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With Wicked Sacramento, historian William Burg probes the capital city’s indecent past
by Scott thomaS anderSon
scotta@newsreview.com
Historian William Burg’s new book tackles Sacramento’s seedy side. Photo courtesy of the history Press
Now that Wicked Sacramento is being There’s a little Jekyll and Hyde in every city, published by History Press, Burg is ready to and now a local historian is torch-lighting the discuss with the public what he learned about shadows that provided Sacramento so much his rebellious cast of real-life characters. intrigue during its heyday of vice. On June 25 at 7 p.m., Burg will be at the Later this month, William Burg will begin Sacramento Historical Society to focus on a public lecture series about his new book brothel queen Cherry de Saint Maurice, controWicked Sacramento, which delves into the versial jazz advocate Grant Cross and nightclub capital nightlife’s love affair with all manner owner and boxing manager Ancil Hoffman. of gambling, bootlegging, exotic drugs, Admission is $5 for nonmembers. political scandals and sex workers. On June 26 at 6 p.m., Burg will give a But the author said the purpose of his different lecture at the Lavender Library and exploration isn’t to titillate so much as show Cultural Exchange, this time focusing on local the kinds of abuses that happen when “civictransgender pioneer Tamara Rees. minded Sacramentans” try to hide impulses Then, on June 28 at 6 p.m., he’ll they don’t want others to see. appear at Capital Books at 1011 “People have this idea that K Street for a discussion of Sacramento was a bucolic gambling legend Frank farm town where nothing “Butch” Nisetich and his much happened, but the notorious Equipoise Cafe. more I looked at the Burg said that, as historic record, the with his book, a theme more I realized that will run through his just wasn’t the case,” lectures. Burg told SN&R. “Many of “We were always a Sacramento’s responses dynamic, energetic city. to these issues were part The intent of this project William Burg of what was then called is to write those people author, Wicked Sacramento ‘the progressive movement,’ who didn’t get into the but today would be considered history books back in.” racism, segregation and the end of Burg spent the last three years a neighborhood legacy,” he said. “So, balancing his time between research while there may have been a lot of vice, the city’s and his ongoing efforts as a historic preservationworst crime was its own racist policies.” Ω ist in the city. Burg’s earlier books—Sacramento Renaissance and Midtown Sacramento: Creative Soul of the City—have received stellar reader reviews on a host of platforms.
“The intent of this project is to write those people who didn’t get into the history books back in.”
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06.20.19
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SN&R
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