Historic spots in California (Google eBook)

Mildred Brooke Hoover, Douglas E. Kyle

Stanford University Press, 2002 - History - 661 pages

The only complete guide to the historical landmarks of California, this standard work has now been thoroughly revised and updated. The edition is enriched by some 200 photographs, most of which were taken by the reviser and all of which are new to this edition.

Since the last revision in 1990, enormous changes have taken place within the state: many landscapes and buildings have been greatly altered and some are no longer in existence. Every effort has been made, through personal observation, to record the present condition of the landmarks and to provide clear and accurate descriptions of their locations. The text is written with the idea that the reader might use the book while traveling around the state, and thus mileage and signposts have been given where it was thought helpful. For this new edition, the reviser has added additional information on the state’s geography, the presence of Native Americans, and state and local museums.

To provide historical background, the reviser has written a short historical overview. The chapters of the book are organized by county, in alphabetical order. A rough chronology is followed for each county, beginning with pertinent facts on geography, continuing with Native American life, the coming of the Spaniards and other Europeans, the American conquest of the 1840s, and, in those areas where it had a major impact, the gold rush. The text then continues into the period of intensive agricultural development, railroads, industrialization, the growth of cities, the effects of World War II, and on into more recent times.

The bibliography, like the text, has been updated to 2001 and includes some of the established classics in California history as well as more recent material.

Reviews of the Fourth Edition

“Prodigious in detail and scope, this is the definitive guide to historical landmarks in California and a valuable resource not only for travelers but also for anyone interested in California history.” —California Highways

“This is an outstanding and accessible piece of scholarship, one that every student of California will value.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Kyle and Stanford University Press are to be lauded for this monumental undertaking.” —Southern California Quarterly

What people are saying

User Review -

Francis Drake never set foot in what we known today as California, let alone Drakes Bay, Cove, Estro or Point Reyes.
The book by Garry Gitzen "Francis Drake in Nehalem Bay 1579, Setting the Historical Record Straight" has been described by the Oregon Archaeological Society as being magnificent and without parallel in which ever school and library in the state of Oregon (and California) should have a copy.
Wayne Jensen, former Director of the Tillamook Pioneer Museum theorized Drake made a land survey in 1579 on Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon which the book documents.
You may view the entire 248 page book online at www.FortNehalem.net  

User Review -

California historians will need to read "Francis Drake in Nehalem Bay 1579" in order to understand that Francis Drake neither set foot nor sailed the Golden Hinde into any California bay.
A limited number of Advance Reading Copies(ARC) are available to professional and amateur historians.

About the author

Douglas E. Kyle, who also revised the fourth edition, taught history and political science at Merritt College, Oakland, for almost forty years before his retirement.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Historic spots in California
• Editors: Mildred Brooke Hoover, Douglas E. Kyle
• Contributors: Mildred Brooke Hoover, Douglas E. Kyle
• Edition: 5, illustrated
• Publisher: Stanford University Press, 2002
• ISBN: 0804778175, 9780804778176
• Length: 661 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / State & Local / General; Travel / Museums, Tours, Points of Interest; Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)