Driven Out: The Forgotten War against Chinese Americans

By Jean Pfaelzer

The author provides a very detailed “litany of hate” heaped on Chinese immigrants primarily in northern California and throughout the western United States. These abuses range from murder to theft. This era was highlighted by the mass lynching of Chinese in Los Angeles in 1871. Chinese came to America to work hard and provide for their families. They panned for gold, worked in agriculture, were lumberjacks and, of course, constructed the railroads, but were rewarded with hatred and abusive behavior, both legal and illegal. The question becomes: why did they continue to come to the United States where, by the early 21st century, they became a prosperous minority. The author chose not to address that question, but dwelled on racial hatred and abuse during the 19th century, a time when such hatred and abuse was rather pervasive in society from slavery to the persecution of religious sects, such as the Mormons. A greater story would have been to describe what in American society changed for the better.

The author commented that Chinese immigration continued in the face of all this abuse, but neglects to point out that, during the last half of the 19th century, internal turmoil in China took tens of millions of lives. America looked pretty good in comparison. The abuse of the Chinese often came to the hands of organized labor who saw the Chinese as competition for jobs. Similarly today often affirmative action for minorities in colleges does not apply to the Chinese minority who have succeeded on their merits.

There was lengthy discussion of the Geary Act, which both extended the Chinese Exclusion Act and made life more onerous for Chines in America. Chinese protested this Act and filed a lawsuit that eventually worked its way to the Supreme Court, which upheld the Act. The author lamented the decision, but failed to appreciate that one should not seek morality in the law and the courts. The Chinese Exclusion Act reduced immigration from China for a half century after President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation repealing the Act. 

Immigration boomed in the last half of the 20th century and continues today. Unfortunately the author mentions only this repeal and provides no other information on the continued immigration and success of Chinese immigrants. Even though the book was written in 2007, there was no mention of President Nixon’s rapprochement with then Red China in the early 1970’s. The United States today has the largest number of Chinese outside of Asia.

The treatment, both good and bad, of immigrants to the United States, is an important topic that should be explored in detail. Contributions to American society of peoples from every corner of the world has been significant, especially from the Chinese, who built the railroad, brought their cuisine and their spiritualism. As important as it is to know about why the Chinese were “driven out”, Americans should be proud of creating a society that welcomed them back.

Folk History of the San Gabriel and Inland Valleys

By Paul McClure

This book purports to be a “folk history” but is, in fact, a detailed history of the major players in early California history from Juan Cabrillo to Crawford Teague, founder of the town of San Dimas. There is also detailed discussion concerning Native Americans who lived in southern California before the arrival of Europeans. The format consists of a brief narrative followed by a poetic summary of the topic covered and a cartoon highlighting an event or circumstance in the previous narrative. The chapter ends with citations of source material. The narratives read like a Wikipedia entries and, indeed,  the author cites some Wikipedia entries. The poetry is pedestrian with enough treacly political correctness to make them both annoying and totally unnecessary. The cartoons are just plain awful with an intellectual panache of a junior high schooler.

This volume, covering the Settlement Years from 1542 through 1878, is the first of three volumes. The next two volumes will cover the Citrus Years and the Subdivision Years. The book divides the Settlement Years into five Eras: Discovery, Mission, Rancho, Statehood and Valley. Each section of the book provides a detailed history, listing the important players in each era. It does, however, read like a textbook.

The Discovery Era covers Juan Cabrillo, Sir Francis Drake, Sebastian Vizcaino and Gaspar de Portola. Most early explorations were by sea along the treacherous coast of California. The Portola Expedition was the first overland penetration of California by Spain, which was concerned with encroachment by Russia and England. Spain determined that it needed to populate the northern provinces of New Spain. 

The Mission Era covers Father Junipero Serra, Juan Bautista de Anza and Jedediah Smith. These men laid down the foundation of what became Spanish California. Their efforts were not enough to prevent encroachment by Americans, led by traders and then by settlers.

The Rancho Era covers Ygnacio Palomares, Rowland and Workman, Henry Dalton, Olive Oatman and Ricardo Vejar. These men settled the area after Mexico won its independence from Spain. They owned the prominent ranchos of southern California.

The Statehood Era covers John C. Fremont who spearheaded the effort to survey and conquer the land for American settlement. Fremont was a popular pioneer who later fell out of favor and was courtmartialed by the Army.

The Valley Era covers the development of the valleys into townships populated by farmers, merchants and craftsmen. The first layer of civilization was the establishment of schools and churches providing for education and spiritual needs. 

Overall, the book is a fine read for anyone interested in the history of southern California.

Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays

By Leigh Eric Schmidt

This author uses a plethora of polysyllabic words, where a good author would eschew obfuscation. One need not be a home-schooled National Spelling Bee contestant to understand a straight-forward history book. The topic of consumer rites is subsumed by a vocabulary only an Ivy League Professor of Religion can understand, such as epithalamium, afflatus, charivari and jeremiad.

The book covers the major American holidays of Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day and Mothers Day. Christmas and Easter have their origins as Christian holy days that over time evolved into consumer holidays. Some sects of Christianity held to a strict observance of the holy days without the trappings of consumerism. With the advent of consumerism, sparked by the Industrial Revolution, these holy days became holidays highlighted by spending on food, decorations and gifts. This evolution was abetted by some churches that promoted the elaborate decorations that even today grace our churches. These same churches, however, decry the blatant consumerism and focus on the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Valentine’s Day and Mothers Day were created with a semi-religious theme of honoring one’s loved ones and were somewhat supported by the church, but greatly abetted by the floral, and restaurant industries. These holidays have spawned even more ersatz holidays, such as Fathers Day, Grandparents’ Day and Secretaries Day. These are days of recognition rather than holidays and are promoted by the merchants selling gifts, greeting cards, flowers and food. The Homestead Museum Docent should focus on the impact of these holidays on the Workman and Temple family, as shown by artifacts and house decorations.

