Living Large in the Delta: Connecting Post-Gold Rush Sacramento with San Francisco Luxury Trends

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Life and Death in the San Francisco Bay: Multi-Disciplinary Approaches to Historic Lifeways", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 marked a transition point for the transport of goods away from steamship via San Francisco and towards direct links with New York and Boston. The Enterprise Hotel site, dating from the late-1860s to early-1880s, and located along Sacramento’s historic waterfront, comprised residences and businesses, including two brothels and a tin shop. Luxury items found in a privy provide a window into the consumption habits of residents, business owners, and patrons alike. We consider what luxury items discovered at the Enterprise Hotel site can reveal about the shifting influence of San Francisco trends at a time when goods from the East Coast became more directly available. We explore the role of consumables including various beverages and personal care products as potential indicators of changes to taste and distribution.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Life and Death in the San Francisco Bay: Multi-Disciplinary Approaches to Historic Lifeways

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow