Sacramento City Scenes, 1953 

I really enjoyed this one. The only thing that would have made it better would have been someting on screen explaining what area of Sacramento we're looking at.

Got quite a shock when I saw my grand-father in one portion of this video.

I love recordings of history. What life looks like in places.

I first stepped foot in Sacramento off the California Zephyr at the 19th St. Union Pacific station in 1955.

that neon "The BEE" sign at the beginning would look nice at Golden 1 Center! I wonder if they still have it.

Year I was born. Love these.

Since KCRA-TV didn't actually go on the air until September 1955, anything purported to be shot in 1953 by them would be anachronistic. One could say that KCRA radio staff went around town filming various scenes for some reason, although it's difficult to see a radio crew filming various scenes around town for a TV station that didn't exist. While KCRA, Inc. (KCRA Radio's owners, Gene Kelly and the Hansen Brothers) WAS trying to get the Channel 3 license in Sacramento in 1953, one also has to remember that KCRA Radio's owners had stiff competition from 2 other Sacramento radio stations. The chief competitor was Lincoln Dellar, who was trying hard to get that precious Channel 3 license for KXOA-TV (and came VERY close to getting it); the other competitor was Harmco, Inc., owners of KROY. So, just who would get that Channel 3 construction permit was so up in the air in 1953, no one could possibly know who eventually would get it. In fact, it wasn't until April 1955 that FCC Examiner Thomas Donahue recommended KCRA's bid over the other two that the tables would start to turn and look like KCRA would finally get it. So, in 1953, someone shooting footage for a TV station whose very existence was still in question is highly unlikely. So if this footage WAS in fact shot in 1953 and not a later year, my guess is that staff from KCRA Radio either shot this footage, or more likely, KCRA management commissioned this footage to be shot for KCRA Radio Promotional purposes.

Wonderful music. Thanks for posting

California 🌴 😎 🌞 🐻

When there were people living here that had some "class".

I wonder if I interacted with older versions of these people while living in Sacramento from 84 to the present? Most of these places I can't recognize or geographically place though. I do recognize the preview guide channel music at the end of the video though lol.

I never knew people could walk diagonally across the intersection at one time. (21:54). There no way we could do that today(2021).

Interesting to see people struggling around 7 minutes in. You never see this in old film footage of cities and towns.

Thank you for posting pictures of Sacramento. I’m looking for information, pictures, and/or videos of the gasoline station that used to be at 1501 L Street in the ‘40’s and ‘50’s. I think it was a Sinclair Station. That would be kitty corner from Capitol Park on the North East corner of 15/L. Do you have any information on this station?

Was that hwy 160?

Ouch! The very first photo.... Fresno City Hall. Oops!

Where were all these shacks?

From this film one would believe that Sactown might be a good place to live, but just compare these scenes then to what it has degraded down to now, HOMELESS capital of the world. Can you say "Ghetto" ?

Yup‼ G-G (🪶)