Cheryl Anne Stapp7 days ago2 minPegleg's Lost MineFew things inflame men’s imaginations as the idea of a hidden fortune in gold— so the tale of Pegleg Smith and his lost gold mine has continued to thrill tre...
Cheryl Anne StappFeb 121 minMexican Pioneer Don Ignacio MartinezMartinez, California, and the adjacent town of Pinole, date their names, indeed their very existence, back to the days of Mexican rule. Both are the namesake...
Cheryl Anne StappDec 4, 20191 minSacramento's First SettlerSwiss immigrant John Augustus Sutter arrived in the Sacramento Valley in 1839, when California was still a province of Mexico. As a foreigner, he was not eli...
Cheryl Anne StappOct 23, 20191 minYankee Ships Capture Pacific TradeShortly after the close of the American Revolution, Boston whalers began navigating in California waters, hunting the prized sea otter. Merchant ships from s...
Cheryl Anne StappOct 16, 20192 minPattie's Tall TaleAre tall tales accepted as fact just because the story is published in a memoir—and therefore, “must be” true? Consider the smallpox scenario included in The...
Cheryl Anne StappSep 18, 20191 minCalifornia's Original Southern BorderDuring the three hundred-plus years Spain claimed ownership of California by right of conquest, Spain’s official religion took a part in setting the state’s ...
Cheryl Anne StappSep 12, 20191 minThe Republic of Mexico Acquires CaliforniaMexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821—in general (though the specifics were different) for much the same political and economic reasons our Thirt...
