Understanding California - California Historical Society

Unders ta n d i n g
California
An Introduction to California’s History
for Young Historians
The California Historical Society
1853 Map of California
T
o learn who we are in California
and how we live, we need to ask:
How did we get here? How might
we better understand California?
Historians are like detectives. By studying evidence,
historians try to understand some of the most important
events, people, and ideas that have shaped our state.
Historical evidence can be anything that provides
information about a person or time in the past. Evidence
can be found in photographs, newspaper articles, diaries,
art, and anything that gives clues about the past.
Be a detective! As you read through this booklet, look for the
historical evidence that helps you to understand California.
1
Who were
the first Californians?
ithin California’s 155,959 square miles are
fertile valleys, high mountains, freshwater lakes,
and wind-swept deserts. Prior to the arrival of
Spanish settlers, the land and its diverse and
abundant plant and animal life supported more than
300,000 Native Americans. California had
the largest and most diverse indigenous
indigenous:
already
population in what is today the United
existing or
States of America.
W
2
California’s native peoples say that since their
creation they have lived in California. When
Europeans arrived, California’s native peoples
spoke more than 100 different languages and
lived in more than 500 areas around the state.
ost of these groups survived by hunting
and gathering. Recently, environmental
historians learned that native peoples also
carefully burned, weeded, and planted seeds to
have successful harvests of their favorite foods.
M
On the San Francisco Bay
native
No one knows the exact origins of the first
Californians. Some scientists and historians believe
that they came from an ancient people who traveled
from Asia into North America over 15,000 to 20,000
years ago. Many of the creation stories told by
Environmental History in California:
The First Farmers
Environmental historians study the environment. They want to
know how people use their environment and how the uses
change over time. New studies are revealing how Native
Americans used the land for many centuries. They not only
gathered what was available, but discovered ways of producing
more of what they needed with early farming methods.
Utensils and Weapons
Who were the first Europeans
to come to California?
o one knows for certain which European
N
expedition was the first to see California. A
group of Spanish explorers may have first traveled
by land from Mexico into southern
California. However, there is
not enough historical
evidence to prove this.
So, the credit for the
first European ‘‘discovery’’ of California
goes to Captain Juan
Rodríguez Cabrillo
of Spain.
Cabrillo and his
men sailed up
from Mexico into
the San Diego harbor in 1542. They
were searching for
the Strait of Anián, a
water passage that was
supposed to be a shortcut to Asia. Traders wanted
the valuable silk and spices
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo from Asia but needed a
quicker way to get there. Explorers believed the
strait was the shortcut they needed. But, it did not
3
Sir Francis Drake
exist and Cabrillo left California disappointed. He
eventually died on the journey, and his ships and
men returned to Mexico unaware that California
held riches of its own.
ir Francis Drake, from England, made the next
S
known landing in California. In 1579 he made an
emergency stop to repair his leaking ship and
probably landed at what is now called Drake’s Bay,
located north of San Francisco. Historians
continue to disagree about the location of the landing.
It would be another 227 years before any Europeans
settled in California.
When did Europeans
sett le in California?
he Spanish established the first European settleT
ments in California. In 1769 Father Junípero Serra
began the ‘‘Sacred Expedition,’’ a trip by land and by
4
sea from New Spain (Mexico). He brought with him
Spanish missionaries, Mexican-Indian farm workers,
and cooks, carpenters, and soldiers of mixed
European, Indian and African descent. Under great
difficulties they built California’s first mission in San
Diego. The mission was not just a church but also a
town. Hundreds of Native Americans lived at the
Mission San Diego
mission and were taught the Spanish way of life and
the Catholic religion.
revolt:
Mission life was hard on the Native
a fight or
Americans. Many were brought to the
protest against
missions against their will. Many died of
something
diseases caught from the Europeans. Though
some Native Americans settled into mission
life, others ran away. Some even led deadly
revolts in attempts to force the Europeans to leave.
Making baskets and rope
Map of missions in upper and lower California
n 1822 Mexico won independence from Spain.
Imissions
California was now under Mexican rule and the
were closed. The new Mexican government
wanted to give some of the mission lands
to the Native Americans who lived and
tall:ow:
worked there. Instead, Spanish
a hard fat obtained
Californian
ranchers, called californios,
from body parts of
turned
the
lands
into huge cattle
cattle, sheep, or
horses, used in food ranches selling hides and tallow. The
or to make candles
Native Americans living at the misand soap.
sions became servants and laborers for
the Californio families. They cooked and
cleaned the large homes of the Californios
and managed the farms and herds of cattle.