As important as what the author wrote is what he left out. Even though this book was written about twenty years ago, holidays have evolved into sports-centered days. Super Bowl Sunday is now celebrated with parties, festivities and, oh yes, a football game, frequently surpassed in notice by its half-time show. Only NFL sanctioned sponsors are entitled to use the name “Super Bowl”. All others fear offending the pigskin deities and their litigious counselors. On Christmas day, the NBA showcases its marquee teams and on Thanksgiving Day, careless folks may be afflicted by a glut of football laced with tryptophan. March Madness viewing at work chokes company servers nation wide.

The important lesson to take away from this book is the need for any people to rally around a common interest, whether it be religious or secular. The individual must choose whether the primary focus of the celebration is temporal or spiritual. For the child, the choice is easy. For the adult, the choice should also be easy.

Alta California 1840-1842

Edited by Briton Cooper Busch

This book is subtitled “The Journal and Observations of William Dane Phelps, Master of the Ship ‘Alert’, where Mr. Phelps recounts his voyage to Mexican California during the era of the hide and tallow trade. The author compares California with Spain, referring to an ancient Arab proverb that Allah gave Spain land, climate and inhabitants, a veritable paradise with one exception: good government.

On one of the trips to Northern California, Mr. Phelps travels to New Helvetia, the domain at the foothill of the Sierra Nevada mountains belonging to John Sutter, who has successfully controlled the local Native Americans and has become a comfortable rancher and farmer. Sutter mentions that he is planning to build a millrace for a new saw mill that he is planning to build on the American River. That turned out well.

The journal gives us a great amount of information about the hide and tallow business as his ship visited the major ports of California, trading goods from the United States in return for the hides and tallow. The hides must be cured and stored for later transport, along with the tallow, to the United States. In order to make the voyage profitable, the ship must carry as many hides as physically possible without threatening the seaworthiness of the ship.

Mr. Phelps’s observations are tinged with his perspective as a Protestant, white, Anglo-Saxon. He believes that individuals with his background could make California into an agricultural paradise, teeming with wild game. It is only because of the lazy Californios that the land does not produce. Sharing the blame is the Catholic Church who, Phelps believes, is only interested in its own aggrandizement and the afterlife. This attitude frequently offends the native Americans and excuses the indolence of the Californios.

In his voyages, Phelps meets up with many ships of various nations that are trading in California. Many also trade with Hawaii. The voyages face difficulties with the weather along the California coast, which is treacherous and has few protective anchorages. Toward the end of his stay, there is an abortive attempt by Americans to take over California.

Mr. Phelps also notes that, on July 26, 1841, he heard of the death of President Harrison, who had died on April 4, 1841. This was the California that William Workman arrived at.

William Wolfskill 1798-1866: Frontier Trapper to California Ranchero

By Iris Higbie Wilson

This book details the life and times of William Wolfskill, frontier trapper to California ranchero, from 1798  through 1866.  His biography closely parallels that of William Workman, who, in addition to his initials, has much in common with this southern California pioneer.  Like many immigrants to California, Wolfskill arrived seeking his fortune in the gold fields after a difficult and tedious life in the Midwest.  Wolfskill made his fortune in agriculture rather than in minerals and led a prosperous life.

Wolfskill worked as a fur trapper in New Mexico and made trips to California, blazing what came to be known as the Old Spanish Trail.  Mexico had just obtained its independence from Spain and Wolfskill became a naturalized Mexican citizen.  It is not known whether he knew either John Rowland or William Workman during his fur trapping days.  What is known is that Wolfskill settled in California long before the Rowland-Workman expedition arrived in 1841.

Like many pioneers, Wolfskill secured a land grant that enabled him and his family to profit by selling produce to the gold miners.  Miners needed food, so William Wolfskill as well as William Workman made their fortunes satisfying the needs of the miners.  Wolfskill had producing ranches in southern California and in northern California as part of the colorfully named Rancho de Los Putos.

Wolfskill planted vineyards and grew citrus fruit, primarily in southern California.  When the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, Wolfskill was poised to pioneer efforts to produce oranges commercially for the entire United States.  He developed the still-popular Valencia orange, which held up well in the several weeks trip that rail delivery required.  In addition, his vineyards were the toast of the state and his wines won acclaim.

William Wolfskill was a fur trapper, explorer, rancher, farmer and entrepreneur who helped develop the sleepy village of Los Angeles into a thriving community.  Of interest is that, after his death, one the the executors of his estate was F.P.F. Temple.

William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles

By Catherine Mulholland

In the decade preceding the Roaring Twenties, two great construction projects, both involving water and both profoundly affecting the future of Los Angeles, were completed.  In 1914, the Panama Canal reduced the sailing times for vessels moving between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  The Panama-California Exposition, spearheaded by Bertram Goodhue, who would later design the Los Angeles City Library, held in San Diego the following year led to the popularity of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, the style used in designing La Casa Nueva.  This occurred one year after the Los Angeles Aqueduct began delivering water from the Sierra Nevada mountains to Los Angeles.  The chief engineer of the aqueduct was William Mulholland.  This biography, written by his grand-daughter, details the life of perhaps the most controversial person in the history of Los Angeles.  The life is covered with scant attention paid to the controversies that William Mulholland was involved in.

