Mary A. Helmich will discuss her new book, A Legacy in Brick & Iron: Sacramento’s Central & Southern Pacific Railroad Shops, co-authored with Kevin V. Bunker. The book, which describes the history of the Central and Southern Pacific Railroad shops before the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, focuses on the complex’s wide variety of industries, innovations, and jobs performed by railroad workers, capturing the evolution of the city’s industry and the implications of this history beyond the Sacramento region.

Interpreting and preserving California’s past for present and future generations has been a focus of Mary A. Helmich’s personal and professional life for more than 40 years. While at the California State Archives for ten years and California State Parks for twenty-six, she researched, planned and developed exhibits, and authored interpretive plans, histories, reports and web content; she continues to consult on history-related projects and programs.