USED BOOKS ON CALIFORNIA HISTORY
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California Indians: See
Native American History
California: A History, by Andrew F. Rolle. Thomas
Y. Crowell, 1969. Second edition, hardcover with dust jacket. 739 pages. Light
wear to boards and dust jacket, mostly at edges and corners. Jacket, which is
protected by Brodart sleeve, is rubbed a bit and the spine is sunned. End papers
are maps on colored paper with some commentary. This is a comprehensive history
of California from its discovery until the hippie movement of the 1960's.
Special attention is paid to Native Americans in California, exploration,
Spanish and Mexican California, the Gold Rush, American conquest, agriculture,
urban growth, labor, the depression years, the war years, and the post war
years. Illustrations are black and white, and include many photographs and maps.
739 pages. BT-3424. $15.00-U (C)
The
Caretakers After the Russian-American Company, edited by Kaye Tomlin.
Published by the Fort Ross Interpretive Association, 1993. The cover photo was
taken at Fort Ross in 1911. The Official's Barracks are in the foreground. Kaye Tomlim wrote the first section on the Ranch Era at Fort Ross which covers the
Sutter Period (1841-1845), the Benitz Period (1845-1867), the Dixon / Fairfax
Period (1867-1973), and the Call Period (1873-1979). Lyn Kalani edited the
section on Fort Ross State Historic Park. This includes information on the
Earthquake of 1906, reconstruction of the chapel, the Rotchev House, Russian
building restorations, the Call House Complex, archaeology at Fort Ross, and
Fort Ross as the historical park. Black and white historic photographs are
found throughout the book. 42 pages. Condition is like new. BTH-2903. $15.00-U
Committee
of Vigilance: Revolution in San Francisco, 1851
by George
R. Stewart. Houghton Mifflin, 1964, second printing. When outlaws
seemed to do as they pleased and laws weren't enforced, beleaguered citizens --
103 upstanding ones -- took law enforcement into their own hands to try to bring
order to their city and prevent the murder and robbery which had been rampant.
After a period of 100 days, during which they had the support of most citizens
and were opposed by the official government, they had managed to bring about
enough change to quietly renounce their power and fade away as they resumed
their normal lives. This is the story of their near revolution in their quest
for law and order. 339 pages. Contains 15 illustrations and a map of San
Francisco in 1851. Hardcover with dust jacket protected in Mylar sleeve. Very
good condition: Very light wear to edges of dust jacket, which is protected by
Mylar sleeve. Deckle edges. BTH-3743. $24.99-U (B)
 The
Decline of the Californios: A Social History of the Spanish-Speaking
Californians, 1846-1890 by Leonard Pitt. University of California, 1966,
first edition. This book deals with the early struggles of the Spanish-speaking
people of California. It focuses on the reasons why the native-born Californios
lost their numerical supremacy, land, political influence, and cultural
dominance, and, instead, became a disadvantaged social group. Condition is
VG/G+: Board corners are very lightly bumped. Dust jacket, now in Brodart
sleeve, has some rubbing , chipping, color-flaking and some small tears. 324
pages with B/W photo insert. BT-3451. $35.00-U (B)
Donner
Pass and those who crossed it: The Story of the country made notable by the STevens party, the Donner Party, the Gold-hunters, and the Railroad Builders
With old and new illustrations showing the Pass in summer and winter by
George R. Stewart. California Historical Society, 1960, first edition.
Hardcover, no dust jacket, as issued. 96 pages. This book is aimed at visitors
to the Donner Monument and Donner's Pass with the hope of giving visitors some
idea of what they cannot see -- the struggles of the men, women, and children of
the Stevens Party and the Donner Party who starved and died by the lake; the
Forty-niners who came for gold; and Charlie Crocker and the Chinese who built
the railroad. There is also information on more recent events. Maps, sketches,
and photos also help to bring the pass to life. Physical description: Light wear
to boards, especially at corner tips. There are a few light discolored spots on
the back board, a couple of which look like white smears. Inside of book appears
not to have been read. BT-3495. $29.99-U (B)
 Factories in the
Field: The Story of Migratory Farm Labor in California by Carey
McWilliams. Little, Brown, 1939, first edition. 334 pages. Hardcover with dust
jacket. The author was appointed Commissioner of Immigration and Housing in
California in 1939. He deals with the labor problems of his time, their roots in
California history, and most especially with the plight of California's migrant
farm workers. Condition: VG/G+ : Light wear to cloth-covered boards, mostly at
corners. Small stains on rear free end paper. Small wrinkle on front paste-down.