Without external sources of water, Los Angeles and southern California could not support the millions of people that have settled here.  Water from both the eastern and western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains as well as water from the Colorado River, with which William Mulholland was also involved, enabled Los Angeles to grow into a mega-city.  As with any monumental construction projects, there were many problems, both political and physical.

The reader learns that in the 1920’s the controversy and subsequent violence came to a head.  The water enabled Los Angeles to grow, but the Owens Valley paid the price.  Almost a century later, the controversy remains as the Department of Water and Power attempts to mitigate the dust problem in the valley.  History is frequently influenced by Hollywood as the movie “Chinatown” presented its own fictitious take of Mulholland’s life.

Along with the construction issues, the author discusses the political issues as newspapers took sides in the issues of labor, water and municipal ownership of water and power.  Newspapers were, and remain, house organs for the political parties; however, then there were diverse opinions.  It was an era of emerging union power aided by the Progressives and abetted by friendly newspapers.  The issues then have not gone away as labor struggles to maintain its pre-eminence in California aided by its political allies.

Westward Extension, 1841-1850

By George Pierce Garrison

This book explains the people, politics and intrigue as Americans pushed westward to occupy its present borders.  The pre-Civil War period was most contentious as the nation struggled to solve problems that the Constitution left undone.  From Andrew Jackson’s war with a national bank to the South’s defending the “peculiar institution” of slavery, Americans were in constant political conflict.

The author details the boundary disputes that Americans faced on all of its borders, with England on the North and Northwest, with Spain, later Mexico, to the West, Southeast (Florida) and Southwest.  Americans had the advantage of both population and proximity.  It is easier to defend a border when you have your people there and you can move armed defenders in place.

The over-riding issue with all the movement westward was, in a word, slavery.  The young nation survived because of the willingness of its politicians to compromise, but slavery was threatening to divide the country.  Each major addition to the country brought the possibility of extending slavery to the fore.  Slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory (current Mid-West) and the Compromise of 1820 created a demarcation line, north of which slavery would be prohibited.

The U.S. had its eye on California early in the 19th Century and was willing to buy it from Mexico.  Real politics intervened.  The residents of Texas revolted and created a separate republic.  The decision by the U.S. to annex Texas angers the Mexicans and tipped an already precipitous situation.  The was with Mexico enabled the U.S. to finally buy the territory it wanted, as the U.S. acquired most of its West and Southwest.

The docent at the Homestead Museum will be provided with an in-depth analysis of how the U.S. moved westward and acquired California as part of the Compromise of 1850, all with the backdrop of slavery.  The country would soon fight to enforce its political beliefs.

Western Times and Water Wars

By John Walton

This tedious tome consists of 379 pages of very little history, but plenty of pages social and political opinions, adorned by esoteric words such as “picaresque” and “recusancy”.  The former relates to a form of prose fiction, originally developed in Spain and the latter a term that originally described a Roman Catholic who refused to attend the services of the Church of England.  The author’s purpose is to relate the history of the struggle for water rights in the Owens Valley.

Originally settled by members of the Paiute Indian tribe, the Owens Valley attracted settlers from other parts of the U.S. to its beauty and its bounty.  Of course, the American settlers overwhelmed the Native Americans who were relegated to working as farm hands.  The fate of the Owens Valley was sealed by the action of California’s constitutional convention, which defined California’s eastern boundary to include the leeward side of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  Residents were “hoodwinked” by the growing city of Los Angeles, which acquired the water rights in the Valley and diverted the water to Los Angeles, thereby devastating the Valley.

The story is simple and helps the Homestead Museum docent understand how Los Angeles became such a large city by the 1920’s.  The author uses most the book to explain how this occurred, using conventional Marxist, class-warfare dialectics, quoting Herbert Marcuse, noted Marxist professor and mentor of radical Angela Davis, whose firearms were used to murder a California judge.

There is plenty to write about regarding the history of water in California.  There are good guys and bad guys, but the fact remains that when the state, or society, needs a resource, it gets it.  That is how the interstate system was built and how the U.S. intends to construct a high-speed rail system.  No displaced person believes they receive fair compensation.  As the years go by, we have developed more stringent requirements for any construction.

The U.S. came into possession of vast amounts of land in the 1800’s and set about distributing that land to its citizens.  Congress did not always have the best intentions nor make the wisest decisions.  Corporations assisted (to great profit) in this endeavor and we are the beneficiaries.

Two Years Before The Mast

By Richard Henry Dana, Jr.

This book is the classic memoir of a wealthy young man who sailed to California as a merchant seaman.  Rather than making the grand tour of Europe, he engaged in the rough and tumble business of a common sailor.  The voyage to California, then part of the Republic of Mexico, lasted two years, hence the title of the book.  It was a very difficult journey as the ship endured violent seas, weather and a stern taskmaster of a captain.

Of great benefit to the Homestead Docent is Dana’s description of the people of California as Dana explored the coast from San Diego to San Francisco with stops at San Pedro, Santa Barbara and Monterey.  The ship, the Pilgrim, picked up hides for return to Boston, while delivering goods that were not manufactured in California.  The hide and tallow business was difficult as the sailors made sure the hides were not damaged during handling and storage.

Dana also describes a society that was highly structured with the Native American at the bottom of the pile.

The author describes in great detail the life on board the ship for the common seaman.  The work is hard and dangerous; the captain of the ship is the law; the living conditions are horrid and the pay is low.  The long voyage with very few stops makes the trip as lonely as the sailors’ lives were restricted to the small ship.  Very few sailors had the prospects awaiting Dana upon his return.

