California State Archives

California State Archives The California State Archives collects, catalogs, preserves, and provides access to the historic records of state government and some local governments.

The California State Archives collects, preserves, and provides access to the state's permanent governmental records as well as other materials documenting California history. The Archives collection is primarily composed of records from California state agencies, the governor's office, the state legislature, and the State Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal. The records are organized under the nam

e of the agency or office that transferred the records to the Archives. The collections also include some private papers that have been donated to the Archives. The State Archives has specialized programs to collect and preserve records of state government. The Legislative Archives Program, Court Records Program and Governor's Records Program work with the three branches of Government to identify records of enduring value that should be preserved in the Archives. The State Records Appraisal Program works to identify and collect records of state agencies. Each year thousands of researchers contact and visit the California State Archives seeking documentation to support their historical investigation. Reference Desk staff help researchers identify collections that are most relevant to their area of interest and retrieve those records from a secure storage area for researchers to view in the large Research Room. Public education and outreach are also important elements of the State Archives' mission. In October of each year, the public can attend the Archives Month Open House, enjoy a behind–the–scenes tour of the facility and learn more about the archival profession and other archival repositories in California. The State Archives continually works to promote the development of the archival profession through the Western Archives Institute (co–sponsored by the Society of California Archivists) and the Graduate Internship Program. The State Archives occupies a facility one block south of the State Capitol as part of the Secretary of State office complex. Completed in 1995, the 170,000 square foot building has six floors of environmentally controlled stacks, including a number of specialized vaults, which house the Archives' collections. The building also has facilities for preservation and research use of archival materials.

On September 4, 1878, Clara Shortridge Foltz became the first woman admitted to the bar in California, paving the way fo...
09/04/2026

On September 4, 1878, Clara Shortridge Foltz became the first woman admitted to the bar in California, paving the way for generations of women in the legal profession. She would go on to become the first woman lawyer on the West Coast, following Arabella Mansfield, who became the first woman admitted to the legal profession in the United States in 1869.

Foltz didn’t simply break barriers herself, she worked to change the law for the women who would follow.

She authored Senate Bill 66, commonly known as the “Woman Lawyer’s Bill,” which amended California law to allow women to practice law in the state. Passed by the California Legislature during the 1877-1878 session, the legislation removed the restriction that had limited admission to the bar to white male citizens.

Records documenting this important chapter in California’s legal history, including the Woman Lawyer’s Bill, are preserved among the governmental records of the California State Archives.

More than a century later, Foltz’s work remains an important part of the history of women’s rights and the legal profession in California.

The Tower Bridge Dinner takes place this Saturday in Sacramento! 🌉✨ For those unfamiliar with the annual tradition, 800 ...
09/03/2026

The Tower Bridge Dinner takes place this Saturday in Sacramento! 🌉✨ For those unfamiliar with the annual tradition, 800 guests lucky enough to snag a ticket to the event will enjoy local food created by the region’s best chefs while they dine at a single, sweeping outdoor table spanning Sacramento’s own “golden gate”: the iconic Tower Bridge designed by Alfred Eichler.

In anticipation of this weekend's festivities, we were inspired to explore other bridge-related activities present within the records at the California State Archives. Along the way, we came across this beautiful Official Program for the Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta, detailing a week of historic opening events from May 27 to June 2, 1937.

While the Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta didn’t feature anything quite as fabulous as halting traffic for an open-air fine dining experience (which, to be honest, might not have been ideal in that famous chilly fog! 🌫️), the bridge’s opening was packed with all kinds of activities, including pageants, parades, bowling tournaments, and even a redwood-log sawing contest.

Swipe through to explore these digitized pages from the 1937 Fiesta program!

On September 1, 1849, delegates gathered at Colton Hall in Monterey for the first day of the California Constitutional C...
09/01/2026

On September 1, 1849, delegates gathered at Colton Hall in Monterey for the first day of the California Constitutional Convention.

This drawing of Colton Hall, created for the centennial of the Constitutional Convention in 1949, depicts the historic building where the delegates debated and drafted California’s original state constitution, including a provision prohibiting slavery. The constitution was signed by the delegates on October 13, 1849, helping California bypass territorial status and enter the Union as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

Colton Hall was built by Walter Colton, the first American mayor of Monterey. Completed on March 8, 1849, the Greek Revival structure was designed to match the public buildings of the East Coast, and at the time, stood out markedly from surrounding early California architecture. Originally intended to serve as both a school and a public assembly hall, it later operated as a local grade school from 1873 to 1897. Imagine attending class in the building where your state's constitution was signed!

An artist's impression of Colton Hall sketched by Alden Stevens, 1948, California Centennials Commission Records, ODC2:15(12B), California State Archives.

08/30/2026

Don't miss out! Visit the California Museum tomorrow, August 30, for FREE as we thank you for helping us surpass our 2026 Big Day of Giving fundraising goal. 🎉

From 12–5 pm, explore our newest temporary exhibit, “Help Wanted / Leave Now: ‘Operation Wetback’ & the Revolving Door of Mass Deportation,” signature exhibits like "Uprooted" and “California Indians," plus interactive discovery carts and docent-led experiences throughout the day! No registration required.

