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In the late 1800's, Antelope was the only significant settlement in the Center Township, an area bounded on the North by the Placer county line, on the East by what is now Sunrise Blvd., on the South by the American River, and on the West by the line along 20th St in Rio Linda south to Ethan Way in the Arden-Arcade area. The population of the entire township in 1880 was about 400 people.
Established in the mid-1800s by Chinese immigrants who worked for the railroad, Antelope began its humble existence as a bedroom community. The workers thrived and enjoyed their boomtown in an era where neighborhoods were the essence of the community. But never being at the center of commerce, the Antelope railroad workers eventually moved to the next county and helped root Roseville as a viable city.
The Antelope that was left behind eventually became merely a place rather than a community. Tucked away at the northern edge of Sacramento County, Antelope's longest boundary is still against the Placer-Sacramento County line and is nestled against the Southern Pacific Railroad lines just south of the Roseville switching yard.
Sacramento County has grown up around Antelope whose soft hills seem to act as a buffer against the rise from the south. Sacramento County has literally grown up to Placer County line; but the south-western corner of Placer County is still undeveloped acreage that provides a view to the foothills of Rocklin and beyond. While the view south offers glimpses of the Sacramento skyline and McClellan Air Force Base, the view north displays golden hills and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada.
Today Antelope is still the bedroom community of old. But unlike the railroad workers who played cards on Poker Lane, the residents now commute to Roseville, Sacramento, Davis and the Bay Area. Where housing lots border cattle-land, Antelope enjoys the feeling of identity and community togetherness.
On April 28, 1973, Antelope consisted of a post office, general store and a half-dozen homes - a place hardly worthy of notice. However, at 8:03 a.m., a rail car loaded with aircraft bombs exploded in the southern part of the Roseville switch yard removing all traces of Antelope. The train was headed for Port Chicago in Contra Costa County and among its manifest were 7,000 Mark 81 aircraft bombs (250 lbs each) and tanker cars carrying liquefied petroleum. The blasts from the Southern Pacific yard were felt in downtown Sacramento where the state Capitol building was closed due to concerns of its dome shifting with the concussions.
Gov. Ronald Reagan declared a state of emergency for the surrounding area, but Antelope was reduced to charred wood and concrete slabs. No one was killed in the explosions, but the blast resulted in $7 million worth of damage to the rail yard, houses and businesses stretching from Roseville to North Highlands.
In the late 1990s, the Roseville Railyard, now under the ownership of Union Pacific, embarked upon a major remodel of the entire railyard. Miles of tracks and ties were removed and earth-moving equipment began to reshape the yard.
The bulldozers quickly began uncovering unexploded bombs left over from the 1973 accident. Over the course of the several months, the site was scanned, examined, declared safe, and then re-examined as bombs continued to be discovered.
The first few bombs discovered were detonated on-site sending a resounding boom that could be heard for miles around, and bomb fragments into the homes of Citrus Heights. As more bombs were discovered, and as angry residents complained about detonating the bombs, the remaining munition was transported to the Bay Area and transferred to a weapons-disposal company.
Finally declared safe, UP finished the railyard renovation and no new explosions have occurred - so far.
In May of 1993, the community of Antelope voted to be recognized as a community - complete with county recognition and its own zip code. At the time Antelope was only recognized as unincorporated Sacramento County, zip code 95842. The vote was overwhelming which stands as just one example of the community feeling of the neighbors. The US Post Office in Washington DC assigned the zip code 95843 and began to officially recognize it on July 1, 1994.
Learn more about this city
City of ANTELOPE, CA official site
City of ANTELOPE, CA chamber of commerce
City of ANTELOPE, CA general information
City of ANTELOPE, CA yellow pages
County of SACRAMENTO, CA official site
State of California official site