We know that, F.P.F. Temple sailed to California from Boston at about the same time.  Unfortunately we have no journal of his travels.  We can only guess at the isolation he experienced.

Towers of Gold

By Frances Dinkelspiel

‘Towers of Gold‘ tells the life story of the author’s great-great-grandfather, Isaias Hellman.  Born in Bavaria, Hellman makes his way to southern California right after the Gold Rush.  He is responsible for promoting and developing eight major industries that shaped California: banking, higher education, transportation, real estate, oil, electricity, water and wine.  His story parallels the story of the new State of California.

Of course, Hellman figures prominently in the history of the Homestead as he partnered with F.P.F. Temple and William Workman in the banking business.  This partnership dissolved when Hellman and Temple could not agree on banking principles.  Hellman was educated in accounting, as well as other disciplines, and could not abide Temple’s more gentlemanly approach to lending.

His disputes were not limited to F.P.F. Temple.  He battled with John Downey over management of Farmers and Merchants Bank.  In fact, when Hellman learned of the Bank’s troubles in 1875, he was in Venice, Italy.  It took him only twenty-three days to get back to Los Angeles, quite a feat at that time, to set matters straight.

This book will teach Homestead Museum docents a great deal about the history of California between 1850 and 1920, which corresponds with the time span on which the Museum focuses.

The Workman Brothers

By John Sharpe

This book is short on pages but long on detail explaining the origins of the family of David and William Workman and the brothers’ successful travels and integration into the new world. It is another essential read for the Homestead docent as the author, from the same area in England as the pioneering brothers, details the lives of William and David Workman. 

The story explains life in the northern England where farmers and craftsmen work hard to provide for their families while under the eye of the local “lord”. It’s no surprise that the Workman brothers flee to make a better life after receiving an inheritance given to their family from a childless relative. America and all its opportunities beckon.

David is the first to arrive in the US and settles in the distant frontier state of Missouri and encourages his younger brother to join him. The urge to pursue the unknown causes William to leave Missouri for Mexico where his life changes forever. In the Mexican state of New Mexico, he becomes a Catholic (perhaps for convenience) and a naturalized Mexican citizen (perhaps for necessity), partners with John Rowland and marries a local Mexican woman. It is there that he gets involved in the political intrigue of northern Mexico involving rebellious Texans eyeing and corrupt politicians. Workman and Rowland head west for California, leaving the politics of New Mexico behind.

In California, Workman is a successful rancher and a deft politician who skillfully navigates the disputes between Northern and Souther Californians, between Californios and the central government of Mexico and finally between the Californios and the Americans.

A key during Workman’s life is his return to Clifton, his place of birth. There he erects a memorial to his parents in the local churchyard, presaging the building of a cemetery and chapel on his property.

Woven through the book are letters from Workman’s family in England and Baltimore where his sister settled. These missives give a sense of time and space as family members disperse over the vast distances of America, whereas the English descendants remained within the confines of northern England. Traveling to America was truly an adventure.

The Southern Pacific in Los Angeles, 1873-1996

by Larry Mullaly and Bruce Petty

This book tells of the development of the Southern Pacific in southern California during the period of 1873 through 1996.  It is not a history of the Southern Pacific but shows how equipment and facilities changed during this period of time.  The time period covered starts when Los Angeles is developing into a small city and is becoming more Americanized with the rail connections with northern California and ultimately to the rest of the United States.

For Homestead Museum Docents, the book covers more than half of the time period we cover in our Museum tour.  It provides a good background of the souther California during the Victorian Age through the Roaring Twenties.  The book shows how the railroad initially served farmers and ranchers and by the 1920’s served industry and the tourist trade.

The Southern Pacific reflected both the area and the times.  Rail yards proliferated as Los Angeles grew.  These yards had to be moved out of the city as Los Angeles became more congested.  Strategic bypass roads, such as through the Cajon Pass, allowed heavy rail traffic to avoid the growing metropolis and shortened travel time.

The book has many photos of yards, trains and personnel.  According to the photos, in its early days, the Southern Pacific assigned jobs according racial and ethnic guidelines.  In more recent times, the reader can see a diverse group of employees in key positions, such as engineer, conductor and dispatcher.  This diversity reflects the changed demographics of southern California.

The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1779-1883

By Gary Laderman

The author writes a fascinating book that explores the changing attitudes toward death and the dead during the nineteenth century, illuminating the central role of the Civil War and tracing the birth of the funeral industry in the decades following the war.  The author states: ‘The dead do not simply vanish when life is extinguished; although their final physical disposition is managed by specialists, the dead must be accounted for in the imagination.’

The embalming industry was spurred by the desire of families of Northern soldiers killed while fighting in the southern states to return their loved ones for burial in the North.  The funeral industry was born as specialists advertised their services and products, such as well-sealed metal caskets.  In addition the nation-wide tour of the body of Abraham Lincoln demonstrated the importance of embalming in preserving the deceased for final viewing.  More importantly the tour focused on the spiritual need for closure and honoring the body even though, in their minds, the soul had departed for the after-life.

This should be a textbook for the Docent preparing for the ‘Beyond the Grave’ tour at the Homestead Museum.  Specifically the book covers the nineteenth century views on death and, therefore, includes the period during which the funerals for David Workman and William Workman took place.

The Golden Game: The Story of California Baseball

By Kevin Nelson

This book tells the story of the quintessential American game of baseball and the impact the game has had on California and the impact that Californians have had on the game.  The history of the game as related in this book incorporates the American phase of California history or, for the perspective of the Homestead docent, the decades of the 1870’s and the 1920’s.