Dust jacket, protected in Brodart, shows moderate wear with some chipping and
small closed tears at edges. Small stains on bottom edge. BT-3423/ $32.50-U (B)
Fort Ross: California Outpost of Russian Alaska 1812-1841
by E.O. Essig, Adele Ogden, and Clarence John DuFour. Paper, Limestone Press,
1991. Reprint, 106 pages. This small volume is a reprint of a special issue of
the Quarterly of the California Historical Society, Volume I11, number 3, pp.
189-376, September, 1933. It was first published in San Francisco. It also
appeared as an offprint under the title The Russians in California., compiled by
Dr. Charles L. Camp. it depicted the Russian activities on the California coast
from 1803 to 1841, when the settlement at Fort Ross was disposed of. This
booklet is a useful introduction to the history of Fort Ross and the Russian
venture in Alaska and on the coast of California. The book contains a basic
bibliography, a Russian map of early California, and several illustrations,
including two early pictures of the fort. The book is fully indexed. Condition
is very good except for the following: Edges of cover are sunned. Price
tag was removed from front cover leaving a small discolored area behind.
BT-3403. $44.50-U (B)
From Mexican Days to the Gold Rush: Memoirs of James Wilson
Marshall and Edward Gould Buffum, Who Grew up With California, edited by
Doyce B. Nunis, Jr. Lakeside Press, 1993. First Edition, VG +. Not issued with jacket. 389
indexed pages with several black and white illustrations. These books were first published
separately in 1850 and 1870. OP. BT- 455, $20.00 (B)
Garden of the Sun
by Wallace Smith, Mid-Cal
Publishers, 1960, 4th edition. Hardcover with jacket protected by Brodart
sleeve. VG/VG. 567 pages plus index. Maroon cloth binding with gilt lettering on
spine. Small erasure on corner of front free end paper. Otherwise very clean.
Jacket, protected in Brodart sleeve, has some rubbing and a few light stains and
smears that aren't very noticeable.
This book tells the story of the San Joaquin Valley, one of the
world's richest agricultural areas, and the stories of the pioneers, promoters,
and others who made it what it has become. The book covers the time period
between 1772 and 1939. Subjects covered include exploration, missions,
settlement, trappers, trails, Indian life, land grants, helldorado, steam boats,
stage coaches, outlaws, ranching, railroading, Mussel Slough tragedy, politics,
irrigation, black gold, agriculture, and industry. BT-3404. $69.50-U (C)
 The
Gaviota Land: A Glimpse into California History From a Bend on El Camino Real
by Merlyn Chesnut Publisher: Santa Barbara 1994, c.1993. Near Fine in Near
Fine dust jacket. Fithian Press Second Printing. Hardcover. Dust jacket is
protected by Mylar sleeve. ; Large 8vo 9" - 10" ; 253 pages; This book is a
comprehensive history of the Gaviota, California area, including Gaviota Pass,
Beach, and Wharf. It also discusses Las Cruces and Vista de las Cruces School,
Alcatraz Landing, Cojo and the Channel Islands, San Julian and Hollister Ranches
and the old Gaviota Store. It is illustrated with over 175 historic photographs
, maps, and documents. The book was signed by the author April 10, 1994. on the
front free end paper. His business card, with his name, address, and phone
number in Lompoc is tucked inside. ; Signed by Author. BT-3566. $84.15
 Gonzales
Centennial Book 1874-1974: A Pictorial Look at Gonzales' First Hundred Years
by Art Brusa (Introduction) and Brian Arthur Juri and published by The Gonzales
Centennial Committee in 1974. This book offers a brief history of Gonzales and
its characteristics. The author explains the early days of the land grant and
then the development of the town itself. This is followed by some unrelated but
important facts. then Juri explains the four phases of the growth of Gonzales.
