Books

Marriage, Murder, and Betrayal in Nineteenth-Century California

Scotsman James Black arrived in Monterey, California on New Years Day, 1832, dying of typhus. Over the next forty years, Black hunted sea otters, defended San Francisco against invading Russians, married (twice), raised cattle and a strong-willed daughter.

At the peak of his wealth and influence, the death of his wife drove him to alcohol, bringing years of notoriety and pain to his family. Click HERE for more information and to purchase Marriage, Murder, and Betrayal.

Journal Across the Plains, 1852

In Journal Across the Plains, pre-teen brothers John and Dominique Verdenal document the day-to-day events of the El Dorado wagon train traveling between St. Louis, Missouri and Placerville, California in 1852.​​ Detailed footnotes as well as numerous illustrations and maps deepen the readers’ cross-country experience.  Biographies of the boys, their parents and selected individuals met on the trail make the history personal.​​​​​ Click HERE for more information and to purchase a copy.