West Sacramento has a rich history that began sometime around the early 1840's. During that period a Flemish immigrant, John Swartz, became West Sacramento's first white settler to settle along the river front across from what is Old Sacramento. Later in 1849, Margaret McDowell became the first person to have this land surveyed and divided into township parcels. This township became known as Washington.
Unlike the city across the river, the West Sacramento area remained rural and dedicated to agriculture. In the late 1870's, growing hops proved to be an agricultural commodity. The Patwin, Chinese, and Japanese were to become the main source of labor for picking this crop.
By 1880 there were 1,555 residents living in Washington township. In 1914, this township was renamed Broderick. Between 1900 and 1920 the population of what is now the city of West Sacramento was nearly 2,638 inhabitants. Three distinct communities of cultural diversity began emerging during this era; Broderick, Riverbank (later becoming Bryte), and West Sacramento. Today, over 31,000 live in this community.
Broderick
Immigration from the America's mid-west and east, from England, Germany, other northern Europeans, Chinese, and some of the original town plat owners of Washington were the primary inhabitants of Broderick from the 1920's,
Riverbank/Bryte
In the same years this community was mostly comprised of Europeans [Italians, Portuguese, and Russians], and Asians [Japanese].
West Sacramento
This area was developed as a planned community in 1913 by the West Sacramento Land Company.