How did the Gold Rush
change California?
he quiet town of San Francisco had only a few
T
hundred settlers in 1835. In 1848, John Marshall
found a nugget of gold at John Sutter’s Mill in the
American River near the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
This changed everything! By 1850 thousands of
fortune seekers had arrived in California from all
over the world. San Francisco became the tenth
largest city in the entire United States by the early
1870s.
This population boom brought many new faces and
cultures to the West. People came from all over the
world, including Mexico, Chile, France, and China,
to name a few. But they increased pressure on the
Rancheros lassoing cattle
American settlers from the eastern United States
had been trickling into Mexican California for years.
They farmed land, traded goods, and started small
businesses. Then, in 1846 the United States declared
war on Mexico. The Americans won the war and in
1848 an agreement was signed making California part
of the United States.
San Francisco in 1849
5
Native Californians and Mexican citizens already in
California. Along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains, gold miners clashed with native communities. Immigrants were settling on lands that Native
Americans used for food and cultural purposes. The
land was often damaged by mining, hunting, or
building ‘‘boom towns.’’ Loss of their land, diseases,
and racial attacks meant a high death toll for
California’s native peoples. California’s native
population fell from 150,000 in 1845 to less than
30,000 by 1870.
Most fortunes made during the Gold Rush were not
from mining. Merchants, shopkeepers, laundresses,
cooks, and hotel and saloon owners got rich by serving the needs of the growing California population.
Four men, Collis P. Huntington, Leland Stanford,
Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins who later founded
the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific Railways,
became known as the ‘‘railroad kings.’’ They made
their early fortunes providing services to the miners
and other immigrants in California.
he diversity of California’s people during this
T
time resulted in other racial conflicts as well.
American miners who came to California did not
6
want to share gold or land with Mexican and
Chinese miners. In 1849, the California legislature
passed discriminatory mining and land laws. Two
‘‘Foreign Miners License Tax’’ laws were also passed
that further discriminated against non-white miners.
The new laws forced Mexican and Chinese miners
to pay heavy taxes to mine for gold.
Saloon
Ethnic History in California:
Ishi and the Yahi
The study of ethnic history is the study of racial or cultural
groups. This includes regional communities, Native Americans,
and immigrants. The Yahi were Native Americans. They resisted
American settlement near Mount Lassen where they lived. Gold
seekers thought they had murdered the entire Yahi population,
but in 1911 the last Yahi man appeared in a town called Oroville.
Anthropologists called him "Ishi," the Yahi word for man. From
him they learned about the lost traditions and culture of the
Yahi people.
Panning for gold
Newspaper announcement
about California in 1849
How did California become
part of the United States?
31
alifornia was made an official territory of the United States of America at
the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848. Following a constitutional
convention held in Monterey, the new California legislature asked the United
States Congress to make California a state. When the Compromise of 1850
was signed on September 9, 1850, California became the 31st state.
Sacramento became California’s capital in 1854.
C
Sacramento
ST
Diplomatic and
Political History in California:
“The Compromise of 1850”
California’s population did not want slavery to be
allowed in their new state. The issue of slavery in
America created many heated debates and politicians
tried to keep the number of free and slave states
equal. If California joined the United States as a free
state, there would be more non-slave than slave
states. So, Senator Henry Clay wrote the "Compromise
of 1850," a deal that allowed California to enter the
Union as a free state, but only if runaway slaves
caught in California, and elsewhere, were even more
harshly punished than already allowed by law.
7
What was life like
in the new state
during the 1850s?
Newspaper drawing
8
alifornia’s gold rush is often
C
described as romantic and exciting,
but it was also a violent and
unmanageable time. Governing the
new state was difficult because of fast
population growth and fierce competition among the state’s young, male citizens. Immigrants and minorities were
often harassed by groups of rough, angry
citizens, known as vigilantes.
vigilantes:
persons who
break the law by
capturing, trying,
and punishing
suspected criminals
without allowing the
suspect a fair and
legal trial.
The dramatic and dangerous lifestyle
in California encouraged many people
to write about their experiences. By
1860, 132 newspapers and magazines
had started in San Francisco alone!
