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The Elk Grove Historical Society had its beginnings in 1962 when four local women came together with the thought of preserving our rich heritage. The Historical Society was established in 1976 as the Bicentennial Committee to save the Rhoads School. Once the school was moved to Elk Grove Regional Park, saved and restored, the Bicentennial Committee became the Elk Grove Historical Society.
Our General Meetings, which usually include a speaker to give a talk regarding the history of the area, are held on the third Monday of each month. The meetings are held at various locations, information may be found on the web site under News and Upcoming Events or in the newsletter. The General Meeting begins at 6:30 pm.
Our Board of Directors meetings are held the second Monday of each month at 4 pm at the Elk Grove House & Stage Stop Museum.
What We Do
We currently operate the Elk Grove Heritage Park and the Rhoads School. Elk Grove Heritage Park currently contains two buildings open to visitors; the reconstructed 1850 stage stop now called the Elk Grove House & Stage Stop Museum and the original San Joaquin Township Justice Court, the original jail and courthouse to serve Elk Grove and San Joaquin Township.
The original stage stop was built by James Hall, founder of Elk Grove, in 1850 and at the time was called Elk Grove House. The San Joaquin Township Justice Court is unique in that it holds the last two remaining cells from the original Sacramento County jail built circa 1850.
Also on the grounds of Heritage Park are the 1853 Foulks House, the oldest remaining residence in Elk Grove and the 1884 Reese School, one of the last one room schools in our area. Restoration of the Foulks has begun and restoration of the Reese School is set to begin. The foundation for the Foulks House has been poured and the house has been put down, ready for the next phase of the restoration.
The Rhoads School is a restored Prairie school that originally sat near Sloughhouse and provides school age children with a living history program of what school was like in the 1800s. Each day the school bell rings and a class of students spend a school day back in the late 1880s. They dress in period clothing, play period games and learn from the same books our ancestors used. The school is located just down the road from the Elk Grove Heritage Park in the middle of the beautiful Elk Grove Regional Park.
How To Find Us
We are located in Elk Grove, California. Our physical address is 9941 East Stockton Blvd. adjacent to the west entrance of Elk Grove Regional Park. From Highway 99 north, take the Grant Line Road exit and go east to East Stockton Blvd./Frontage Road. Continue north along this road until you come to the main west entrance to the park. Our parking lot is immediately on the left. From Highway 99 south, take the Elk Grove Blvd. exit and go east to East Stockton Blvd. Continue south along East Stockton Blvd. until you reach the main west entrance to the park and our parking lot is immediately on the left.
Hours of Operation
The Elk Grove Heritage Park is currently open to the public the first Saturday of each month from 12 noon until 4 pm and by appointment. We are also open for special events. Check our News & Events page for more details.
Our Research Library has an extensive collection of microfilm, books and family files regarding Elk Grove and the surrounding area. Our Research Library is now open by appointment only. Please call 685-8115.
The Rhoads School is open to the public two weekends a year, the first weekend in May and the first weekend in October and during the summer by appointment. The remainder of the year it is a working school open to visiting classes only. For more information call: 916-685-8115 or email us at eghs@elkgrovehistoricalsociety.com.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Elk Grove Historical Society is to promote public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of Elk Grove's history. This is done through educational and living history programs; discovering, collecting and preserving articles of historic value; establishing and maintaining a historical library; and advocating for the preservation of history material and properties in Elk Grove and the surrounding areas.
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