🚌 Need a ride? Travel FREE to and from the Museum with SacRT on August 30 only. Learn more at CaliforniaMuseum.org/Community

📍1020 O St. Sacramento, CA

Taken on this day in 1933, this photograph captures the San Francisco waterfront during the early stages of construction...
08/29/2026

Taken on this day in 1933, this photograph captures the San Francisco waterfront during the early stages of construction of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

The California State Archives’ Department of Public Works records contain an extensive collection of photographs documenting bridges, highways, and infrastructure projects that transformed California’s communities and landscapes.

Nearly a century later, these images allow us to see California as it looked while the state we know today was still taking shape.

Map of the Month: Plan of San Joaquin City, 1850 (MC2:4-25) Our featured map for August reflects an early attempt to dev...
08/28/2026

Map of the Month: Plan of San Joaquin City, 1850 (MC2:4-25)

Our featured map for August reflects an early attempt to develop a city from scratch during the California Gold Rush.

San Joaquin City was established in late 1849 along the west bank of the San Joaquin River, south of present-day Tracy and Manteca. The town became an important stopping point for miners traveling to the southern mines, especially after a ferryboat crossing called Durham Ferry opened just north of the town in 1850. As the town quickly grew, residents believed it might one day rival Stockton.

While many Gold Rush towns quickly disappeared, San Joaquin City endured as inland shipping point for riverboats transporting grain farmed in the western San Joaquin Valley. Although this 1850 city plan was not developed initially, the city was laid out in a similar fashion in 1869. The city continued to grow until around 1879, when the new railroad service from Martinez to Fresno reduced river traffic in the area.

The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad on the valley’s west side, combined with a change in the course of the San Joaquin River, ultimately contributed to the city’s decline in the early 20th century. Durham Ferry is now the location of an outdoor education center operated by San Joaquin County.

Despite mold and insect damage, the map itself has an equally interesting journey. It was discovered inside a business letter book belonging to Elias Grimes, who spent time in California during the 1840s. That volume eventually made its way to the Hawaii State Archives, which later donated the map to the California State Archives.

http://gencat.sos.ca.gov/minerva/permalink-d.html?key=2283

In recognition of Women’s Equality Day, the California State Archives is proud to announce the launch of our newest onli...
08/26/2026

In recognition of Women’s Equality Day, the California State Archives is proud to announce the launch of our newest online exhibit, “In Relation to the Rights of Suffrage”: The 1911 Amendment for Women’s Voting Rights in California. This celebration of women's history bittersweetly coincides with our mourning for the passing of Dolly Parton. As an archive, we deeply value her huge contributions to literacy through her Imagination Library. It is also exceptionally fitting to celebrate women's suffrage alongside her legacy, as Dolly spent her life championing women’s advancement and even recorded a song honoring the 19th Amendment.

While Dolly advocated for women's rights through her music, our online exhibit pulls back the curtain on a chapter in California history that helped pave the way.

Women’s Equality Day commemorates the certification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which prohibited denying the right to vote based on s*x. But California’s path to women’s suffrage began years earlier.

In 1911, California voters approved a state constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote—nine years before the 19th Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution.

Drawing from records preserved at the California State Archives, the exhibit anchors California’s fight for women’s suffrage in the legislative history of the state amendment, while also showcasing the expansive legal activism, grassroots organizing, and political maneuvering that drove the movement. From a massive seven-foot constitutional petition to a historic joint resolution introduced by one of California’s first assemblywomen, the exhibit provides a firsthand look at primary sources that shaped the history of women's voting rights.

Explore the exhibit and discover the records behind California’s journey toward women’s suffrage.

https://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/s/In-Relation-to-the-Rights-of-Suffrage/page/title-page

08/26/2026

Honoring Dolly Parton, who showed us the power of kindness and using one’s voice for good.

When Pluto lost its official planetary status on August 24, 2006, it was a sad day for many space enthusiasts (and early...
08/25/2026

When Pluto lost its official planetary status on August 24, 2006, it was a sad day for many space enthusiasts (and early 2000s schoolchildren). However, archives have an uncanny knack for putting humanity’s cosmic timeline into perspective.

While today marks 20 years since Pluto’s demotion, the planet hadn’t even been discovered when this trademark was filed in 1886. Back then, astronomers recognized only eight planets. The central logo for "Golden State" tea features a striking planet evoking Saturn, whose rings were mapped in the 17th century. 🪐

As for Pluto? That distant little world wouldn't be spotted by astronomers until 1930! ✨🌌🔭

From the "Old Series" Trademarks collection, this record from the California State Archives was digitized through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, in partnership with The Friends of California Archives.

See the full item here: https://archives.sos.ca.gov/Items/Details/25676

For , we’re highlighting a powerful example that demonstrates how photographs can become invaluable historical records....
08/19/2026

For , we’re highlighting a powerful example that demonstrates how photographs can become invaluable historical records.

This album from the Ziegler Collection at the California State Archives documents the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, capturing damaged buildings, streets, and other scenes of devastation in San Francisco and Oakland. Some of the places captured in these images were permanently altered or destroyed, meaning these photographs may be the only surviving visual record of certain historic areas.

The photos were taken by Arthur Herman Ziegler, who was just 18 years old at the time. In addition to capturing these images, Ziegler responded to the event by distributing food to people whose lives were upended by the disaster.

More than a century later, his personal album reminds us that photographs do more than capture a moment; they preserve people, places, and events that might otherwise be lost to history.

🔎 Explore the complete album through California Revealed:
https://californiarevealed.org/do/4839333e-254f-410d-bdc8-95de6359c39c

Address

1020 O Street
Sacramento, CA
95814

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4pm
Friday 9:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+19166537715

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