Although the game appeared in California before the Civil War, the completion of the transcontinental railroad enabled “major leaguers” to come to California on tour.  In addition, veterans of the Civil War, who played “base ball” as a diversion, played the game on informal teams.  Baseball initially prospered in northern California, which led the state in population growth during the second half of the 19th Century.

Baseball’s so-called “colored line” was not broken until 1947 (by California-raised Jackie Robinson), but the history of baseball in California involved players of various races and ethnic groups.  They often played under pseudonyms to circumvent the prevailing social taboos.  It’s not surprising to learn of the great players of Italian descent from northern California, led by Joe DiMaggio.  They were later supplanted by the great black ballplayers, especially from the Oakland area.

The growth of baseball in California mirrored the population growth, which saw an explosion of immigration into southern California, as additional railroads were built into the area.  The late 19th Century saw teams providing a needed diversion as leisure time became more prevalent.  By the time California became urbanized in the 1920’s, professional (although minor league) baseball teams became popular.  This popularity was enhanced as games were broadcast over the radio.

The Homestead Museum docent will find this book helpful as an aid to understanding the themes of leisure, work, immigration, Americanization, population growth, economic development, railroad history and their impact on the citizenry of the state during the Victorian era (1870’s) and the Roaring Twenties (1920’s).  Baseball reflects the society of its times from the segregated game, to its transition and to the fan violence of the 21st Century.

The Fragmented Metropolis: Los Angeles, 1850-1930

By Robert M. Fogelson

This book, published in 1967 before the massive immigration from Asia and Latin America in the last quarter of the twentieth century, covers the development of the city of Los Angeles from a sleepy town when California entered the Union to a thriving metropolis during the social upheaval of the Roaring Twenties.  The author attempts to explain why a city, without a major seaport, without a navigable river and without significant natural resources, grew into a prominent city.

Unlike San Francisco and San Diego, Los Angeles did not have a natural harbor, nor a dominant industry.  Most manufacturers concentrated their facilities east of the Rocky Mountains where most of the American population still resided.  The only manufacturing plants in southern California served the local population.  In competing for dominance in southern California, Los Angeles survived to the detriment of San Diego because of the decision of the Southern Pacific Railroad to run track throughout Los Angeles and on to the Arizona border.

A major them of the book is the social, political and spatial fragmentation of Los Angeles and southern California.  Unlike cities on the East Coast, Los Angeles did not experience the massive immigration from Europe.  Minorities were not as prominent during this time period as they are now.  Society was essentially “white”.  Docents of the Homestead Museum will get good background information to use on tour as they describe life in Los Angeles as it passed from a small Mexican community to a large U.S. city.

The City That Grew

By Boyle Workman

This book is an eyewitness account of the growth of Los Angeles from the post-Mexican era through the mid-1930’s and, as such, provides a detailed view of Los Angeles during its critical growth years. The author is the grandson of David Workman whose brother was the co-owner of Rancho La Puente.

The main events that occurred during Boyle’s lifetime was the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the completion of the aqueduct bringing water from the Owens River. Without these two construction projects, Los Angeles would not have developed as it did.

The railroad connected Los Angeles to northern California and from there to the rest of the nation, allowing Los Angeles to sell its produce nationwide. Along with the railroad, the man-made harbor of San Pedro was constructed, which enabled the city to profit from the completion of the Panama Canal. Both tourism and agriculture boomed with arrival of the railroad.

In the early 1860’s, floods followed by drought helped destroy the rancho system. These events were omens of the over-riding problem of Los Angeles and southern California, that is, the lack of water to support a booming population. That problem was addressed by the first aqueduct from the Owens Valley. An additional aqueduct in addition to water from the Colorado River enabled the Los Angeles to crack the top ten list of populous cities in the U.S.

Besides the significant construction projects, the author details the life of Los Angeles as it transitioned from a Mexican village to a major American city. The population moved from the plaza eastward to the new community of Boyle Heights, near the newly constructed Evergreen Cemetery, and southward into what is now the heart of the financial district. Immigration continued from all parts of the country and the world. The development of mineral resources started with the use of “brea”, or tar, to waterproof houses; then to oil and gas that enabled Los Angeles to take advantage of the invention of the automobile and airplane. Of course the beautiful weather promoted tourism and the newly created film industry, although movie prints were done back East.

This book details the construction of many buildings that still exist in Los Angeles, the city that continues to grow. The eyewitness accounts of life in the 19th Century makes this a must read from the Homestead docent.

The Aspirin Age: 1919-1941

Edited By Isabel Leighton

This book covers the major events of American life in the years between the two World Wars.  The events were written by twenty-two writers, encompassing each year from 1919 through 1941.  These contemporary accounts focus on people and events that the Homestead Museum docent might discuss while covering the decade of the Roaring Twenties.

Of special interest are the writings about Aimee Semple MacPherson and fundamentalist religion; Sacco and Vanzetti and the so-called “Red Menace” and xenophobia; and, Presidents Coolidge and Roosevelt and national economics.  Most of the other writings covered the years outside the main focus of the Homestead Museum Docent.

The writings that discuss economics are dated as more recent books have re-examined the 1920’s and 1930’s and have provided different frames of reference rather than the left of center writings in this book.  For example, at least two writers refer to the “forgotten man” of the Depression.  As used in these writings, the forgotten man is the victim of rapacious capitalists, whereas the correct definition of the forgotten man is the man who had to pick up the pieces and pay for the mess created by the Depression.  The incorrect definition was used in the hagiography of President Roosevelt written by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., a prominent Presidential historian.

