Author Archives: Rich

They were Called Jehus—those stage coach drivers that made a major impact on the development of California’s transportation. Even though their prominent period in history was little more than half a century, they have been characterized as strong, brave, skilled and resourceful. The mid 19th century marked the beginning of the stagecoach era. Wells FargoContinue reading “They Were Called Jehus”

by Merle Blasjo Allan Hancock left giant footprints in Los Angeles and in Santa Barbara North County. In Los Angeles, he donated Hancock Park and its La Brae Tar Pits, which would be available to the public in perpetuity for tourists and scientists alike. He also donated much of his oceanographic information to the UniversityContinue reading “THE MUSTANG THAT ROARED”

by R Lawson Gamble After sixteen days, three suspects emerged – the Williams brothers. The assumed motive was their desire to secure the stage company franchise, in pursuit of which they had built a corral and barn for the stage horses and probably remodeled the interior of the adobe extensively to meet the demands ofContinue reading “The Las Cruces Murders – Conclusion”

by R Lawson Gamble (Preface: Read previous blog “The Beheading of Colonel Ebey”)When George and Lucretia Corliss set sail for Las Cruces, California, by one account they had fellow passengers booked for the same location, Steve Williams and his Washington Indian or half-breed shepherd. All four were to figure in the murder. By all reports,Continue reading “The Las Cruces Triple Murder”

By R Lawson Gamble Whidbey Island is located in northern Puget Sound, about fifty miles south of the Canadian Border. The early pioneer settlers here were attracted to open lowlands on the island, and applied the word “prairie” to them as they reminded them of the huge expanses of tall- and short-grass prairies they hadContinue reading “The Beheading of Colonel Ebey”

By Merle Blasjo Anyone who traveled across the continent in the nineteenth century was likely to face numerous hazards—wild animals, hostile Indians, and robbers in addition to dangerous weather and water shortages. When Nancy Kelsey made this trip, she had additional challenges because of her youthful age (17), her responsibility for her infant daughter, andContinue reading “Nancy Kelsey – The Betsy Ross of California”

by R Lawson Gamble This is the story of a triple murder and a mystery that occurred in Las Cruces, California in 1864. My research has revealed deep roots to the mystery and far-flung connections that give rise to possible motives beyond a local tragedy. Above all, it is a story of incredible irony. NoContinue reading “The Las Cruces Triple Murder”

By R Lawson Gamble After Father Juniper Serra planted California’s first known vineyard in 1769 in the San Diego area, each mission that followed planted vines to grow grapes for sacramental (and sometimes other) purposes. According to wine historian Victor Geraci of the University of California, Berkeley, when explorer Gaspar de Portola visited the SantaContinue reading “A Taste of Grapes in SB County”

It was an unusual meeting between two unusual men, and it ended in the death of one. Their backgrounds could not have been more diverse, the route taken by each to their fatal meeting more circuitous. One staked a claim in North Santa Barbara County through perseverance and grit, the other found himself there almostContinue reading “A Meeting of Two Very Different Men by R Lawson Gamble”

By Merle Blasjo The popular Santa Maria style barbecue has its origin in the days of the ranchos. Then, the cattle roamed freely without fences to confine them to their owners’ ranch. Once a year, ranch owners would conduct roundups, or rodeos as they called it, in which all of the cattle was sorted outContinue reading “A Barbecue Gone Bad!”