Observant locals such as Amelia
Knapp Smith Clapp, also known as
‘‘Dame Shirley,”
wrote letters home
describing the
beauty and danger
in the new state of
California. In one of
her letters she
describes how a
group of vigilantes
killed a suspected
thief. She writes,
‘‘ . . . think kindly
as you can of the
dear California,
even though her
Published Dame Shirley letter
lustrous skies
gaze upon such
barbarous deeds.’’
How did the railroad
change California?
etween 1865 and 1869 more than 10,000
B
Chinese came to California to build the
Central Pacific railroad. Their hard work
resulted in the completion of the transcontinental railroad linking California to the
rest of the United States in 1869. Travel and
communication became more efficient.
California’s farmers used the railroad to
transport delicate, fresh produce, such as lettuce and
oranges, to other states.
Everyone hoped that the new railroad would
immediately bring more money to California. But,
new settlers from the East did not arrive to buy high
priced land as was expected. Instead, the railroad
brought products from the East Coast that competed
with local California markets. It was not until the
1880s that the railroad, through successful
advertising, was able to convince
more Americans to journey to
California to buy land.
9
Central Pacific Railroad in the Sierra Nevada mountains
Railroad Advertisements
What were people
doing in California in
the early 1900s?
Californians began to think about preserving their
diverse natural environment. In 1892, a naturalist
named John Muir founded the Sierra
Club. His club and others like it
popular culture:
n 1900, just about fifty years after the Gold Rush,
worked with the government to save
widely liked
the population of California was almost one-half
activities and interests California’s natural beauty by creatmillion people. Popular culture was changing rapid- of a population, such
ing national parks. One of these
ly. California’s residents were enjoying life and
as books, movies,
parks, Yosemite National Park, was
music, fashion, art,
were interested in new forms of entertainment. The
created
in 1905 and became a popular
poetry, theater,
growing middle class had more time and money to
tourist destination. Visitors flocked to
and other
spend on leisure, books, and art. They also enjoyed
amusements
picnic near the amazing waterfalls,
their first autorock formations, and meadows.
mobiles and telephones.
In 1914 World War I broke out in Europe. More
than 150,000
Shooting a movie scene
Californians fought
in the war. Need for
food and wartime
products, such as
steel and cotton,
helped California’s
industries continue
to prosper into the
1920s.
I
10
Amusements, like San Francisco’s Sutro Baths and
Boardwalk, were becoming very popular. New
amusement parks around the state offered everything
from swimming pools to roller coasters and restaurants. In the 1910s, people in Hollywood made silent
films and became famous. Suddenly Hollywood, and
California, had a reputation as the movie-making
capital of the world, a reputation that continues today.
Tourism promotion pamphlet
How did the Great
Depression affect
California?
he Great
Depression in
1929 hurt many of
California’s industries, such as agriculture, real estate,
oil production, construction, tourism,
and the movies.
Thousands of people
not only lost their
jobs, but also their
money when the
banks closed. Camps
were set up to house
the thousands of
newly unemployed
men and homeless
families. With so many people out
of work, racism and discrimination
against non-white workers increased.
Under the new leadership of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, the government developed programs to
put people back to work. These workers built campgrounds and fire roads for the national parks. They
built bridges, including the Golden Gate Bridge and
the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. And the world’s
largest water projects, at the time, were built
bringing water to Southern California—the Colorado
River Aqueduct and the Hoover Dam.
Water History in California:
Owens Valley and Mono Lake
aqueduct:
a pipe or channel
designed to transport
water from a remote
source
California’s cities and farms depend on water. Moving water
from one location to another causes passionate battles
between farmers, city residents, and environmentalists. During
the droughts of the 1920s, Los Angeles took extra water from the Owens
Valley, leaving the river and farms there almost dry. People living in the
Owens Valley fought back by destroying the aqueduct. The two sides
compromised by tapping into another water source, Mono Lake. This
provided enough water for both Los Angeles and Owens Valley residents.
However, this is harming Mono Lake and conservationists still fight today
to preserve this unique lake.
T
Dynamite damage to the aqueduct
Golden Gate Bridge
under construction
11
What
happened in
California
during World
War I I ?
12
orld War II brought
W
many changes to
California. As the
government spent more
money building ships
and airplanes manufacturing businesses
grew, and replaced
agribusiness as the
state’s largest industry.
This growth created jobs
and attracted new
w o r kers. Af r i c a n
American men and
women migrated from
the rural southern states
to work in California,
where they struggled for
Women’s History
in California:
‘‘Rosie the Riveter’ ’
"Rosie the Riveter," popularized in
a 1942 song, referred to women
Female ship builder
who worked in wartime industries.
