The History of Folsom

Folsom's history goes way back to the days of the Nisenan Maidu Indians. They lived in this area for thousands of years. There was plenty of food here for the Indians. One of their staples was acorns. You can see the evidence of this near the Folsom Power House in the grinding rocks. The Indian communities began to disappear in the Gold Rush Era.
• In 1827, Jedediah Smith came into the picture. He led a group of trappers through this area, which came to the attention of John Sutter and William A. Leidesdorff. Leidesdorff was granted 35,000 acres along the American River in 1842. This was named "The Rancho Rio de los Americanos". This included the land on which Folsom is now located. He died in 1848.
• Gold was discovered in 1848, and as a result, mining camps sprung up all along the various rivers. Folsom, being one of those mining camps, had two big events happen in 1856. Joseph Folsom created "Granite City", had it surveyed and laid out by Theodore Judah, and 2,048 lots were sold. Shortly thereafter, the town was renamed after Joseph Folsom, who had passed away just one year before. He was only 38. The second big event in 1856, was the completion of the railroad to Folsom.
• The Chinese also had an influence on Folsom. The Chinese came to the area to look for their fortunes in gold mining. The Chinese knowledge and labor played a big role in the early mining activities. Folsom had its own Chinese community of 2,500 people. This included its own mayor, Oak Chan. He was their first mayor, who came to Folsom during the 1850's in his teens. Some of his descendants still live in Folsom. An elementary school was named after him in 1989.
• In 1860, the Pony Express arrived in Folsom, then the mail was transferred to a train. The Pony Express lasted 18 months.
• In 1862, Horatio Livermore began negotiations to build a dam and a prison in Folsom using convict labor.
• In 1880, the first 50 prison cells were completed, and 100 convicts were moved from San Quentin to Folsom. Click here to learn more about Folsom Prison.

Folsom Prison

• The city’s historic truss bridge was completed in 1893 to transport people, cattle and small vehicles across the American River. In 1917, the Rainbow Bridge opened to accommodate automobiles. Click here to learn more about the Rainbow Bridge. It was the only option for crossing the river until the Lake Natoma Crossing opened in 1999. Click here to learn more about Lake Natoma.
• In 1895, the Folsom Powerhouse had its first transmission of 22 miles using alternating current. Click here to learn more about the Folsom Powerhouse. The Powerhouse helped usher in the age of electricity with this notable accomplishment. The Powerhouse lies just a few miles below Folsom Lake and Folsom Dam. To learn more about Folsom Lake click here.
• Spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce in 1946, Folsom became a city. Click here to learn more about the Chamber of Commerce.
• In 1952, the Folsom Dam was begun. It was constructed by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. To learn more about Folsom Dam click here.
• To learn more about Folsom’s history, click here to visit the Folsom History Museum at 823 Sutter Street. For a plethora of information about the City of Folsom, click here to go the city web site.

Schools of Folsom

Folsom values education and offers the best at every level. Folsom schools are part of the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. Click here to learn more about the school district. Natoma Station Elementary School and Folsom Middle School have each earned the prestigious designation of “California Distinguished School.” Schools selected for these awards are strong, well-rounded community schools. There are 17 preschools, 19 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 22 private schools. Each of these public schools has met or exceeded statewide performance targets. A third high school, Vista Del Lago opened in Empire Ranch in fall 2007 and two new elementary schools opened to serve students in The Parkway and Empire Ranch. Empire Oaks is the elementary school that serves the Renaissance Foothills neighborhood with an API score of 928, which feeds into Folsom Middle School with an API of 903, which feeds into the Vista Del Lago High School with an API of 859.

Folsom's only public college is Folsom Lake College. It is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, meeting standards for education that are transferable to any other institution of higher education. The college is still expanding and is expected to accomodate up to 20,000 students.
For more information, visit the Folsom Lake College website by clicking here.

Folsom Lake College

Political Organization

Mayor Steve Miklos
The City of Folsom is a charter city, incorporated in 1946. Click here to read the City Charter. It has one mayor, one vice mayor, and three city council members. Click here for more information about the Folsom City Council. The city offers a wide array of city services for a population of over 70,000. It has its own police and fire department. It has a zoo, 37 parks, 26 miles of recreational trails, 3 swimming pools, 17 tennis courts, 20 baseball/softball fields, 14 soccer/multi-purpose fields, and 18 outdoor basketball courts. Click here for more information about the Parks & Recreation Department. Folsom has a public sewage system, storm drain system, and a water system. There is 1 hospital in Folsom. The city provides residential garbage, recycling, and hazardous waste collection. Electricity is provided by SMUD, and PG&E provides natural gas. The Renaissance Foothills neighborhood is covered by a Home Owners Association (HOA). The dues are approximately $100 per month which includes front lawn landscaping and use of the neighborhood clubhouse. This neighborhood is zoned for residential housing only, with a clubhouse. Vehicles must be able to be parked within the garage. Any landscaping changes, exterior painting, and building modifications must be approved by the HOA. Recreational equipment, toys, and garbage cans cannot be left outside in the front of the house for an extended period. No recreational vehicles can be parked on the street overnight. Click here to learn "Whats New" in Folsom. Click here for general planning and zoning information.

