Cheryl Anne StappMay 24, 20234 minIsland GoatsThere were no animals of any kind on the rocky island when explorer Sebastian Vizcaino stopped there in 1602, naming it Santa Catalina in...
Cheryl Anne StappMay 17, 20232 minAuspicious Beginnings Within a few months, the 1848 gold discovery turned pastoral California into a hotbed of mining and commercial activity. Seemingly...
Cheryl Anne StappMay 10, 20231 minA Very Rare Gemstone This gemstone—rarer than diamonds—is only found in San Benito County, California. Sometimes called the “blue diamond,” Benitoite...
Cheryl Anne StappMay 3, 20232 minCivilizing InfluencesIn 1849, California’s Gold Rush population, statewide, was 92% male. As reported in the Eastern press, the state of affairs in that...