animals.”

By the way, Tarzan, the bad boy acrobat – he’s happy, fluffy, reformed and waiting at Happy Tails for a loving forever-family.

How you can help

You don’t need to adopt a cat to help. Happy Tails welcomes all kinds of support. Here are some ideas.

This magnificently whiskered cat is ready to give humans a second chance, thanks to the love and care of the volunteers at Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

• Donations (any amount)
• Join the volunteer program
• Tell a student about the Junior Program for community service credit
• Donate goods, vehicles or make a bequest
• Come to the Barking Lot Sale on May 21, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6001 Folsom Blvd.
• Visit the Kitten Adopt-A-Thon, Saturday June 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 30th and B streets

The website at www.happytails.org has complete details. All donations are tax deductible. Happy Tails is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Gypsy King Mark Adams and his wife, Julia, are at rest in this tomb at East Sacramento’s famous East Lawn Cemetery. Gypsy tombs are often elaborate; note the Tiffany-style glass. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

“May you wander over the face of the earth forever, never sleep twice in the same bed, never drink water twice from the same well and never cross the same river twice in a year.”

Fortunately, for Alex Adams (1861-1917), the Gypsy king, the curse held no sway during his life. This ruler lies in peace in East Sacramento’s East Lawn Cemetery. He is untroubled by malicious words or the evil eye. He is peacefully surrounded by scores of his relatives and ancestors, including his queen, Mary (1877-1934).

Unfortunately, though, there was one bump in the road. Early last century, his tomb was robbed. A large marble slab was pried off the tomb and valuables were taken. Police at the time believe the thieves were after items typically buried with gypsy leaders. His Queen Mary, had opened a purse and threw coins into the casket adding to the treasures.

East Lawn opened in 1904. The park has interred Sacramento notables and thousands of plain folk. The park occupies 40 acres in the heart of East Sacramento’s Fabulous Forties.

East Lawn has always welcomed all ethnicities, religions and cultural groups and the Gypsy presence is active and growing. Most Gypsies today are Christian, many are Orthodox, a nod to their East European roots.

Wives, cousins, husbands, adopted children, uncles and aunts – the family trees of the East Lawn Gypsies are intertwined and nearly impossible for an outsider to figure out.

The term “royalty” is applied by the Gypsies on merit more than heredity. Feats of familial support and service can lead to being called a chieftain, or king.

One thing is clear: the Gypsies embrace love during life and honor their dead in grand style, whether a king or peasant.

Gypsies are not shy and bury their dead with pomp and flourish. Funerals include feasting, music, laughter, crying and storytelling. Markers and mausoleums are substantial.

In the mid-20th century, one of the California Gypsy kings, Dushon John, was interred at East Lawn with style. The New York Times reported, “As the copper-lined coffin, blanketed in gardenias, carnations and sweet peas was lowered, token offerings of coins were deposited. Mr. John was buried also with such personal effects as a toothbrush, a mirror and hair oil for his journey into the future…a twelve piece band played dirges and the gypsies toasted with soft drinks and beer.”

Even today you can see a relic from the past. If you peek in the Millen Pavolovich mausoleum, another king, you will see a fashionable 1930s hat encased in a glass box. It was his favorite hat.

On a cool brisk day before Easter, this writer walked through the park admiring the granite work and trees.

A caravan of late model cars began a slow drive from the front gate.

Well-dressed, middle aged people stepped out of the vehicles carrying bouquets of yellow roses, tulips, Easter baskets, spring motif balloons, bags of McDonald’s hamburgers and hot apple pies, wineglasses, beers, soda and cups of coffee.

The banquet was laid at the tomb of John and Lulie Uwnawich in the heart of the park’s gypsy region. But only after the tomb was tidied and a mantel of aluminum foil was laid as a tablecloth.

These Gypsies came to celebrate the lives of their loved-ones.

A feast fit for a Gypsy king and his queen, laid out by Gypsy family members recently at East Lawn Cemetery. Gypsies are known for visiting the graves of loved ones in grand style. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

Mary (no last name given) was happy to permit a photograph of the feast laid at the grave.

“We come to remember,” she said. “I don’t know if the next generation will do this, but we still celebrate the old ways.”

There was no grief in the faces of the family. Smiles and conversation filled the air. The group was happy to celebrate the memory of the dead.

Craig Peterson, park manager at East Lawn, admires the Gypsies’ practices.

“They celebrate lives,” he said. “The park is considering the removal of part of a roadway to accommodate more family members. For the most part, they are buried in a common area.”

When asked if this writer could take their picture, the Gypsies replied, “No, honey, we don’t do that…No please, that’s not our way, not here.”

Who the Gypsies are is often confused.

The Gypsy people are believed to have emigrated from Northern India more than 1,000 years ago.

They are not of European heritage and are not Romanian. However, the Diaspora did lead most of the group to Eastern Europe, with pockets of the population in France, Spain and England.