Competitive Matrix

In Renaissance Foothills, we have 12 single family homes for sale. Of those, 4 are listed by Keller Williams, 2 are listed by ReMax Gold, 1 by Century 21, and 1 by Coldwell Banker. The rest are listed by smaller companies from the area. Iona Meredith has 2 listings for Keller Williams and is considered one of the two specialists in the area. She mails out regular notices to inform residents about recent sales activity in the area. She has over 16 years experience, sales on average of 50+ properties annually, and emphasizes honesty, loyalty, and experience on her web site. Her production has placed her in the top 5% in Northern California. She has over 65 listings mostly in the Folsom area. She works with her husband as a team. She has extensive magazine and web marketing experience which brings many buyer leads her way and helps her get the homes sold quicker for top dollar! Her goal as a Realtor is to provide her clients with quality real estate experience and to build long-term relationships. The other specialist is Mike Reynolds and he also works for Keller Williams. Mike lives in Renaissance Foothills and is one of the original owners. He has been practicing here since May 2005. He has been getting regular listings here for some time. I met him last year when he was having an open house on another home. He is very outgoing, and is personable, friendly, and very knowledgeable about the area. Click here to go to Mike's web site. This is his only listing, and he works with his wife Lucy, as a team. Another one of the premier agents in the area is Jeff Hoffman. Click here to go to his web site.

Community Organizations

Lakeside Church of Folsom

There are over 30 churches located in Folsom. The three biggest churches in Folsom include Lakeside Church, Oak Hills Baptist Church, and St. John's Parish Catholic Church. Lakeside has been in Folsom since 1987, is very popular, and its campus of 28 acres holds 900 people in its worship center. Oak Hills has been in Folsom since 1984 and has a 16 acre campus on Blue Ravine. Oak Hills will tell you that a church is not defined by its building but by its people. Other churches include Episcopal, Presbyterian, Islamic, and the Church of Scientology. There are other churches too numerous to list. Click here for more information on churches in Folsom.
There are many clubs and community organizations in Folsom. There are 2 Lions Clubs in Folsom, and 1 Leo Club. The Leo Club, is the children's version of the Lions Club and is sponsored by the Lions Club. The Leo Club was started by my son, Derek. This is the first Leo Club in the history of Folsom, and Derek is the president. There are 16 members in the Club. They perform charitable activities such as used eyeglass collections for use by people in under-developed countries, and vitamin drives for HIV patients in Africa.

Derek and the Leo Club



The Lions Club supports many projects which include the annual Pancake Breakfast, vision exams and eyeglasses, Student Speaker Contest for scholarships, and they sponsor Club Scout Packs. Click here for more information about the Lions Club.

Another major club in Folsom is the Rotary Club. This club was started in 1953. It serves to improve life in the community, strengthening fellowship, and expand humanitarian reach though peace around the world. Click here for more information about the Folsom Rotary Club.
Folsom has a Chamber of Commerce, which began in 1946. Its function is to serve and grow the business community in Folsom. The signature events are the Folsom Pro Rodeo and Folsom Live. The chamber is located on Wool Street in Downtown Historic Folsom.

Housing Market

For a map of Renaissance Foothills click here.




Renaissance Foothills is located in Empire Ranch within the City of Folsom. Near the foothills of El Dorado, Renaissance Foothills is a wonderful living opportunity for families who want it all. These are beautiful homes in a contemporary neighborhood, with a convenient location close to shopping, golfing, bike trails, and Folsom Lake. Renaissance Foothills at Empire Ranch has taken inspiration from around the world to create this environment of dynamic architecture. This neighborhood offers a unique way of life for you and your family. The tile roofs and natural stone work were inspired by the Tuscany region of Italy itself. The French Country style home is also displayed here. This neighborhood of 324 tract homes was completed in 2003, by Renaissance Homes, a Lennar Company. Click here for an aerial view.
Exclusive to Renaissance Foothills residents is a spectacular 4,000 square foot clubhouse which offers a "members only" access to the outdoor pool. It has a workout facility and a lounge. Some people living here call this par for the course for Renaissance Foothills.

Speaking of par for the course, Renaissance Foothills is nestled within the Empire Ranch Golf Club. This is the one and only golf course in the city of Folsom. Click here to learn more about the Empire Ranch Golf Club.
The housing stock in Renaissance Foothills is 7-10 years old. Houses in this neighborhood were completed in 2002. The average price per square foot for homes in the neighborhood is $181. The median household income in the city of Folsom is $90,435 annually, as of 2006. The dominant architectural style is Tuscan, inspired by the Tuscany Region of Italy. The French Country, and Monterey style homes are also displayed here. There are currently 12 homes on the market. Houses range is size from 1688 square feet to over 3800. Prices range from $380,000 to over $600,000. Many of the homes are located on the golf course with views of the El Dorado Hills.

Commercial Development

Intel
Close to Renaissance Foothills, of course, is the Empire Ranch Golf Course. Just down the street is a small shopping mall anchored by Raley's Grocery Store, with several restaurants, miscellaneous shops, and a gas station. In the Folsom area we find many commercial establishments and more being added each year. With the economic downturn we lost a few, but in years to come growth will continue. For a list of restaurants and other retail outlets click here. The Folsom Auto Mall is still growing. A new Honda dealership just opened this year.
Folsom is very proud of its largest employer, Intel. With over 6,000 employees, Intel has been in Folsom almost 25 years, on its site of 236 acres. The Palladio Mall, on Iron Point Road, in Folsom is set to open, at least partially, this year. In all, there will be 18 Italian influenced retail buildings. Across the street from the new mall will be Kaiser Hospital. Once completed it will have a five story hospital on this sight.
The biggest impact on Folsom in terms of growth is the Sphere of Influence (SOI) located just south of Highway 50. This area of over 3400 acres will include 165 parks, 179 schools, 340 retail shops, and over 1100 new homes. Development was scheduled to begin in 2010, but with the economic downturn, it will most definitely be delayed. Click here for more information on the SOI.