Cheryl Anne StappMar 4, 20202 minSpirited Jessie FremontPrivileged, headstrong, and in love with an “unsuitable” man, Jessie Benton—the daughter of powerful U.S. Senator Thomas Hart...
Cheryl Anne StappFeb 26, 20202 minFinding Hope in a Winter NightmareIn the severe Sierra Nevada winter of 1846–1847, while adult members of the desperate, snow-trapped Donner Party clung to their sanity...
Cheryl Anne StappFeb 19, 20202 minRescuing the Donner PartyIt was February 18, 1847. The winter sun had already dropped behind the mountain peaks, and dusk was falling. A band of seven exhausted,...
Cheryl Anne StappFeb 12, 20201 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....