Intermarriage with locals and exposure to different cultures influenced the Gypsies over time, but they remain a distinct group with their own practices, language and unique view of the world.

Historically, Gypsies were heavily persecuted, at times with deadly consequences. They were often outside of the mainstream of society, living a nomadic life and relying on horsemanship skills, craftsmanship and fortune telling for income.

This independent living drew the suspicions of locals and the Gypsies were frequently attacked and used as scapegoats.

And some of the Gypsies did engage in criminal behavior.

During World War II, Gypsies suffered further attacks from Adolf Hitler and the Nazi racial extermination policies. Tens of thousands of gypsies perished in concentration camps, primarily in Auschwitz.

Emigration to the US began in earnest during the Eastern European waves of the early 1900s, primarily from south-eastern Europe.

On that spring day in East Sacramento, however, there was no fortune telling, no bangles nor jewels. There was love and honor, a proud people remembering their dead.

The “Stone Sisters” are homes in East Sacramento that were built between 1900 and 1909, typically. They feature distinctive rough-hewn stone exteriors. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

The city bought the quarry as parkland by eminent domain. The owners demanded $18,000, but after a brief tussle over price the company settled for $7,500.

The Depression put the kibosh on city park development plans, but President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Work Progress Administration saved the day. WPA workers leveled much of the quarry, planted trees and framed the park with sidewalks. It was ready to go in 1936.

Today East Portal Park is a scooped-out, bowl of lawn nestled deep in East Sacramento on 51st and M streets. From any side you enter the park you start a descent. It’s a natural amphitheater. The flat bottom makes a comfy seat to enjoy Pops in the Park.

Scattered throughout East Sacramento are the second legacy of the quarry – craftsman bungalows built with smaller rooms, large cinder blocks and granite made from stone excavated over the years from the East Portal pit. Most of these houses were built in the “aughts” of the last century, the period from 1900 to 1909. The exteriors have rough-hewn, chiseled and buffed blocks and many of these houses also have granite in the construction and exquisite interior detailing.

Longtime residents of East Sacramento see these homes as significant heritage points.

The “Stone Sister” homes in East Sacramento are recognizable by their distinctive first floors. Some have had tasteful additions that are in harmony with the original architecture, such as this home. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

“They are worth preserving,” said Will Green, president of East Sacramento Preservation. “They are unique and reflect the local history of the East Portal quarry. I’ve seen several such homes in the Louisville and Cincinnati areas built of quarried stones, and they are preserved beautifully. This type of heritage must be kept.”

Four stone maidens still stand around the park today. The two that butt up to the northwest corner of the park look suspiciously like they might have been housing for the quarry owners or foremen’s families, but their original function is unclear. They were originally single-story, box-like houses, almost identical to each other.

Some of the homes have undergone extensive additions, but you can always spot the stone maidens because of the distinctive first floors. Tasteful changes that blend well with the neighborhood expand many of the homes vertically.

Two others are located west of the park. These are stately two-story ladies. One of these had a spicy career as a sorority house and many of the original interior features were altered.

Perhaps the most exquisitely preserved stone home sits on 43rd and F streets.

The stone construction of the Stone Sisters makes them cool in the hot Sacramento summers and warm in the wintertime. This M Street beauty reflects the architecture of early Sacramento, when the region was prone to the threat of regular flooding. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

“Remarkably, I’m only the third owner,” Marsha Hartberg said. “The home still has an original Murphy bed, and when we worked on the house, we found gaslight piping in the ceiling. We slightly altered the back porch and found the stones to be a mix of what appeared to be cinder block and solid granite.”

Hartberg’s two-story house has the original interior and exterior detailing. The façade has three different stone cuts and shaping. A river-rock fireplace crowns the living room, and built-ins, wainscoting, picture molding and the original wood floor add priceless touches to the historic home. All remain, unpainted and in excellent condition. It’s in a true turn of the century craftsman.

“Even the windows are original,” Hartberg said of the antique wavy glass that glassblowers produced up until about 1910. “I thought about weatherizing, but I didn’t want to loose the waves or the antique hardware.”

Further original details abound in her home. The porch is “roped” by a single linked iron strand with decorative hooks. Crushed rock and embedded stone inlay add unique details.

Midtown, East Sacramento and Oak Park are just some of the neighborhoods that boast original, last-century jewels. Preservation of these homes is a critical part of city management. The stone maidens of East Sacramento survived into the 21st century. May they see many more centuries to come.

If you can find your house address in the old Sacramento city directories, you’re on your way to discovering its past. Visit the Central Library’s Sacramento Room t

The vintage stone structures in East Sacramento often feature period architectural details, including antique hardware and “wavy” glass. Such glass was created by glass blowers by hand before the development of smooth sheet glass in the early 20th century. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Ellen Cochrane

o start your search. You can also search “History of a House” online for more information.