These jobs included building ships, airplanes, and
weapons for the military. Federal war offices recruited
women into the labor force after male workers went off to
war. Some women had never worked outside the home
before, but were drawn to the better paying jobs
previously available only to men.
non-discriminatory
labor rights. Women
across the state, many
encouraged by ‘‘Rosie
the Riveter’’ advertising,
went to work as
electricians, welders,
and steamfitters.
Though the war brought
some positive changes
to California, prejudice
increased against Japanese Americans. After
the Japanese bombed
Pearl Harbor in Hawaii,
there was concern about
another attack. The U.S.
Labor History in California:
Farm Workers and Agribusiness
government feared there
were enemies among
Japanese Americans. So,
government officials
forced 120,000 Americans
of Japanese descent to
live in concentration
camps in California and
other states from 19421946. In 1988, President
Ronald Reagan signed
the Civil Liberties Act
providing money and
an apology to those who
suffered the injustice of
living in the
camps.
César Chávez
To keep labor costs down, large California growers hire
primarily low-wage workers. The first groups of unorganized
labor used by the agribusiness industry were Chinese and
Japanese immigrants. During the Great Depression, workers
from Oklahoma and Arkansas came to California to work in the fields. In the 1940s during
World War II, California needed more workers because so many
agribusiness:
men went off to war. An agreement with Mexico allowed Mexican
farming run
as a large-scale
workers, braceros ("strong-armed ones" in Spanish), to come to
business
California. Leaders such as César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and
operation
Larry Itliong fought for the farm workers rights in the 1960s. They
established unions to improve the living and working conditions of the laborers.
Young worker
How did California
change after 1950?
y the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, California was
B
enjoying postwar prosperity. It was a time of building
everything from super highways, to planned communities, to
large industrial parks. Yet civil rights protests, racial conflicts,
and student protests against the Vietnam War made the 1960s
a restless time for all Californians.
Business activity slowed during the 1970s and 1980s, but
reversed in the 1990s. A new technology industry was born in
California’s ‘‘Silicon Valley’’ creating another ‘‘gold rush.’’
Inventions like personal computers and Internet-based
e-commerce created new wealth throughout the state.
13
A 1960s activist
What is California today?
alifornia’s people, industry, and environment
C
continue to be diverse. Curently in California,
there are more citizens of Hispanic, Asian, African,
the rocky pacific coastline, and the stark Mojave
Desert. Not surprisingly, nearly 25 percent of all
people visiting the United States come to California!
and mixed race backgrounds than of European
descent. Federal census takers in 1900 recorded
California’s population at 1,458,053. They could
hardly have imagined that in the year 2000,
35 million people would call California home!
California continues to grow making it the most
populous state in the nation.
14
Dairy herd and oil derricks
From almonds to zucchini, California’s agriculture
boasts produce for practically every letter of the
alphabet! California’s technological industries and
natural resources include everything from movie
making and computers, to gas and oil. If
California were an independent country, it
would have the fifth largest economy in the
world!
alifornia contains a variety of natural and
C
urban environments
almost unmatched by any
other state. Visitors flock to
famous urban l a n d m a r k s
such as San Francisco’s
Golden Gate Bridge,
Disneyland, or Hollywood’s
Chinese Theater. They journey
to such natural wonders as
the giant northern redwoods,
Grauman’s Chinese Theater
Picking apples
What do you think
California’s future
will be?
s the 21st century unfolds, California continues
A
to be a leader in world trade and industry,
moving into new areas of electronic technology,
aerospace, and agriculture. Throughout the state,
changes occur every day that shape California’s
future. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you, your
friends, and your family contribute to events that
historians will study in the future. What are some of
the important issues and events that California’s
residents face today? What evidence will we leave
behind for future historians?
Discover California’s History for Yourself!
Here are a few places for you to visit to learn more
about the events mentioned in this booklet. There
are hundreds of other places you can explore so be
sure to check out your local museums, historical
societies, botanical gardens, libraries, and parks.
Northern California
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland
A great place to appreciate California’s diversity, this
museum is dedicated to the art, natural sciences, and
history of California. Visit their website at
www.museumca.org or call 510.238.2200.
Ishi and the Yahi, Lassen National Forest
Pick up an Ishi brochure from the Almanor Ranger
District, 530.258.2141 or the Lassen National Forest
Supervisor's Office, 530.257.2151.
