Currently browsing California History Archives
Happy Birthday to a Man Whose Humor And Compassion Moved a Nation — Still Funny After All These Years
November 4 is the 132nd anniversary of the birth of Will Rogers, the lariat-twirling cowboy poet and humorist.
Vaudeville star, actor, syndicated columnist, radio personality, stand-up comic and humanitarian, Rogers was an American original.
His folksy political humor is as funny – and true – today as it was 80 years ago. Read more »
Happy Birthday Governor Pacheco!
October 31 is the 170th anniversary of the birth of José Antonio Romualdo Pacheco Jr., California’s 12th governor, who is the first – and only – Latino or Hispanic to hold the office since statehood in 1850.
Born in Santa Barbara, Pacheco was also the state’s first native governor. During his time in the House of Representatives, Pacheco chaired the Committee on Private Land Claims, making him the first Hispanic to chair a standing congressional committee. Read more »
The Streets of Los Angeles
California’s largest city was officially founded in September 1781. As clichés go, sleepy hamlet would be the most apt. There were 44 original settlers, evenly split among adults and children.
Over the years, it became an agricultural and cattle ranching center.
The 1834 wedding of Maria Alvarado to Pio Pico, last governor of Alta California under Mexican rule, was attended by all 800 residents of the pueblo. Read more »
Temperance, Methodists, Compton and Richland Farms
Compton is the second oldest city in Los Angeles County.*
It is named after Griffith Dickenson Compton, a Methodist minister who led a group of 30 pioneers to the area in 1867.
(At left, with his wife.)
Previously, Compton – population 96,455 in 2010 – was part of the 75,000-acre Rancho San Pedro, which was deeded in 1784 by the Spanish crown to Juan Jose Dominguez, a soldier. Read more »
Where Tarzana Gets It’s Name
The land comprising today’s Tarzana in the San Fernando Valley was originally part of the San Fernando Mission, consecrated in 1797.
One hundred years later, the area was a large wheat farm.
In 1909, Gen. Harrison Gray Otis entered the picture. The founder and publisher of the Los Angeles Times, Otis was an investor in the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company, which had purchased the land around present-day Tarzana. Read more »
Some California Place Names That Puzzle
There are some redundant and silly California place names, sometimes in Spanish and sometimes caused by the combination of Spanish and English words.
As pointed out in a previous post, La Brea Tar Pits means “The Tar Tar Pits.”
Also from the redundancy file is El Cerrito Hills: “Little Hill Hills.” Read more »
Guess Who Helped Launch Jerry Brown’s Statewide Political Career?
California’s Republican Secretary of State, Frank M. Jordan, died in office on March 29, 1970. He had held the office since 1943.
His father, Frank C. Jordan, was Secretary of State from 1910 to January 18, 1940. He also died in office but not before setting the record for longest continuous service of any Secretary of State in the nation. Read more »
California Place Names: San Quentin — Sans “San” and Avec “San”
Initially Point Quentin, where San Quentin state prison is located, was named for a Miwok Indian warrior named Quentin who was captured there. Quentin fought for Chief Marin.
As it is with San Ramon – first named for Ramon, a local sheepherder – Quentin’s “San” came late.
Saint Quentin is Quintinus, supposedly the son of a Roman senator named Zeno. Read more »
Another Spanish Explorer’s Contributions to California Place Names
The 1769 expedition led by Gaspar de Portola from San Diego to Monterey, of which Father Junipero Serra was a member, is responsible for a number of California place names.
Spain was eager to establish missions and outposts in what was then Alta California to avoid the territory being claimed by the English, who had recently taken Canada. Read more »
Another At Least Quasi-Biblical California Place Name: San Joaquin
At a population of just over 4,000, San Joaquin is Fresno County’s smallest city. Created in 1850, San Joaquin County, with a population of some 650,000 is one of California’s original counties.
Both are named after Saint Joachim, supposedly the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Neither Joachim nor his wife Anne — also a saint — are mentioned in the Bible. Read more »
- Capitol Cliches (16)
- Conversational Currency (3)
- Great Moments in Capitol History (4)
- News (1,288)
- Budget and Economy (383)
- California History (139)
- Demographics (11)
- Fundraising (74)
- Governor (122)
- Legislature/Legislation (270)
- Politics (173)
- State Agencies (38)
- Opinionation (36)
- Overheard (246)
- Today's Latin Lesson (45)
- Restaurant Raconteur (21)
- Spotlight (110)
- Trip to Tokyo (8)
- Venting (184)
- Warren Buffett (43)
- Welcome (1)
- Words That Aren't Heard in Committee Enough (11)
© 2007-2024 californiascapitol.com | Website design by BKB Design Group | Header desgin by Joan Guelden