SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When Leland Stanford became California's governor in 1862, he needed a rowboat to carry him to the Capitol to be sworn in.
Sacramento's streets were flooded. In fact, much of California was. A 300-mile-long lake was created in the Central Valley from near Bakersfield to Red Bluff. At least 4,000 people were killed.
It was the largest flood in the recorded history of California, Nevada and Oregon, dumping 10 feet of water on this state over a 43-day period.