Rosie the Riveter National Park, Richmond
You can visit the only memorial to honor women’s
WWII labor at the Rosie the Riveter National Park in
the historic Kaiser Shipyard, the largest and most
productive shipyard of WWII. For information
please visit www.rosietheriveter.org.
Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve, near Lee Vining
Mono Lake covers about 60 square miles and is one
of the oldest lakes in North America. It is located
east of Yosemite National Park. For more information
visit www.cal-parks.ca.gov.
15
Central California
16
The National Steinbeck Center, Salinas
Explore the rich history of the Salinas Valley through
the literary works of John Steinbeck. Exhibits and
programs focus on literature, history, agriculture and
the arts. For more information call 831.796.3833 or
visit www.steinbeck.org.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey
Experience California’s rich marine life at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium. They are located in a
converted cannery on the waterfront and offer
exhibits on the Monterey Bay and the oceans
beyond. Visit their website at www.mbayaq.org for
more information.
The Golden State Museum, Sacramento
The Golden State Museum uses the California State
Archives to illustrate California’s diverse history by
mixing traditional exhibits with cutting edge technology. While you are there be sure to visit the State
Capitol to learn about California’s political history
too! For information visit www.goldenstatemuseum
.org or call 916.653.7524.
California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento
Experience lavishly restored trains, engaging
exhibits, and unique special events. Every weekend
April-September, ride behind a steam locomotive on
the Museum’s Sacramento Southern Railroad. For
more information visit www.csrmf.org.
Southern California
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara
The Botanic Garden exhibits sixty-five acres of
California flora and eight different native habitats
including redwood forests, oak and canyon woodlands, meadows and deserts. For information please
call 805.682.4726 or visit www.santabarbarabotanicgarden.org.
Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Los Angeles
With one of the most comprehensive collections of
western history and art, the seven permanent galleries and special exhibitions offer material gathered
from the many cultures and events that have shaped
the legacy of the West. For more information visit
www.autry-museum.org or call 323.667.2000.
Mission San Diego de Alcalá, San Diego
Mission San Diego is the oldest mission in
California, founded in 1769. For more information
call 619.281.8449 or www.missionsandiego.com.
Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles
Through exhibits and programs the museum strives
to provide a voice for Japanese Americans and a
forum that enables all people to explore their own
heritage and culture. Visit www.janm.org or call
213.625.0414.
Bibliography
Rawls, James and Walton Bean. California: An
Interpretive History. Boston, Mass.: McGraw Hill,
1998.
Walton, John. Western Times and Water Wars: State,
Culture, and Rebellion in California. Berkeley and
Los Angeles, Calif.: University of California Press, 1992.
Weitzman, David, ed. Statehood. Peterborough, New
Hampshire: Cobblestone Publishing Company, Vol. 2,
No. 5. May 2000.
All images are from the California Historical Society collections.
For permission to reprint any images from this publication, please call 415.357.1848.
Cover & inside front cover
Detail. John Boardman Trask (1824-1879).
Map of the State of California. Publisher
Britton & Rey, 1853. Lithograph.
North Baker Research Library.
PAGE 2
Hutchings’ California Magazine 1856-1861.
An Indian Woman Gathering Acorns, from
Scenes of Wonder & Curiosity. North Baker
Research Library, FN-23593
Louis Chores (1795-1828). Bateau du port
de Sn. Francisco. Engraving from, Voyage
pittoresque autour du monde, . . . (Paris:
Impr. De Firmin Didot, 1822). North Baker
Research Library, Templeton Crocker
Collection, FN-30512
Col. Couts. San Diego Mission, 1846.
Postcard sketch. North Baker Research
Library.
P. Frenzeny. Mission Indians of Southern
California Making Baskets and Rope, 1877.
From Harper’s Weekly October 20, 1877.
North Baker Research Library.
PAGE 5
Rancheros Lassoing Cattle. North Baker
Research Library. FN-29236
Photographer unknown. San Francisco in
‘49. Photography Collection, FN-13113
PAGE 6
Photographer unknown. A Miner Panning
for Gold. Albumen plate. Photography
Collection, FN-13899
Louis Chores (1795-1828). Armes et ustensiles de Californie. Engraving from, Voyage
pittoresque autour du monde, . . . (Paris:
Impr. De Firmin Didot, 1822). North Baker
Research Library, Templeton Crocker
Collection, FN-31033
The California Herald, January 1849.
