What was Sacramento most curious about in 2023? Here are 5 of our favorite reader questions
Since launching Bee Curious in 2022, The Sacramento Bee has dived into the region’s mysteries, investigating everything from a forgotten Chinatown to an obscure highway sign.
Bee Curious is a community-driven series where reporters answer reader questions — from the mundane to the top of mind — about the Sacramento region.
I’m Hanh Truong, a service journalism reporter at The Bee, and I’ve been leading this project since its inaugural story about modern-day gold miners. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to meet community members and delve into local history.
Over the past year, The Bee answered a variety of inquiries — figuring out what the tower by V and 49th streets in Sacramento is used for, to seeing whether there were actual orchards in Orangevale and Citrus Heights and finding out if progress has been made on the California Capitol Annex Project.
Here are some of my favorite Bee Curious stories of 2023:
Chinatown’s history and its hope for renewal
“Does Sacramento have a Chinatown like San Francisco or Oakland?” a reader asked Bee Curious.
It did.
If you took a stroll in downtown Sacramento in the 1940s or 1950s, you would have entered the city’s sprawling Chinatown. You’d have your choice of dining at Hong King Lum on I Street or China Star on Broadway, or visiting one of the many washhouses, gambling halls or grocery stores.
Now, the remnants of Sacramento’s Chinatown’s are confined to two square blocks between J and I streets and Third and Fifth streets — serving as a reminder of the Chinese-American history in Sacramento and its potential for revitalization in the future.
For this story, which was published in March, I studied “Images of America: Sacramento’s Chinatown” by Lawrence and Brian Tom and the Chinese American Museum of Northern California. I also spoke with local community leaders, advocates and city officials to find out first-hand experiences of Chinatown, understand its current state and learn what led to its deterioration
“This is the last thing they have,” Jong Chen, president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Sacramento, told me. “No matter what happens we got to make this one last for generations to come.”
What is Sacramento’s connection to Ocean City, Maryland?
If you’ve cruised the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 East and Interstate 80, you might’ve seen an iconic mileage sign answering a question you didn’t know you wanted to know: How far is Ocean City, Maryland, from West Sacramento?
It’s about 3,073 miles, according to the sign.
“Why does our freeway show where Ocean City, Maryland, is by West Sacramento?” a reader asked Bee Curious.
The sign is cemented in the region’s lore as a mystery, a mecca and a reminder of home.
In 2002, tourists from Baltimore, Maryland, made the trek to take a photo with the sign for their honeymoon.
Not only does the sign spark curiosity among drivers, but its novelty also results in it getting swiped by thieves multiple times.
READ MORE: “Why does Highway 50 road sign point Sacramento drivers to Maryland? Bee Curious answers”
What are those orange cables on Highway 99
Anytime you’re driving around the Sacramento area, you might catch yourself asking: What is that?
Two readers took to Bee Curious to ask about bright orange stems sprouting from the dirt paths on Highway 99 by south Sacramento.
“If you drive Hwy 99 West,” Ruthann Biel said in an email to The Bee, “anywhere from Elk Grove to the 50/80 interchange past 12th Avenue, you will see the orange tubes by the side of the freeway, often with signs that say ‘Open trench.’ ”
Sergio Ochoa Sánchez, spokesman for Caltrans’ District 3, solved the mystery — identifying them as conduits used for fiber optics.
READ MORE: “What are the orange cables sprouting off Highway 99 in South Sacramento? Bee Curious answers”
Why is there a mural of Johnny Cash in downtown Sacramento?
Downtown Sacramento is full of colorful murals, and one caught a reader’s eye.
“What is the history of the Johnny Cash mural on the building near 16th (and) L?” they asked Bee Curious.
One side of the 15-story Residence Inn by Marriott is splashed in bright orange, red and yellow paint depicting a portrait of country singer and songwriter Johnny Cash.
According to a Bee report from 2018, Cash’s gaze in the painting points toward Folsom State Prison, the site of one of the country star’s most famous performances in 1968. His concert at the prison was recorded and later released as an album, “Live at Folsom Prison.”
The mural is part of the 2018 Wide Open Walls Festival, a mural event that promotes bringing art to Sacramento buildings, according to Visit Sacramento.
READ MORE: “Why is there a mural of singer Johnny Cash in downtown Sacramento? Your question, answered”
What happened to World War II fighter plane along I-80?
A model of a P-51 Mustang World War II-era fighter plane was once perched by the former Holiday Inn at 5321 Date Ave.
“What happened to the WWII era airplane (P-51 Mustang?) that was atop the hotel along I-80 at about Madison Ave?” a reader asked.
Now a Wyndham Hotel, the fighter plane is gone and its current status is unknown.
The aircraft was an ode to Chuck Yeager, a longtime Grass Valley resident and World War II fighter pilot known for being the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound in 1947.
Its display was a part of the hotel’s multimillion-dollar makeover in 1999 that included an expansive interior lobby, a convention area, a business center with computers and Internet access and two new restaurants.
After about four years, the plane was grounded due to structural issues and was last reported in 2003 to be in an enclosure behind the hotel.
The Bee is still looking for updates on where the aircraft is now.
READ MORE: “World War II plane dedicated to Chuck Yeager vanished from I-80 view. What happened to it?”
The Bee will be answering your questions in 2024. Send your questions about the Sacramento region in the form below or by emailing beecurious@sacbee.com.
