Today, we have historian Dr. Sandra Bonura on the show. Dr. Bonura is a frequent storyteller and lecturer on the importance of using a multitude of primary sources to gain perspective on historical events, and the author of the 2020 biography of John D. Spreckles (the Hotel Del Coronado’s longest owner) entitled, “Empire Builder: John D. Spreckels and the Making of San Diego” and more recently "The Sugar King of California: The Life of Claus Spreckels." Please enjoy our conversation.
In the episode, we sketch a brief bio of the poet and writer Joaquin Miller and read some of his more famous poems.
In this introductory episode, we complete some table setting by looking at some of the history and development of railroads before diving into California...
In this episode, we explore the mission of San Juan Capistrano and broader patterns of the mission system.