Historical Gems of the San Francisco Bay Area

by Richard Di Giacomo

Overview

The San Francisco Bay Area is loaded with fascinating and unique historical sites that represent a broad range of historical events and eras. A resident of the Bay Area or a tourist in town for a few days can see a wide range of historical sites all within a day's drive of San Francisco. This book may also be useful for a teacher or parent who is looking for an educational field trip which ties in with the child's curriculum in a history, literature, or science class. Others may find it interesting to learn more about the Native Americans or pioneer settlers in a local community. So, whether you are just curious about what is inside that old historical house in your neighborhood, want to know how a specific historical event played out in your area, or are just looking for an interesting day trip, this book has something for you. Many people are familiar with the more famous sites in California. It is not uncommon to see tourists make a trip to see all of the California missions or Gold Rush towns, but there are also scores of lesser-known sites within the Bay Area that highlight a particular historical event or offer a comprehensive overview of the history of that town or region. More than just a tour guide, the book is broken into sections with essays that acquaint the reader with the history that is covered by the representative museums or sites. DiGiacomo goes beyond the traditional city, county, state, and national museums and historic sites that feature famous people, historic homes and events. He also covers museums devoted to agriculture, business, Hispanic California, immigration, military posts, mining, Native Americans, transportation, sports, as well as science and technology. He thoughtfully includes key information on each museum such as its location, web address, hours of operation, cost, and what a visitor can expect to encounter. Over 230 historical sites are listed. This new 4th edition includes many updates and new locations. It also contains many more photographs of the sites you would like to add to your "must see: list.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781532943195
Publisher:	Magnifico Publications
Publication date:	07/01/2015
Pages:	291
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Richard Di Giacomo graduated from San José State University with a BA in Ancient and Medieval history, a BA in Social Science and an MA in American History. He has been a teacher for over 25 years and has taught in a variety of schools from private and continuation schools to public high schools. He has taught everything from at risk and limited English students to honors and college preparatory classes. The subjects he has taught include US and World History, Government, Economics, Bible and Ethics, History of the Cold War, and Contemporary World History. He has been a reviewer and contributor to textbooks, and a frequent presenter at social studies conferences on the use of simulations, videos, and computers in education. Rich's love for California history and museums led to the creation of this book.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The San Francisco Bay Area Before Spanish Contact
The Spanish and Mexican Periods
The Gold Rush Era
Settlers From Around the World
World War One and the Early Twentieth Century
World War Two
The Cold War and the Postwar Boom
From the Counter Culture to Silicon Valley and Beyond
Museums and Historical Sites Listed by Category
Individual Museum Listings
Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

This thorough guidebook identifies and describes in some depth museums in the eleven counties bordering San Francisco and Monterey Bays. The book's main section lists museums alphabetically and provides their location, contact information, hours, costs, gift shop (if any), their permanent exhibits, their strong or unique features, and any research facilities they offer.

The book begins with a series of short chapters organized by periods in California's development, beginning with geology and pre-contact Native Americans and continuing to "The Counter-Culture, Silicon Valley, and Beyond." Each of these chapters contains a brief overview essay followed by a checklist of museums relevant to the era. Checklists include a place for museum staff to sign, certifying school children's visits.

Other chapters list museums by county and by such categories as famous literary figures (including John Muir, Jack London, Robinson Jeffers, Walt Disney and Charles Shultz), and business successes (including Levi's Plaza Store and Archives, and the Wells, Fargo History Museum). Other categories include railroads, ships (you can visit the mothball fleet at Martinez), agriculture, mines, firefighters, historic homes, historic sites, and scientific discoveries. It helps that the lists cross-reference many of the museums: Lick Observatory is listed as an historic site, and, separately, as a place of scientific discovery, and the Haas-Lilienthal house is listed both as an historic house and as the home of a business tycoon. Museums are not limited to California topics: world history sites include the Rosicrucian's Egyptian Museum in San Jose, the Hakone Japanese Gardens in Saratoga, and the Hoover Institute at Stanford University in Palo Alto.

The book includes some museum photos, but its function as an exhaustive cross-referenced guide minimizes the role of imagery. Museum websites can be a useful supplement. The book is a wonderful compilation, and anyone interested in California history will profit from owning it. One can only marvel at Mr. Di Giacomo's dedication—and stamina!—in creating it for us.

California History in Action - A. C. W. Bethel