Mary Ellen Pleasant: the mother of human rights in California

Black History Month is being celebrated during the month of February throughout the United States. Historian Carter G. Woodson proposed... Continue

It’s time for a “walkabout”

There’s an enormous array of soirees, get-togethers, events, showcases, and exhibits that share a theme of history and cultural.... Continue

The Great Chain of Being

I just heard on the news that more and more Americans are beginning to mark “other” when asked to disclose ones race. The concept... Continue

What is a tribe?

Anthropologists have long been interested in how prehistoric populations collectively made decisions with their associations and with... Continue

Mr. and Mrs. Boyes

Resting in eternal peace, adjacent to Mariano Vallejo, lies the grave of Capt. Henry Ernest Boyes. Boyes could trace his roots to... Continue

Love and lust in old California

In the next few months, as we prepare to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Fort Ross here in Sonoma, my columns shall touch upon... Continue

Lotta Crabtree

Lately I have been rather mesmerized by the beauty of the Blue Wing Inn. Standing next to the barren adobe walls, it is so easy to... Continue

Queen Victoria and Queen Anne leave their mark in Sonoma

The American West in the mid-19th century adopted Victorian era architectural styles and associated ideologies. A scarcity of women,... Continue

Christmas at the Mission

In the winter of 1827, the relatively new mission near the base of our hills was frozen. It was Christmas Eve morning at Mission San... Continue

Walls of mud

This week’s column has been resurrected from a 2009 theme centered on mud. I was recently interviewed in front of one of the most... Continue