Rogue's Gallery, The Next Round of the Wanted Poster by Denise M. Colby

The Original Wanted Poster

In the Old West (1700 to early 1800’s) the wanted poster communicated to local lawmen that a criminal was at large. They were issued by sheriffs, state officials, or the military. Possibly with a drawing or description, unless you knew details, it made it difficult to track them down.

These bulletins didn’t go out to the public or were posted publicly. There were a tool used by local law enforcement in all sizes of towns and cities. They shared this information by mail or stagecoach (pony express too), and later by telegraph or wire and would be reproduced locally (especially if it was urgent).

With the invention of the railroad (and with it railway robbers) they too would send out bulletins, or hire agencies such as the Pinkerton Detective Agency (because if they couldn’t keep their passengers safe, who would want to ride a train?).

 

Rogue's Gallery - A New Improved Version

In 1855, Allan Pinkerton saw a need and created the The Rogue’s Gallery. It incorporated an actual photograph of the person along with more specific details. A step up from the original wanted poster.

They images were made with cheap photography mounted on card stock to capture what the criminals looked like, making it easier to identify them. Many of these criminals were bank robbers, railroad bandits, and other more localized criminals. These images were distributed to sheriffs throughout the west in a booklet.

By 1870, the agency had built the largest collection of mugshots in the world. (Although the term mugshot wasn’t used until later). The Rogue’s Gallery included a card on the back of the photograph that had detailed information related to physical descriptions, methods of how the rogue operated, hiding places, and any associates of the criminals. It might list distinguishing marks on the person, aliasas, and much more.

It was the most extensive early database around. By 1895, the Rogue’s gallery had grown to over 1500 photographs.

 

Examples of Rogue's Gallery 

I found this picture online of a printed book that was up for auction. It shows how a book looked, and gave an idea of how it could be distributed.

 

I also found a photograph of a permanent fixture In New York City, where they mounted on large wooden boards all the cards, similar to how one would look through posters at a store to purchase.

The website page where I found it is called The Rogue’s Gallery.

Reference to the Rogue's Gallery

In my book, A Whole New Plan, the local sheriff of Washton has the cards from the Rogue’s Gallery up on the wall and Lydia points out one of the criminals listed there as the person who she is trying to capture. She then shares she’s a part of the Pinkerton Agency. It was a fun way to put in this tidbit of history.

Book 4 in the Best-laid Plans Series releases May 26, 2026

California, 1870. Pastor William Baker built his life on steady faith and safe choices, but the arrival of Lydia Spencer upends everything. Independent and outspoken Lydia is unlike any woman he’s ever known. Lydia is a Pinkerton detective, undercover as a schoolteacher while tracking a dangerous crime boss. She’s determined to protect her friends in Washton even if it means keeping her distance from the kind, steadfast pastor who sees too much. But when Will and Lydia are thrown together in a search for truth they find themselves fighting not only for justice, but for a future neither had planned.

Denise M. Colby writes historical romance sweetened with faith, hope, and love. She finds history fascinating and contemplates often how it was to live in the 1800's. Her debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, is a 2025 Carol Award finalist. Sign up for her newsletter at www.denisemcolby.com or follow Denise on Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Pinterest, or GoodReads.

The Original Town of Washington, California by Denise M. Colby

County map of California, 1860, by S.A. Mitchell, Jr., Atlas map

There was a town called Washington located across the Sacramento River from Sacramento City. It was never officially recorded and the town became later known as Broderick, a suburb of West Sacramento.

Early History

It originally was a land grant from the Mexican Governor to John Schwartz. John had built a shack along the river six miles south of where the American and Sacramento Rivers converge. He and his brother had established a salmon fishery there, then expanded to raising livestock and growing potatoes and melons.

The 600 acres was purchased by James McDowell in 1846 (before the Gold Rush in 1848). He and his wife, Margaret, and their three daughters (I’ve also read there were five children in a different report) lived there. James died by being shot in a saloon brawl in 1849.