Even though one may disagree with the political outlook of the writers, it is instructive to read this compilation of writings.  If nothing else, the contemporary accounts provide an “eyewitness” view of the major news items of the nation, as long as the reader acknowledges that these accounts are not the final word in the matter.

The Homestead Museum docent should read this book as a starting point to explore people and events that span the first part of the Twentieth Century, especially the 1920’s.  This decade was the start of the American Century, where the United States ascended to a world power after Word War I and continues to today.

The Americans: The Democratic Experience

By Daniel J. Boorstin

This book, written in 1974, is the third in a Pulitzer Prize winning trilogy about “The Americans”.  Although the author does not specifically address historical facts relating to the history covered by the Homestead tours, he gives valuable lessons on how we may interpret history.  His main theme is how the American experience, unlike the Old World experience, helps to democratize the people of America, both long-time residents and newly arrived immigrants.

The author describes how these widely diversified Americans became one through shared experiences, such as ordering products via the Sears catalog (and also using the pages for toilet paper).  These shared experiences allowed millions of citizens spread over thousands of miles to have a common culture and purpose, attributes that have allowed new arrivals to assimilate quickly in the mainstream of American society.  The American society promotes individuals from even the poorest background to develop inventions and processes that helped all of society.  There were very few barriers to new ideas and innovation.

This book should assist any Homestead Museum docent who would like to sharpen his analytical skills.  For example, the system of bartering, prevalent in the rancho period of the 1840’s, gave way to gold-based monetary exchanges in the 1870’s and, finally, to the Federal Reserve controlled monetary system of the 1920’s.  Each system had its strengths and flaws and each system must deal with the human element, which often confounds central planners.

Sixty Years in Southern California

By Harris Newmark

This is a book of reminiscences of the author, an immigrant to Los Angeles from Germany immediately after California gained statehood.  The book covers the period from 1853 to 1913, encompassing the bulk of the period which the Homestead Museum interprets (1830 to 1930).  Harris Newmark encounters many characters and observes many events, which are also touched upon by the Homestead Museum.

Harris Newmark is one of many distinguished immigrants from Germany, who helped develop Los Angeles.  Included in this group is I. W. Hellman, the great banker, entrepreneur and philanthropist, who partnered with F.P.F. Temple in the banking business.  Newmark owned a commercial establishment in what is now downtown Los Angeles, where he also resided.

The author speaks in detail about many early settlers of Los Angeles and provides insights in the Los Angeles’ transition from a Mexican pueblo into a full-fledged American city.  He remembers the people, the places and the institutions that made Los Angeles a significant, though not the leading, pueblo in Mexican California.  Among the people were William Workman and John Rowland and their respective families.  He mentions the importance of La Placita, the Catholic church that remains today at the center of Mexican culture in Los Angeles as well as the old Jewish cemetery that saw many of his fellow immigrants laid to rest.  

Of great interest to the Homestead Museum docent is the transition of Los Angeles into an American city, especially with the arrival of train service.  The train connected Los angeles with the rest of the United States, allowing the exportation of citrus fruits and the importation of more immigrants.  In the latter half of the nineteenth century, Newmark saw the first high school, the first roller skating rink and the introduction of baseball.  Los Angeles was on the road to becoming a quintessential American city.

John Rowland and Workman Workman: Southern California Pioneers of 1841

By Donald Rowland

This book is an essential read for the Homestead docent as the author covers in detail the life and times of William Workman as well as John Rowland, the author’s ancestor.  This short book is packed with details from life in New Mexico as it transitioned from Spanish rule to Mexican rule. 

Both Workman and Rowland were living in New Mexico when Texas declared its independence from Mexico and eyed some of the New Mexican territory.  William Workman came under the suspicion of the governor of New Mexico (perhaps for good reason) and fled the state along with John Rowland (using a passport previously granted to him)  Rowland had made trips as far as the Colorado River and perhaps to Los Angeles itself.

Once they arrived in California, Workman lied low while Rowland obtained the land grant for Rancho La Puente from the governor of California.  Once the memory of New Mexico faded in the distance, Workman was allowed to be added as co-owner of the Rancho by a more friendly governor, Don Pio Pico, a great friend and neighbor of Workman.  Both men were able to navigate the political turmoil of California, which battled with the central government in Mexico City and with the influx of foreign immigrants.  Ultimately the United States prevailed by defeating Mexico in war and in the peace negotiations.

The next struggle for both Workman and Rowland was to preserve the land granted to them individually and severally.  They were able to secure full title to Rancho La Puente after fifteen years of legal and bureaucratic entanglements.  However, both men lost in their efforts to retain other land grants that either were given to them after the defeat by the U.S. or were deemed essential to the U.S., such as Workman’s claim of ownership of Alcatraz Island.

Both men easily adapted to American rule and prospered after the Gold Rush as they diversified their business ventures from ranching to agriculture.  Workman, along with his son-in-law, F.P.F. Temple, extended this diversification to the banking sector, which led to their undoing and untimely deaths.  Rowland deeded much of his acreage to his many children.  Thus the great Rancho La Puente, almost fifty thousand acres of prime land, slipped through the hands of the families, leaving little wealth but a rich historical heritage.

Railroad Crossing: Californians and the Railroad 1850-1910

By William Deverall

‘Railroad Crossing’ is a history of the effects of the railroad, specifically the Southern Pacific Railroad, on the economic and political development of California.  Concurrent with these developments is the rise of the Progressive movement in California and the rest of the country.

