The historic park will be called Black Miners Bar, the state Park’s and Recreation Commission said in a 7-0 vote.
The Associated Press reports the area is located at a sandbar on the shore of Lake Natoma, about 20 miles northeast of Sacramento. A staff report showed the name “Negro Bar” appears on maps, brochures, park signs and even the parks and recs website.
According to the website, the name is a reference to Black miners during the gold rush – including from an 1850 newspaper article noting Black miners finding gold at this location in 1848.
The parks department also said that in 1850, Black miners lived on campgrounds in the region and the nearby recreational area had 500 to 600 residents around that time.
The AP also reports that opponents of the area’s former name have organized to have it changed for several years, including an on-line petition that gathered more than 60-thousand signatures in 2018.