In order to survive, Margaret McDowell took in boarders, but it wasn’t enough. Then she realized how valuable her land was. She hired a surveyor to map out 160 acres, which was then divided into 41 blocks. She named it the Town of Washington. Rumor has it she formed the town on Washington’s birthday and thus the name. Since there wasn’t an official registry, it’s possible she named it on the day of sale for the first plot, which sold for $500.

On it’s way to longevity in the 1850s

Whatever the date, the Town of Washington thrived for more than ten years. Businesses included a shipping company, hotels, saloons, restaurants. Fishing and farming were a staple as well. Washington was the pivotal destination from Sacramento for those traveling further west, or for those traveling East before crossing the river to Sacramento.

The Pony Express would deliver their parcels to Sacramento, then put it on a barge that traveled down river to San Francisco. On the few occasions they would miss the barge, they would travel by ferry to Washington, then follow the established wagon trail route from Washington down to Vallejo (I actually use this route in my 3rd book No Plan at All). 

It’s been said that a town is official once it establishes a post office. Washington gained one in April 1854, but it burnt down two years later and was never rebuilt. They had to go to Sacramento to get their mail after that. On a side bar, there is another town called Washington (located northeast of Sacramento in Yuba County) formed in 1850 (and most likely recorded). This other Washington is only 1.9 square miles and received a post office in 1862. I’m making an assumption here, but it is probably the reason Margaret’s Town of Washington never had a new post office because no two towns named the same can have a federal post office. When the town was renamed to Broderick, then it received a new post office in 1893.

Margaret (now with her third husband) donated land to form a school district in 1856. Named the Washington Unified School District, which still exists today.

Factors causing Washington to falter in the 1860s

The area flooded. I wrote about this in an earlier post about all the flooding in Sacramento. This caused the government to move several times between San Francisco and Sacramento. In 1851, the county seat (now called Yolo County) was relocated from Fremont to Washington. And for the next ten years, Washington was positioned to be considered for it permanently. Unfortunately the massive flood of 1862 (which caused Sacramento to “raise” their streets) made those voting for a permanent location to shy away from Washington, and they chose Woodland instead.

On top of that, Washington couldn't afford to raise their streets to prevent flooding like Sacramento did. They had to endure the flooding year after year (which I believe became worse once Sacramento raised its streets.

The final step in causing Washington’s demise was the railway bridge built in 1870. A train depot was built in 1868 in Washington which increased the amount of visitors and travelers. During this time, the only way to travel to Sacramento on this side of the river was by ferry. This made Washington a pivotal spot for travel by train from San Francisco, then ferry over to Sacramento to pick up the train there and vice versa.

 

1869 advertisement for train travel through Washington

(note that it was considered Sacramento)

However, there was so much competition between the railways that one rail company decided to build a railway bridge across the river in 1870. The tolls on the bridge ended up being cheaper than the ferry ride. This diverted traffic away from the town. Because passengers could now ride direct to Sacramento, they ended up bypassing Washington, and what was once a booming town filled with travelers, now saw a steady decline. 

All of these things impacted property values in the once-thriving community of Washington. In one report I read—it didn’t survive.

The community did to some extent, and it was renamed Broderick before the turn of the century. Then in early 1900 it was merged with two other communities to form what was called East Yolo, which then ultimately became the City of West Sacramento.

As I searched for a location to place my fictional town, I stumbled onto this settlement and it’s crazy history and it’s almost claim to fame. I think the words in the original research ‘did not survive’ had me wanting to form a fictional town with a different outcome. But I also didn’t want to confuse people with the name Washington since a Washington, California still exists today. So in honor of this small town, I chose the name Washton (and had my townspeople call it that as an abbreviated form of Washington).

I have loved finding old maps and studying the area. You can see the train tracks on this current map where the train depot in Washington once sat.

 

Current Google map showing once was Washington (across river from Sacramento)

the red circle highlights the train tracks built for the Washington depot 

With each story, I have expanded my town a bit or the surrounding area building on what I first started. In my fictional town there is currently one main street, one schoolhouse, one church, and the ranches north of town raise cows.

