AGUARDIENTE: A SPANISH MOONSHINE
Although Aguardiente is a alcoholic beverage which originated on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), it ultimately found its way into most parts of the world, particularly the Latin American countries. By the early 19th Century, Aguardiente was considered a...
GHOST SHIPS BURIED UNDER SAN FRANCISCO
The City of San Francisco has a unique and incredible history. Chronicles reveal stories that would make you think that someone with a wild imagination created them from thin air. The story of the Ghost Ships, sometimes called Gold Ships, is a great example. What...
SO WHAT DID THE PIONEERS DO WITH ANIMAL DUNG?
Those of us who live in urban advanced societies place little to no value in animal dung. Our exposure to animal feces relates primarily to the best methods to dispose of pet droppings. This inconvenience we tolerate, as a requirement to have the lovable creatures...
SHANGHAIING A COMMON PRACTICE IN MID 19TH CENTURY SAN FRANCISCO
The lure of “gold in them thar hills” of California was an enticement like no other, for roughly two hundred thousand men in the mid 19th Century. Many arrived by the land route. Most entered California by ship and disembarked in San Francisco. Hundreds and hundreds...
THE STATE OF DESERET
This subject is so broad and so deep that a short article could never reveal the nuggets of human nature, religion, intestinal fortitude and so many more elements of humanity that make the history of the Mormons so rich and diverse. That being said, I am provoked to...
SYDNEY DUCKS BAD BOYS OF SAN FRANCISCO
All manor of people gravitated to San Francisco just prior to, during and after the Gold Rush years which roughly spanned 1848 to 1852. Over 200,000 men arrived during that short period. It is said that there has never been a mass movement in American history as large...
FORTY-NINERS’ INTENTIONS
The more I study about the various people who chose to seek gold in California, the more I realize how difficult it was to just get to the goldfields. The Pilgrims were mostly men. The majority were young, however middle aged and old men got the fever too. There are a...
THE FAIRE SEX IN SAN FRANCISCO IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY
Imagine a situation where hundreds of thousands of mostly young men traveled thousands of miles to a far away desolate place to make their fortunes panning for gold. This place was so remote and unfriendly that they chose not to bring their wives, if they were...
SAN FRANCISCO IN MID 19TH CENTURY AMERICA
One of the best parts of writing a novel, for me, is the research that goes on before I begin to create. There is nothing more pleasing to me than to have knowledge about a place before I write about it. My study of San Francisco was special in that regard. The...
LAUNDRY; A GROWTH INDUSTRY IN SAN FRANCISCO IN MID-19TH CENTURY
Cleanliness was not always a high priority among residents of San Fransisco in the Mid-19th Century. That being said, many did focus on personal hygiene. Social etiquette ultimately required it. It was not easy to do your own laundry during the Gold Rush. In order to...