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Colorado’s First Tourist

In the mid-1800s, Anglo-Irish aristocrat Sir St. George Gore embarked on an ambitious expedition through the Rocky Mountains. His extravagant hunting party slaughtered thousands of animals during their tour through the beautiful Colorado Territory and left multiple landmarks bearing his name behind them. Gore Creek, Gore Lake and the Gore Range are just a few of the scenic vistas surrounding Vail, Colorado, that testify to a visit from a man who was, in essence, just a tourist passing through. Today, the legitimacy of his legacy is often questioned, although the man himself remains largely a mystery.

Join investigative journalist John LaConte as he uncovers the real story of Sir St. George Gore, who left his name scattered across the Colorado landscape.

The Historic Marysville City Cemetery contains the ghosts of the city founders, politicians, Western heroes and bandits, and murder victims and murderers. Among the 10,000 individuals buried in this cemetery is a survivor of the ill-fated Donner Party; the brother of the founder of Macy’s department store; the minister to Japan, appointed by Pres. Ulysses S. Grant; and the founders and co-owners of one of the oldest continuously operated businesses in California, the Union Lumber Company, established in 1852. This cemetery is one of the oldest city-owned cemeteries in the area, with burials dating from 1850. The cemetery became inactive in 1939, allowing burials only in existing family plots and later only ashes. The most recent interment was in 2016.

Phyllis E. Smith and Victoria M. Tudor are board members of the Friends for the Preservation of Yuba County History (FPYCH). The group’s monthly newsletter, the Yuba Legacy, is written by Tudor and edited by Smith. They both help plan the organization’s fundraising activities, providing tours of the cemetery. Tudor spends considerable time working in the cemetery and coordinates headstone repairs with a local monument company. Smith digitized the handwritten book of burials, from 1870 to 1930, a four-year effort.

Before there was a Los Angeles or a San Francisco, there was Spain’s first colony in upper California, El Presidio de San Diego.

Founded in 1769, this small fortress and mission was the seedling for the twenty-one missions and four presidios that followed. It was here that Franciscan priest Junípero Serra planted the first Catholic cross in what became Alta California. The nearby harbor provided a safe port for sailing ships from all over the world, ensuring a steady stream of goods and supplies. Over its many decades, the San Diego Presidio was home to Spaniards, Mexicans, Native people and, toward the end, Anglo-Americans. Its cemetery became the final resting place for many of them.

Author and historian Richard Carrico provides insights into San Diego’s beginnings.

Haunted Islands of San Francisco Bay: Ghosts, Crime, and Dark Histories

Alcatraz, Alameda, Mare Island, Angel Island, Yerba Buena, and Treasure Island loom out of the dark waters of San Francisco Bay. Even when they aren’t shrouded in mist, the islands are haunted by a past swirling with criminal violence, fatal epidemic, environmental disaster, and explosive sabotage. From an infernal duel on Angel Island to the cursed cells of Alcatraz and the Old 84 naval prison, Jeff Dwyer steers adventurous readers through a haunted history full of phantom ships and open graves. 

From its early beginning in the 1860s, the city of La Habra has grown from a steadfast commitment to community, service, and forward progress while honoring the town’s bountiful past.

The quiet agricultural community of La Habra emerged with modest beginnings. The cultivation of produce such as avocados, walnuts, and citrus put La Habra on the map, while the expansion of the railroad and oil industries helped connect the city to a greater Southern California region that was experiencing a wider development boom. This led to the incorporation of the city on January 20, 1925. Yet the city’s greatest resource has always been its friendly and passionate residents, whose dedication can be seen through the endurance of beloved community events such as the renowned annual Corn Festival and Tamale Festival; iconic local, family-owned and -operated businesses; service and social clubs; churches; and so many more fruitful contributions that make La Habra a caring community.

To honor the centennial celebration of the incorporation of La Habra, Lauren Blazey, Kimberly Albarian, and the La Habra Centennial Celebration Committee diligently gathered a collection of captivating photographs that chronicle its abundant past. By embarking on this visual journey through time, we have the privilege to witness the transformation of our city and get a rare glimpse into the lives of those who built it.

Fascinating tales from the territories of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.

From its earliest days to the dawn of the twentieth century, the Southwest was known as a place for dreamers, heroes, and lonesome drifters. People were drawn to places like Tombstone, where notorious events left a lingering legacy, and Taos Pueblo, with centuries of history contained within its adobe walls. Across the territories, the blending of cultures and conflicts that arose turned common people into legends. Names like Geronimo, Billy the Kid, Doña Tules, and Olive Oatman survive in story, along with other, wilder tales, like those of the Lost Dutchman mine and the Mogollon Monster.

Join author and illustrator Jessica Laughlin as she takes you on a journey through the wild frontier of the Southwest.

In the early 19th century, Prohibitionists believed that banning alcohol would combat the problems of society caused by liquor such as alcoholism, family violence, crime, and political corruption occurring in the local saloons. In 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment passed, prohibiting the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. In San Jose, alcohol had already been banned in the city two years prior, and it was only sold and consumed in a few selected city-licensed restaurants. This gave San Jose’s residents a two-year head start on the alcohol underground economy, as many stills were in full production in the valley and many speakeasies were already open for business when the countrywide Prohibition began. San Jose Prohibition showcases a variety of unseen images and stories from the family members of San Jose’s known bootleggers as well as from the city, county, and state archives. 

Author Ted Ramos is a part-time San Jose historian who has studied the city’s underworld history and amassed the largest collection of San Jose gambling paraphernalia while writing his earlier book San Jose Gambling, a similar photographic book from this same series about the area’s gambling past.