 

Best-laid Plans Series

Three young women. One new beginning. A journey of faith, friendship, and unexpected love. It’s 1869 and three young women travel to Sacramento, California, ready to begin new lives as teachers in the rural one-room schoolhouses of the West. But the plans they carefully laid soon give way to something far greater. As God gently redirects their paths, each woman discovers lessons in friendship, faith, and trust—and encounters the most surprising gift of all: love. (No Plan at all is a prequel story with side characters.)

 

Denise M. Colby writes historical romance sweetened with faith, hope, and love. She finds history fascinating and contemplates often how it was to live in the 1800's. Her debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, is a 2025 Carol Award finalist. Sign up for her newsletter at

www.denisemcolby.com or follow Denise on Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Pinterest, or GoodReads.

The Historic Sacramento One-Room Schoolhouse by Denise M. Colby

 

The one-room schoolhouse in Sacramento, California is a wonderful museum that sheds light on how schoolrooms operated in the 1800s.

At one time, fourth grade classes could sit in a reenactment. I was fortunate to attend it twice with m first two son's field trip. One was inside the actual schoolhouse, another was underneath the city (I wrote about how Sacramento built on top of itself in last months post).

In both instances, they had all the kids sit through a lesson as it would’ve been taught in the 1860s. Boys on one side, girls sat on the other. If you answered a question, a student must stand. Reciting was a main part of the lesson. There was even a dunce cap in the corner.

 

My son's class sitting in the one-room schoolhouse

 

In these two photos the teacher is showing the boys how to stand and bow appropriately

 

It really was an immersive experience.

And is quite a special memory. My writing journey began here, on that first field trip. Even though I had visited multiple times, this visit to Old Town Sacramento and the one-room schoolhouse birthed an idea. But it wasn’t until the second trip with my second son, did I actually act on it.

What would it be like to be a teacher during that era? How did she keep order? Implement the discipline?

 

 What a schoolteacher would've worn during this time.

The setup on our visit included tables with era related things to purchase. One sheet highlighted all the rules a teacher must follow including how to cut the pencil tips. Other instructions included:

 

These rules were posted on the wall inside the schoolhouse

Another parchment listed out how many lashings a student would receive for any of the following infractions. When you read this list, you realize that many of these rules wouldn’t fly today.

 

The schoolroom is a permanent fixture in Old Town Sacramento. Recently I learned that they have not been doing the reenactment classes since COVID. That’s a shame, as I believe the hands on experience gives students an example of how different people lived over a century ago. 

At least they can still visit the classroom and learn about it from the docents who still work it. 

 

 

Best-laid Plans Series

Three young women. One new beginning. A journey of faith, friendship, and unexpected love. It’s 1869 and three young women travel to Sacramento, California, ready to begin new lives as teachers in the rural one-room schoolhouses of the West. But the plans they carefully laid soon give way to something far greater. As God gently redirects their paths, each woman discovers lessons in friendship, faith, and trust—and encounters the most surprising gift of all: love. (No Plan at all is a prequel story with side characters.)

 

Denise M. Colby writes historical romance sweetened with faith, hope, and love. She finds history fascinating and contemplates often how it was to live in the 1800's. Her debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, is a 2025 Carol Award finalist. Sign up for her newsletter at

www.denisemcolby.com or follow Denise on Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Pinterest, or GoodReads.

 

Sacramento, California Origins and How They Dealt with Floods by Denise M. Colby

I’m very excited to be joining the HHH blog. I’ve been a follower for many years because I love history. Now I will be contributing each month and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. As this is my first blog post, I wanted to share a little about myself, and why I chose this as my first topic.

My name is Denise M. Colby. Born and raised a Californian, I was fortunate to travel up and down this vast state as both a child and adult visiting musuems and towns learning about our rich history. I currently live in southern California, but grew up in the northern part of the state near the state capital of Sacramento, which is where my stories are set.

I love visiting Old Town Sacramento as it feels like a page out of the history books. Even as a kid, I found the stories about why the boardwalks were so high off the ground fascinating. So I thought I would start with a little Sacramento, California history and the flooding the city endured early on.


Sacramento Origins

John Sutter established the original Sacramento city in 1839. He picked the location for his trade business because it was situated near a massive river, making it perfect for trade. The city grew quickly, partially due to the Gold Rush.