Californians eagerly awaited the completion of the transcontinental railroad as the riches of the Gold Rush some twenty years earlier were on the decline.  California was being transformed from a land of lightly-populated ranchos to a more agricultural based economy.  The railroad would provide access to markets for California products and a source of non-foreign labor.

The awaited benefits did not come.  Shortly after the railroad was completed in 1869, California felt the effects of an economic depression, the Panic of 1873.  The impact of this Panic would eventually depress the price of silver, creating a cascade of bank failures leading ultimately to the demise of the Workman and Temple Bank in Los Angeles.

Opposition to the railroad was spearheaded by a populist movement that culminated in the election to Governor in 1910 of Progressive candidate, Hiram Johnson.  The targets of the opposition were Collis Huntington, Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford and Mark Hopkins, known as ‘The Big Four’, who dominated the economic and political landscape of California.  They were ruthless in their ambitions and underhanded in their methods.  Their legacies include a university, banks, libraries and mansions as well as a lingering distaste for greedy corporations.

Pio Pico: The Last Governor of Mexican California

By Carlos Manuel Salomon

This biography of Pio Pico describes the life of the last governor of Mexican California.  Pio Pico and his wife are buried in El Campo Santo cemetery on the Homestead.  Their remains were interred here after the closing of the old Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.

The book describes in great detail the early days of California, especially after Mexico obtained its independence from Spain and was struggling to find its place in the world.  Pio Pico and his family accumulated vast amounts of land throughout southern California as Pio Pico assumed greater roles in the government of California.  Pico’s life reflected the on-going struggle between northern and southern California that continues today.  Pico temporarily relocated the capital of California from Monterey to Los Angeles.

Pio Pico’s life spanned the time period when California was claimed by Spain, was a northern state of Mexico and then became part of the United States as the first state west of the Rockies.

No mention us made of his relationship with the Workman/Temple family, neighbors to his Rancho de Bartolo, even though Pico is buried in El Campo Santo.  The author is also remiss in not mentioning that Pio Pico had acromegaly (a pituitary gland condition unknown to the residents of California) that greatly affected Pico’s appearance.  The condition existed for most of his adult life before mysteriously disappearing and his affected features were restored to normalcy.  This condition not only changed his appearance but prevented him from having children.

Pathfinders

By Robert Glass Cleland

This book is one of a series of books the author has written about the history of California.  This volume covers the explorations by adventurers from different countries, from the earliest Spanish sea-faring explorers to the American soldier, John C. Fremont, the “Pathfinder”, prior to California’s entry into the Union.

Initial European exploration of California was by sea as nations jockeyed to assert their hegemonies over the so-called New World.  Spain was first, having been given authority by Pope Alexander VI over most of the Western Hemisphere.  Spain’s reach spanned the Pacific Ocean all the way to the Philippines and Spanish authorities sought ports along the Pacific Coast of America that would provide friendly assistance to its Manila galleons.  England, emboldened by the defeat of the Spanish Armada and increased naval strength, sought a Northwest Passage to the Orient that would also serve its interests in Canada.  Meanwhile, Russians, in pursuit of sea otters, made settlement just north of San Francisco, extending their way south from their settlements in Alaska.

In an effort to forestall this foreign encroachment, Spain decided to venture across the desert to reach and settle California by land.  This included explorations by Gaspar de Portola and Juan Bautista de Anza in the late 1760’s and 1770’s.  Portola’s expedition entered what is now the San Gabriel Valley by crossing the San Jose Creek over a wooden bridge, or “puente”, that gave its name to the site and Rancho La Puente.  The two expeditions led by de Anza brought more settlers to California.

The book concludes with a narrative written by Benjamin Wilson, who traveled overland from New Mexico with the Rowland-Workman expedition.  Wilson would become a great pioneer of Southern California with the important peak of Mt. Wilson named after him.  Since the book was written in 1929, the author did not know that Wilson’s grandson, George Patton, would serve with distinction in World War II.

This book is excellent source material for the Homestead Museum docent to understand California in the period before the arrival of William Workman.

Myth and the History of the Hispanic Southwest

Essays by David J. Weber

This is a book of nine essays that discuss the history of the Southwest before the expansion of the United Sates.  The area was claimed by Spain and became Mexico after the revolution some two hundred years ago.  The United States acquired the territory as a result of its war with Mexico.

The author discusses the importance to Americans of the myths of the West, with its cowboys and Indians and the battle of the Alamo.  The conquest of the West was part of the U.S.’s Manifest Destiny to rule from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  Therefore, the history of the West had to justify its intentions and show the pioneers in a favorable light.

The northern territory of what was once Mexico is of less importance to the Mexicans due to a paucity of population, the government’s conflict with the Church and the dominance of its military in secular affairs.

This is an excellent, thought-provoking book that an experienced docent at the Homestead Museum will find valuable.  The author discusses how history is written and how an author’s nationality, time in history and station in life affect the accumulation of facts and the use of those facts to arrive at a theory of the history under examination.  The book helps the reader evaluate other history books and the perspective of the author.

The essays also discuss the these factions of this region: the military, the Catholic Church and the indigenous people.  The history is a struggle for dominance in a huge, but lightly populated area.  There is plenty of food for thought and should provoke the inquiring docent.

My Story

By Rebecca Humphreys Turner

This is a wonderful memoir by an immigrant to southern California.  Rebecca Turner was nineteen years old when her family left Arkansas as the Civil War was starting.  The journey across the nation, with a detour through Mexico, was difficult, perilous and tragic.

