San Francisco grew from a tiny burg of 1,000 persons in 1848 to its present-day population of 825,863. The city was founded in 1776 when Spain built a fort at the site of Golden Gate Park. After World War II, San Francisco became a magnet for America’s counter-culture. Hippies flocked to Haight-Ashbury in 1960 and peaked out with the Summer of Love in 1967. San Francisco’s China Town is the oldest and largest in North America. The city’s famous cable cars carry riders up and down the steep inclines and to Fisherman’s Wharf below. People watch as the fishermen bring in their daily catches each day at the piers of Fisherman’s Wharf..  There’s little that can’t be found in San Francisco. The city’s ethnic makeup is diverse. It’s made up of whites, Asians, Afro-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics.  San Francisco has developed an international character that began with its founding and continues today.

Little Known Tales in San Francisco History

Pryor, Alton

History

Stagecoach Publishing

John Sutter, who left Switzerland to escape debtor’s prison, came to California and built a giant land monopoly. Again, he became heavily in debt and died destitute.The entire Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys were inundated for 300 miles long and 20 miles wide by the flood of 1862. The cholera epidemic killed more than 1,000 citizens, including doctors and others who were caring for the patients. The Old City Cemetery is an exciting place. As docents are quick to remind, “People are dying to get in here.” The docents know their job. It’s almost as though they are trying to bring the city’s cemeteries back to life. We love the epitaph on one headstone that simply reads: “See ya later”.

Little Known Tales in Sacramento History

Americas

Americans have been intrigued with the idea of finding gold deposits since the California Gold Rush of 1848. There is a thrill to finding that first nugget in your pan, and an even bigger thrill at finding larger and larger nuggets.There are new metal detectors and dry washing equipment that make gold panning easier, even in arid areas where water is not available.Gold prospecting has become family affairs. It's a hobby that will bring the family together, especially when they find that first flake or nugget of gold.

Prospecting for Gold in California: Panning, Dredging and Metal Detection on Public Access Sites

Miller and Lux bought land in the San Joaquin Valley for as little as 25 cents an acre. The land was undeveloped swamp land at that time. The San Joaquin River flows for 366 miles from its source high up in the Sierra before finally reaching the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. There have been water wars, range wars and even a few Indian wars in the Valley. The great San Joaquin Valley is blessed with being the site of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. In its natural state the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta was a fresh-water marsh. About two thirds of the Delta’s islands are below sea level.

Little Known Tales from the Mighty San Joaquin Valley

Pryor, Allton

In California, one should never run out of interesting places to explore, but some of the more interesting ones are a bit harder to find.It's almost like a scavenger hunt because you never really know what you're going to find when you get there.In this book, Alton Pryor has scoured California for places to visit. We hope you'll agree they are worth the trip.

Little Known Places to Explore in California

GHOST TOWNS OF ONTARIO: Volume (1) One

Ron Brown

Travel the Old Plank Road, or take a trip on the old Ridge Route over the Grapevine Grade. They were once treacherous  but have been replaced by modern highways,  Or, you might want to look through the eyes of two visionaries  who knew what California needed and went to work to do it. The  second worst disaster in California was the breaking of the St. Francis Dam, killing 450 people.  And, readers will learn why the California poppie was selected as the official state flower.

More Little Known Tales in California History

This book has 41 different chapters on California's gold rush and development history. Read about The Lost Spanish Galleon, Pegleg Smith's Lost Gold Mine, Joaquin Murrieta, and railroad titans.

Little Known Tales in California History

Women discovered gold in California a full year before James Marshall announced his discovery. There have been repeated attempts to split California into two or more states.Wheelbarrow Johnny was one of the gold seekers who came west searching for gold. Instead, he built wheelbarrows and then went on to become one of the nation's great automobile magnates.

Classic Tales in California History

Mark Twain observed that to write of the gold rush period and ignore its carnage would be like writing of Mormonism without referring to polygamy. A good example is the story of a mob in one California gold camp that hanged a man for horse stealing. It was found after the handing that the man was innocent. The vigilante mob sent a messenger to break the news to the victim's widow. "We hanged him for stealing a horse," he told her, "but come to find out, he didn't do it, so I guess the joke's on us." All gold camps weren't' so callous, but most of them were exciting.

Those Wild and Lusty Gold Camps

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