Author: Rick Rockwell
Sacred Native American Sites In California
California Native American sacred sites are living bonds between the present and the past, intersections within the physical and spiritual realms, dwelling places between remembrance and the divine, and foundations for transformation and transcendence. In many cases, like with Mount Shasta, sacred sites are also origin points for...
California Pow Wows: 2026 Guide to Native American Events & Traditions
California pow wows are vibrant cultural gatherings that bring together Native American communities to celebrate tradition, dance, music, and heritage. Held throughout the year across the state, these events offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience living traditions while respectfully learning about Indigenous cultures. Whether...
Native American Names of Places in California
California his home to 58 counties, nearly 500 cities or towns, and thousands of Natural Landmarks like lakes, rivers, mountains and valleys. And, with the state being rich in Native American history and cultures, it should come as no surprise that there’s a healthy percentage of California place names with a Native American origin. ...
The Legendary Life and Mysterious Death of Chief Solano
The first 50 years of the 19th century was a tumultuous time in California’s history to say the least. Up until 1821, the region was under Spanish reign. Then Mexico gained its independence from Spain and enjoyed nearly 25 years of ruling over California before the Bear Flag Rebellion and eventual statehood. Throughout those...
The Butler Claim: Is There Still Immense Sums of Buried Gold?
When it comes to legends of buried gold or lost treasure, the Butler Claim is one of those tales that seems to have eternal life. Generations of treasure hunters have searched for Butler’s buried fortune since the 1850s. As of this writing, nobody has found the “immense sums” of buried gold that was left behind after Butler...
Kingston: Robbed of Their Existence and Money!
Kingston was a river town that grew out of necessity only to disappear just as quickly as it rose to prominence. Nowadays, all that’s left of this ghost town are a few trees, cement remnants of an infrastructure, a historic marker, a seasonal park and the whispers of its heyday. However, where many California ghost towns quietly...
“The Greatest Robbery of the Century”: John Winters’ Selby Heist
In the summer of 1901, a former refinery worker named John “Jack” Winters, also known as “Buck Taylor,” staged one of the boldest gold thefts in American history. In the predawn hours of August 5, he penetrated the vault of the Selby Smelting Works on Carquinez Strait in Contra Costa County and made off with …...
The John Marsh House: Stone, Style, and the Story of Early California
Rising from a peaceful setting east of Mount Diablo, is a picturesque landmark of California’s frontier era that encompasses more than just 3,000 acres, it also doubles as a window to the 1850s with its pristine grounds and remarkable house built with stone, style and love. The John Marsh House, affectionately known as the Stone...
John Marsh: Physician, Ranchero, and His Buried Treasure
Dr. John Marsh (June 5, 1799 – September 24, 1856), later known as Don Juan Marsh, was a man of many firsts. He was the first American-born permanent settler in Contra Costa County, the first California doctor to practice Western medicine, and an instrumental figure in the movement to incorporate California into statehood. Marsh’s...
California’s Haunted Hotels: Where to Check In… and Not Sleep!
There’s something unforgettable about staying in California’s historic hotels—the creak of old staircases, the charm of another era, and the scent of ocean air or towering redwoods. But some of these places offer more than just history. Across the state, many of the most haunted hotels in California are known not only for their...
