Overview

The site of the first Sacramento Union newspaper offices was about a block from the eastern banks of the Sacramento River.

Building History

This building served as the first offices of the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper, first published on 03/19/1851 by a physician Dr. John F. Morse (1815-1874). Despite great competition during the Gold Rush days, the Sacramento Union survived until 1994.

The Library of Congress described the Sacramento Union's early years: "Born of an advertising war between the Sacramento Transcript and the Daily Placer Times the first issue of the Daily Union included a promise that advertisements will always be inserted upon the most liberal terms, and featured thirteen columns of ads out of the total twenty-four. Under the editorship of John F. Morse, the Daily Union quickly expanded beyond its initial 500-issue run. The paper’s publishers also moved rapidly beyond their original claim that, in politics, [the] paper will be neutral and independent, and in the second month of publication came out as firm backers of the Whig Party in California. Beyond politics, the paper sought to keep its concerns regional in service to the rapidly growing city of Sacramento and its mining and agricultural communities. The paper was often referred to as the miner’s bible." (See Library of Congress.gov, "The Record-Union (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903," accessed 02/07/2024.)

Demolition

This first office building for the Sacramento Union burned in a large Sacramento fire of 11/02/1852. A more fire-resistant brick Sacramento Union Building #2 was erected on the same site by 1853.

PCAD id: 24972