Elk Grove was the first city to be chartered in the State of California at the beginning of the 21st Century. Since it's charter, it has grown steadily with a flood of new retail and restaurants. It is situated about 15 miles southeast of Sacramento, and consists of 42 square miles with a population of 153,000. Based on the information passed down from a few original Elk Grove families, the name "Elk Grove" does in fact come from the elk that used to roam the area when people first settled. It reminded John Hall of the elk that roamed in Elk Grove, Missouri.
Elk Grove dates back to 1850, when it was established by an English family that came by the California-Oregon Trail led by John Hall, Elk Grove's founder. Their mark is left by a reconstructed building in Elk Grove, the first known structure built in the area in the mid-1800s (Pictured below). Hall built a Stage House, which was a stop on the Historic Monterey Trail, and was considered the finest stop between Stockton and Elk Grove at the time. This building was demolished in 1957 during the Highway 99 expansion, and was rebuilt in the 1980s as a replica, which now serves as a museum of the Elk Grove Historic Society which started in 1976.
The reconstructed Elk Grove Stage House, originally built by John Hall
For about a century, Elk Grove was mainly agriculture, including wineries, fruits and vegetables, and cattle. The original hang out was "Bob's Club," which still exists today as one of a few bars in Old Town. In the 50's and 60's, the population started to grow as well as businesses such as social clubs, restaurants, grocery stores, and car dealerships. Pictured below are views to the east and west along what is today known as Elk Grove Blvd.
Looking east along Main Street (Elk Grove Blvd)
Looking west along Main Street (Elk Grove Blvd)
Elk Grove Blvd today
Fast forward several years later to the 1980s, Elk Grove really started to grow in size. The next ten years involved large developments and growth in infrastructure. By the late 90s, the town had grown immensely, and in 2000 Elk Grove received it's city charter. Now 10 years of being a city, Elk Grove has come a long way and is starting to settle in and become a very well-established city for all types of people. Below is a graph of the sustained population growth Elk Grove has seen over the past decade.
Elk Grove's population plotted between the years 2001-2010
