Here’s a Story About Johnny Cash, a Wildfire, the FBI and Endangered California Condors
By J.C. Thomas By mid-1965, the singer-songwriter Johnny Cash had become a huge star – a prolific, genre-spanning artist with a series of big hits on both the pop and country charts. He had moved with his first wife, Vivian Liberto, and their four daughters, to a hilltop mansion in Casitas Springs. The unincorporated community […]
The Curious Tale of Louise Huebner, the Official Witch of Los Angeles
On July 21, 1968, a Los Angeles County Supervisor appointed Louise Huebner as LA’s Official Witch. She was presented with a signed and sealed scroll at a Hollywood Bowl celebration to kick off a summer concert series. It reads: “This is to certify that Louise Huebner has been designated as the Official Sorceress of Los […]
Want to Get Spooked this Halloween? These are the Stories of the Seven Scariest Spots in California!
By J.C. Thomas It’s the spoooo-kiest season of all, the most weird and wonderful time of the year for visiting unnerving attractions across California. We’re not talking about your neighbor’s haunted house, however impressive it might be. No, these seven places are the real deal, shrouding sinister backstories, authentic true crime happenings and ghostly legends […]
Humboldt: The Man Behind the Name
To Californians, Humboldt is the name of a county in the far north of the state, along with many places and products of that region. There’s Humboldt Bay, Fort Humboldt, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Humboldt State University and the foodie-favorite Humboldt Fog cheese. We associate the name Humboldt with the breathtaking scenes of the Northern […]
Women’s History Month Started in Santa Rosa, California
How a grassroots group of Sonoma County educators launched National Women’s History Month By J.C. Thomas For more than 40 years, March has been recognized in the United States as Women’s History Month. Throughout March, schools, cultural institutions and communities nationwide recognize and honor the achievements of women in history. As recently as the 1970s, […]
See a Gutenberg Bible – the Printed Book that Changed the World – at The Huntington Library
Gutenberg Bible No. 36 was printed in Mainz, Germany, circa 1455 on Europe’s first moveable metal type printing press. Today it’s on public display at The Huntington in San Marino, California. By J.C. Thomas Historians estimate that on this day in 1455, Johannes Gutenberg printed his first Bible – the first book ever produced using […]
The Story of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
How an Italian chocolatier created the sweetest San Francisco icon By J.C. Thomas Ghirardelli, the third-oldest chocolatier in the United States, is today a beloved international brand. Contemporary consumers can’t get enough of the company’s filled chocolate squares, brownie mix and many other chocolate products. In San Francisco, Ghirardelli holds iconic status as a company, […]
Eight Mysterious Facts About the California Gold Rush on its 171st Anniversary
Tales of ambitious trailblazers striking it rich in the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s loom large in our national narrative. While there are countless uplifting stories of these pioneering souls peppered throughout our history, there are also many aspects of the Gold Rush era that get drowned out by the glitz and glam of […]