The family settled in the San Gabriel Valley, while the Civil War ravaged the rest of the country.  She recounts that there was a great deal of Southern sympathy in southern California.  The family first lived in El Monte, which was a major community in the Valley.  They moved into larger quarters when a fellow Southerner allowed them to live in the Old Mill, El Molino Viejo, in what is now San Marino.

Rebecca recounts the horrible rains in 1861, which flooded the Valley.  This was followed by a terrible drought, which killed many horses and cattle.  The family knew Benjamin Wilson, who had traveled to California with William Workman and whom they describe as a kind gentleman.  Tragedy followed Rebecca to California when her brother-in-law was murdered in Los Angels.  The accused was arrested, but acquitted.

After she and William Turner wed, William Workman offered him a job as miller at the Workman Mill.  The pay was $30 per month, the use of the miller’s house plus fees for milling the crops of neighboring farmers.  Mr. Workman stopped paying the salary; so Mr. Turner, with the help of Workman’s ranch foreman, opened a general store on the premises.

One day, Mr. Turner was attacked by a customer with a knife.  During the melee, Rebecca, who was pregnant, was shot and, ultimately, lost her unborn baby boy.  The culprit was captured and lynched by, among others, the foreman of Workman’s Rancho La Puente.  This crime confirmed Rebecca’s unfavorable view of Mexicans, although she was more favorably disposed toward Native Americans.

My Seventy Years in California

By J. A. Graves

This book is a memoir of the author, an immigrant who came to California from Kentucky in 1857.  The book covers the period from 1857 to 1927, encompassing most of the period which the Homestead Museum interprets (1830 to 1930).  J. A. Graves had a front row seat at the unfolding drama of early California from the end of the rancho period through the Victorian Age to the Roaring Twenties the time periods, which are also the focus of the Homestead Museum.

The Graves family settled in northern California, but, after attending St. Mary’s College and later passing the Bar, J. A. Graves moved to Los Angeles in 1875.  When he arrived, California was feeling the effects of the Panic of 1873 and the banking crisis hit Los Angeles hard in the fall of 1875.  As a lawyer and banker, J. A. Graves had a good insight into the troubles of the Workman and Temple Bank and its inability to collect on its debts.  The author had kind words for F. P. F. Temple and William Workman as ranchers but not as bankers.

Graves’ law practice had him involved in the litigation of disputes related to the Spanish and Mexican land grants, which were contested after California was admitted into the Union.  He also did a great deal of legal works for banks, especially Hellman’s Famers & Merchants Bank.

The author was actively involved in leisure and recreational activities.  He was an avid hunter and fished both salt water and fresh water, traveling into the Sierra Nevada mountains and sailing around the islands off California.  He mentions seeing players participating in the newly invented game of “base ball”.

The book also covers the years after the completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the resulting land boom.  The railroad sent out farm goods and brought in new settlers.  The author, a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, also opines about politics, especially the rise of labor unions and socialism.

This book is an excellent source of material for the Homestead Museum Docent.

Metropolis in the Making: Los Angeles in the 1920s

Edited By Tom Sitton and William Deverell

This book is a series of essays that paint a picture of Los Angeles as it came of age in the 1920’s.  The Roaring Twenties saw Los Angeles become the preeminent city in California, surpassing San Francisco in population.  The topics cover the spectrum from the physical (the construction of Mulholland Highway) to the metaphysical (the impact of fundamental religion on society).

The docent at the Homestead Museum will glean a great deal of insight into the Los Angeles of the Twenties that will help in interpreting the era when Walter Temple came to prominence.  This era saw the formation of modern Los Angeles and southern California with immigration, religion, progressive politics, race and the funeral industry as main topics.  In fact the essay on Forest Lawn would be helpful in preparing for the “Beyond the Grave” tour.

An interesting comment was made in one essay while discussing housing in southern California.  The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was formed to mitigate the foreclosures that plagued the mortgage industry even prior to the Depression.  (See Walter Temple’s involvement in the real estate business.)  However, FHA administrators changed its policy to encourage home ownership to workers previously priced out of the market.  The country is currently reaping the whirlwind of the wind sown in the about ninety years ago.

Even though the essays were written several decades ago, the editors, who published the book in 2001, updated the topics.

Lucky Baldwin: The Story of an Unconventional Success

by C.B. Glasscock

Lucky Baldwin is a biography of Elias ‘Lucky’ Baldwin, flamboyant entrepreneur who made a fortune in Nevada’s Comstock Lode.  The book was written by C.B Glasscock, a journalist, who unfortunately did not use footnotes to reference his sources.  Nevertheless it is a readable story of the man, business man and bon vivant.

Lucky Baldwin came to San Francisco in 1853, not with the intention of searching for gold, but rather to supply the needs of the miners.  His fortune was amassed by a fortuitous investment in a Nevada silver mine that was part of the Comstock Lode.  He used part of his fortune to build the first luxury hotel in San Francisco and a posh resort in the Lake Tahoe area.

Homestead Museum Docents know the story of Lucky Baldwin’s involvement with the Temple and Workman bank.  F.P.F. Temple visited Baldwin in San Francisco and negotiated a loan that he hoped would save the bank.  The failure of the bank allowed Lucky Baldwin to acquire William Workman’s share of Rancho La Puente along with other land pledged as loan collateral.

The land he owned in southern California produced the food for his hotel and resort.  His greater love turned out to be for race horses.  He was a successful owner and went on to found Santa Anita racetrack.  His land also extended to what is now Los Angeles County Arboretum, site of filming for ‘Fantasy Island’, a fitting tribute for a man who found his fantasy in California.