Because it was a booming city, it became the state capital in 1854, after going back and forth between San Jose, Vallejo, Benicia (due to flooding and other reasons). Later it moved for one year to San Francisco (due to more flooding) before a more permanent resolution took place in 1863.

a post from the Sacramento History Museum's Instragrams page highlights the 1862 flood that prompted change

(and moved the government to San Francisco for the rest of the year)

Flooding was a problem

The river (called The Sacramento River) flooded several times (1850, 1852, and 1862) wiping out the city each time. They rebuilt, but they couldn’t afford it to flood again. So they came up with several ideas on how to fix the problem.

The main solution? Build up.

And that’s exactly what they did. A massive project which never had been done before. They started with the streets and boardwalks, using bricks and filling in the spaces with dirt. A lot of dirt. Thousands of cubic yards of dirt, brought in by the wagon full.

Then they lifted the buildings. Or some of them. They gave building owners options. Lift your building up a floor, or turn your second story into your first floor.

How did they raise a building? Small jacks and a lot of man power. I read a report that it took forty days to raise one building.

For those that didn’t raise their building, the original doors and entryways were covered with brick to seal it up tight so no water would get in. Then those who lifted their building had their first floor even with the second floor of another.

I took this picture on a trip in 2013 - notice the different heights of the buildings

There were other solutions implemented as well including building levees and redirecting the flow of the rivers that fed into the Sacramento River. But I’ll share those details in a future post.

If you are interested, I found a small video snippet from Bartell's Backroads of this history on YouTube titled Sacramento's hidden history.

Visiting Old Town Sacramento today

If you ever have the chance to visit, there are some buildings that are three stories and some that are only two. A complete mix. And because it was done by hand, no two buildings are raised exactly to the same height. Which is why the boardwalks had to be set up so high from the street in some places so that it reached the doorways. This is also the reason you might have to step down into some of the stores as well.

And the doorways? Some of them are quite large. That’s because the buildings that weren’t raised, now had their taller second story doors (that were for ventilation, light, or for moving larger equipment) as their first floor doors. And the wooden boardwalks built in front of the storefronts had to accomodate the highest entryway, so there is a massive step up in some spots.

All in all, it took almost fifteen years to raise the town somewhere between ten and fifteen feet. And all this variety is one of the reasons Old Town has such a unique charm to it. 

Screenshot of the Old Town Map taken from the website years ago (not sure of year and not able to find it today)

I use this to help me figure out streets and buildings in my stories.

Visitors can walk the wooden boardwalks and cobblestone streets and take an underground tour of buildings they’ve dug up and exposed. There’s a lot to see. Taken from the website because it states it best: In the mid-1960s, a plan was set forth to redevelop the area and through it, the first historic district in the West was created. Today, with 53 historic buildings, Old Sacramento has more buildings of historic value condensed into its 28 acres than most areas of similar size in the West. Registered as a National and California Historic Landmark, the properties in the district are primarily owned by private owners, with individual businesses leasing shops and offices.

If you’d like to learn more about old town Sacramento, you can go to the website and look at their page on its history. I’m having fun incorporating many of these historical points (including a fictional flood) in my stories as my characters walk around Sacramento in 1869 and 1870.

When Plans Go Awry - Book 1 in the Best-laid Plans Series

Olivia Carmichael flees her past to become the schoolmarm in the small ranching town of Washton. Luke Taylor chose a mail-order bride to help care for his sisters, but the beautiful new teacher unsettles his carefully laid plans. As Olivia’s resolve is tested and Luke’s expectations unravel, the meddling town—and its infamous rooster—help them discover God’s plans are better than their own.

When Plans Go Awry is a 2025 Carol Award Finalist in the Debut Category.

Denise M. Colby writes historical romance sweetened with faith, hope, and love. She finds history fascinating and contemplates often how it was to live in the 1800’s. Her debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, is a 2025 Carol Award finalist. Sign up for her newsletter at www.denisemcolby.com or follow Denise on Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Pinterest, or GoodReads.