Bryte, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bryte
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 Bryte
Location in California
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Yolo County |
| Elevation | 23 ft (7 m) |
Bryte, once called Riverbank, is a former town in Yolo County, California. Today, it is part of West Sacramento. You can find Bryte just south of the Sacramento River. It is located in the eastern part of Yolo County. Bryte is about 23 feet (7 meters) above sea level. Its ZIP Code is 95605, and it uses area codes 916 and 279.
Contents
The Story of Bryte
Early Days as a Dairy Farm
Before Bryte became a town, the land was used for dairy farming. One of the first dairy farms in Yolo County started here in 1850. It was in areas that could flood, near the Sacramento River. Mike Bryte bought this land in 1853. He had moved from Ohio to California in 1850. He hoped to find gold during the California Gold Rush. Instead, he started a very successful dairy farm. He used steamships to send his dairy products to market. Mike Bryte became an important person in Sacramento. He served as a supervisor for Yolo County. He was also the sheriff for Sacramento County. Mike Bryte passed away in 1887.
Creating a New Town
In 1910, the Bryte ranch was sold for $150,000. It was bought by the West Sacramento Company. This company bought many large pieces of land in the area. They planned to improve the land and divide it into smaller farms. This process is called reclamation, which means making land suitable for use.
The next year, a developer named D.W. Hobson started selling land. He offered plots on 200 acres of the old ranch. These were home sites for a new town called Riverbank. Advertisements in local newspapers offered free rides to the area. Buyers could also pay $7.50 each month with no money down.
The Sacramento-Woodland Railway
The area would soon have a new train service. This was the Sacramento-Woodland Railway. It was an electric passenger train that ran between Sacramento and Woodland. Hobson imagined Riverbank as a commuter town. This meant people could live in Riverbank and travel to work in Sacramento.
In January 1912, work began on the town's streets. These included Sacramento Avenue, Hobson Avenue, and Riverbank Road. The railway started its first passenger service on July 4th, 1912. By the end of that year, 427 out of 565 lots had been sold.
Building the Community
The new residents of Riverbank quickly formed a group. It was called the Riverbank Improvement Club. They worked to get important things for the town. These included a school and mail delivery to homes. The Club met at the Riverbank general store. M. W. Powell opened this store in May 1913. The store also served as the town's library. The storekeeper's wife was the librarian.
In 1913, about forty children lived in Riverbank. They had to walk several miles to school in Broderick. The Hobson Company had set aside land for a school in 1912. But a school district was not officially created until January 1914. In May 1914, people voted to approve $10,000 for a school. Architect John Woodward Woollett designed the school. His plans showed a beautiful building in the Mission Revival style. It had twin towers, tiled roofs, and arched walkways. However, this design was too expensive. The building that was actually built looked different. Some residents were upset about this. The school opened on September 7, 1912, with 37 students.
A New Name for the Town
In September 1914, the Improvement Club decided to ask for a post office. Their earlier request for mail delivery had been denied. This was because the roads were in poor condition. The town agreed to fix the roads. They also agreed to change the town's name. This was to avoid confusion with another town named Riverbank in Stanislaus County. The name "Bryte City" was chosen. This was because the Bryte family was still important in the area. The post office was finally approved on March 11, 1915.
