Old Sacramento park renamed to honor pioneering woman business owner

Pioneer Park will be renamed Mary Gregory Park

Sacramento (May 1, 2024) The Sacramento City Council Tuesday voted to change the name of Pioneer Park on J Street in Old Sacramento to Mary Gregory Park in honor of an early Sacramento businesswoman who once owned the parcel.

The Center for Sacramento History said the name change is an important step toward recognizing the contributions of Gregory and other Gold Rush-era women whose role in the development of Sacramento has been largely overlooked.

Mary Eugenie Gregory, a native of England, settled with her husband in Sacramento in the 1850s. When her husband died, Gregory took over the retail stores they ran and greatly expanded by purchasing the building next door. In 1883 she bought four lots in Old Sacramento and constructed a large, three-story building that served as a trade hub to ship products across the United States on the newly built Transcontinental Railroad. She developed many other properties as well.