Reprinted from the New York Edition, at the
"Chat" Office, London, 1849. North Baker
Research Library, Templeton Crocker
Collection, FN-32173
PAGE 3
Francis Samuel Marryat. The Bar of a
Gambling Saloon, ca 1855. Fine Arts
Collection.
Juan Roderiguez Cabrillo. North Baker
Research Library
Henry Holland. Sir Francis Drake’s
Portrait, 1620. North Baker Research
Library, FN-13129
PAGE 4
Californias: Antigua Y Nueva, 1787.
"Relacion Historica De La Vide y
Apostolicas Tareas Del Venerable Padre Fry
Junipero Serra." North Baker Research
Library. FN-21164
PAGE 7
G.V. Cooper. Sacramento City, CA. From the
Foot of J. Street. Lithograph. Printed by
Endicott, William & Company. Publisher
Stringer & Townsend. Fine Arts Collection,
FN-30636
Dame Shirley (Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe).
"Letter the Third: Life and Fortune at the BarDiggings" from The Shirley Letters from
California Mines, 1851-52. Printer, Thomas
C. Russell, San Francisco, 1922. North
Baker Research Library. FN-32598
PAGE 9
Joseph Becker. Across the Continent: The
Snow Sheds on the Central Pacific Railroad,
in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, n.d.
Engraving. Fine Arts Collection, Gift of Louis
A. Boyd.
Photographer unknown. Mitchell Bomber.
Photography Collection, 544th ARTW SAC
Collection.
Photographer unknown. Calships Girl, ca.
1944. Photography Collection. Neg no.
22619
Photographer unknown. Young Bracero.
Photography Collection.
Photographer unknown. César Chávez.
Photography Collection. FN-31576
Britton & Rey, San Francisco. Great
Overland All Rail Route via Central Pacific,
Western Pacific and California & Oregon
Railroads, 1870. North Baker Research
Library, Ephemera Collection, Kemble
Collections on Western Printing and
Publishing.
Gene Anthony. Young Man Wrapped in
American Flag, Photo 26. Photography
Collection. FN-32220
Southern Pacific. California for the Tourist,
1910. North Baker Research Library.
FN-31959
PAGE 14
PAGE 10
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Sunny
Southern California, ca. 1920. North Baker
Research Library, Pamphlet Collection.
Morgan Reynolds. Making a Movie, ca
1935. Photography Collection. FN-27430
PAGE 11
Photographer unknown. Golden Gate
Bridge. Photography Collection. FN-28888
PAGE 8
Jefferson Martinet. Vigilante Committee
Scrapbook, c. 1879-1885. North Baker
Research Library, Scrapbook Collection
PAGE 12
P&A Photos, Los Angeles Bureau.
Dynamite Wrecks Huge Steel Syphon on
L.A. Aqueduct, May 27, 1927. Photography
Collection. FN-22140.
PAGE 13
Brenda Baldwin. Symbol of Peace, 2001.
Original illustration.
E.C. Kropp Co. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre,
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, 1930
Postcard. Photography Collection
Ewing Galloway Inc. California dairy herd
grazing while in background rises a forest
of steel oil derricks. Ante 1940. Photography
Collection, Gift of the Philadelphia
Commercial Museum. All Rights Reserved.
Pacific Novelty Co. Picking and Hauling
Apples for Shipping, California. Postcard.
North Baker Research Library
17
This booklet was written by Alison Field and Lilly C. Vallee for the California Historical Society,
with contributions by Diane Barclay and Chelsea Pickslay. Graphic design by Marian Ueki.
Acknowledgements:
The authors would like to thank Joshua Paddison, Craig Zaim, Keir Lenihan, John Williams,
and Lillian B. Vallee for their help preparing this booklet.
This project was made possible by the Silver Giving Foundation, The C.A.W. Foundation,
the Morris Stulsaft Foundation, and the Louise M. Davies Foundation.
Founded in 1871, the California Historical Society is the state’s official historical society.
Its San Francisco galleries, museum store, and research library offer art, artifacts, publications
and statewide educational activities on California’s dynamic and evolving history.
C alifornia Historical Society
678 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
415.357.1848 Fax: 415.357.1850 E-mail: info@calhist.org Web: www.californiahistoricalsociety.org
Hours: Administration Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Galleries & Museum Store Tue-Sat, 11am-5pm
North Baker Research Library Wed-Sat, 11am-5pm (by appointment only)