Category California History
Social media is a funny thing. You never know what’s going to come across your news feed. The other day, a young Christian mom on my friends list shared a six-month-old post from a “Socialist Memes” site. They, in turn,… Continue Reading →
This post’s example of socialism comes from an unusual source. In 1769, King Carlos III of Spain sent soldiers and missionaries to colonize Upper California. The word ‘king’ is your first clue that this was a monarchy, right? But elements… Continue Reading →
I hope you’ve enjoyed the pictorial journey we’ve taken on the Western half of the Transcontinental Railroad, the Central Pacific Line. May 10, 1869, represented a huge milestone in U.S. History. It was the day that linked East to West…. Continue Reading →
TCRR’s Western Route This final blog post about the Transcontinental Railroad celebrates the progress made by the Central Pacific line, from Sacramento, CA to Promontory, UT. 1. First Stop: the planning stages. All of that happened at the Huntington &… Continue Reading →
This post is in honor of the little guys. Not the Big Four of the CPRR, not the investors of the UPRR, not the Congressmen and dignitaries who supported the whole Transcontinental Railroad project. Just the crewmen who connected an… Continue Reading →
TCRR Methods Perhaps you’ve heard the song: “This old hammer, killed John Henry…” He was a steel-driver on the 1870 C&O Railroad in West Virginia, a project started just after the Transcontinental Railroad was finished. Legend has it that he… Continue Reading →
TCRR Infrastructure Wind the years back to 1850, before the Transcontinental Railroad. To get from the outer edges of civilization (Independence, Missouri) to the brand new state of California, you had three choices. 1. Board a ship on the East… Continue Reading →
What is Cinco de Mayo, really? It isn’t Independence Day in Mexico. It isn’t actually a drinking festival. But what it IS takes a bit of history to understand. And technically, it’s all Napoleon’s fault. Early 1800s In 1808, Napoleon… Continue Reading →
“As I was sitting in the house of an old Californian today, conversing very quietly about the condition of the country, I felt something break on my head, and, starting around, discovered two large black eyes, lighted with their triumph…. Continue Reading →
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