Locke Historic District | |
 The main street of Locke, in 2006, has some Chinese shops among habitations. | |
   | |
| Location | Bounded on the W by the Sacramento River, on the N by Locke Rd., on the E by Alley St., and on the S by Levee St., Locke, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°15′2″N 121°30′34″W / 38.25056°N 121.50944°W |
| Area | 14 acres (5.7 ha) |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architectural style | Woodcutter’s Gothic vernacular similar to other gold rush towns in the region. [HABS 1986]. Five of the approximately 36 remaining buildings have shiplap strake siding, a popular construction material from 1870 to 1910. |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000174[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 06, 1971[1] |
| Designated NHLD | December 14, 1990[2] |
Locke, also known as Locke Historic District, is an unincorporated community in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta of California, United States. The 14-acre town (5.7 ha) was first developed between 1893 and 1915 approximately one mile north of the town of Walnut Grove in Sacramento County.
Locke is a primarily agricultural community near State Route 160, south of Sacramento. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1990 as a unique example of a historic Chinese American rural community.[2] The population as of 2021 was estimated to be about 100, with Chinese Americans no longer forming the majority.[3]
The village of Lockeport (shortened to "Locke" in 1920) began where the Sacramento Valley Railway and Union Pacific Railroads merged at the southwest corner of the 490-acre swampland parcel (200 ha) deeded on July 6, 1883, to founder, George W. Locke, and his mercantile business partner, Samuel P. Lavenson. Both men were lured in their youth by the California Gold Rush.
After a fire destroyed the Chinatown of nearby Walnut Grove in 1915, many Chinese immigrants from the town resettled in and further developed Locke. Chinese-owned businesses were established, along with a Chinese language school. The town continued to thrive as a Chinese American agricultural community until after World War II, when younger residents begin leaving the town for better educational and employment opportunities in urban centers.[4]
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "Locke Historic District". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
- ^ Sze, Kristen. Road trip to Locke: Uncovering Chinese American history in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, KGO-TV, 24 May 2021.
- ^ Locke Historic-District, CA, National Park Service