The Olden and the Golden
Trying to teach a sense of history to a four-year old is, in some ways, like talking in a foreign language to him. I think he gets the words, but when you put them together I’m not sure if the meaning is really understood. Still, I took my four and two year old to Old Sacramento recently in part because it was a short trip from our home, and in part to show them that there is more to Old Sac than just the awesome train museum.
We first stopped at the Old Schoolhouse. This is a one-room building built as the schoolhouses were in the 1800s. It has vintage desks and other school materials of the period, a pot-bellied stove, and a small outdoor area that contains two swings. Sometimes volunteers will dress in period costumes and “teach” lessons, but I have not had the opportunity to see that yet. I tried to help my son see the differences between schools that had kids of all ages coming together and schools of today, but since he has not yet entered kindergarten I can see where finding the contrast can be quite a reach. Later when we went home to recount our adventure to his father, he summed it up by saying that a long time ago, kids only had two swings to play on. I suppose for a four-year old, that’s the important stuff.
Next we walked along the Tower Bridge. This bridge was built in 1933, in response to the impending war. It replaced the “M Street Bridge” as a more sturdy exit for the city. Originally, the bridge could service cars, foot traffic, and trains. The train tracks have since been rerouted. The Tower Bridge’s bright golden color has been a source of some controversy. For years it was silver, but people complained about the glare off the bridge. In 2001, residents who lived within 35 miles of the bridge were given an opportunity to vote on the new color of the bridge. The choices were burgundy, green, silver and gold, or all gold. The majority vote was all gold, and in 2002 the bridge was repainted. After the completion of the new, bright-golden look, there was still much controversy about the bridge’s color. Regardless, the paint is expected to last for at least 30 years. Now this golden color, which symbolizes Sacramento’s link with the gold rush, has become a logo for many downtown businesses. Of course, for my two boys, none of this history was the least bit important. But having the chance to walk over the river, now that was golden.