Scattered throughout the book are the historic photographs of events and people
important in the history of the town. The book is dedicated to Miss Grace V.
Widemann who served as teacher and principal in Gonzales from 1902-1952.
The last page of the book includes lists of the doctors and mayors who served
the town in the period the book covers. 52 pages. Condition is almost like new.
Click on picture to enlarge. BTH-2902. $20.00-U
History of California, Vol. 1 - Vol. VII, part of the works of
Hubert Howe Bancroft, published at Santa Barbara by Wallace Hebberd 1963 - 1970.
Allan Nevins offers the following information on this set on the jacket flap of
Vol I: " We can say that every Californian who is truly interested in the past,
present, and future of his great State ought to own all seven of these
volumes....In their own special fashion and style, they have some pages which
are to be compared with Francis Parkman; they will rivet the attention both of
the youthful and the mature reader. The last two volumes are especially rich in
memorable portraiture of characters. The presentation of such native
Californians as the gallant Vallejo, such sturdy Americans as Thomas Larkin,
such richly picturesque figures as Sutter and Fremont, and such dashing leaders
as William Tecumseh Sherman, leaves nothing to be desired...." Volume I is
introduced by Edmund G. Brown, who was then governor of California. First
published in San Francisco by the History Company 1886-1890, this is a facsimile
of that edition. Volumes average about 775 pages each.
 Overall
the volumes in this set are VG/VG with dust jackets protected in Mylar. The
jacket of Volume II has some brown paper stuck to the back of it, as you will
see in the image, and the jacket back is also puckered. This has not had any
effect on the book itself. These books are part of a larger set containing the
complete works of Bancroft. The History of California consists of
volumes XVIII - XXIV of that set. The seven volumes of the History of California
cover the period between 1542 and 1890. Except for the previously mentioned
defect in the jacket of Vol. II, there are very few defects in the set. Most of
the jackets are clean, but two or three have some small stains or smudges that
are not too noticeable. The cloth boards are light brown with black bands and
gilt lettering on the spine. They are all in very good condition. Vol. I has
lightly soiled block edges, but other than that all pages are clean and
unmarked. There is no writing or previous owner information in any of the
volumes. It is not easy to find all of these volumes in a set, so if you are
interested in owning this set, it might be good to grab it while it's still
available. BT-3279. $499.99-U. Shipping is $12.00 media mail in the United
States.
History of California: The Rise and Progress of An
American State in five volumes by Zoeth Skinner Eldredge, printed by
John C. Raskin for The Century History Company, New York. Date not stated, but
introduction by editor is dated January, 1915. Books have 3/4 leather trim
with cloth spine and leather label on spine. The rest of cover is a
marbled paper that matches the end papers. Lettering on spine and California
State seal on front are gilt. Deckle edges. Top edge is gilt. Was
sold for $185.00. I have left it here just for reference. I
do not have it available for sale any longer. Here are the details for the individual books.
Vol.I. Content: This book covers the very early history of
California to about 1782. It explains what led up to California's name; the
discovery of California; the Philippine ships; Philip II --his character, empire
and his successors; the Friar missionaries; the expulsion of the Jesuits; the
Russian, French and English threats; the beginning of free government; Galvez's
plan to take and keep possession of California; the "Sacred Expedition" of
Father Junipero Serra; the discovery of San Francisco Bay; the founding of the
first presidio and mission, Anza's expedition from Sonora to Monterey; the first
San Francisco settlers; the founding of San Francisco; and the beginning of law.
Frontispiece is a portrait of D. Jose de Galvez. there are 26 other pictures and
maps in the book, including a fold-out map of Anza's route. Pictures are
protected by tissues. 486 pages.
Condition: Overall between good and very good. Interior is very
good and free of any writing except for old bookseller notations in pencil.
There is moderate wear to the exterior, especially the leather parts, which are
beginning to wear away, most noticeably on the corners and on and near spine.
Boards are exposed on corners. The first image is of the front cover. The second
is of part of the back cover near spine. Volume One has more of this sort of
damage than the other four volumes do. The tissue protecting the frontispiece
has a small tear in the bottom.
 Vol. II.
Content: The Table of Contents is very detailed and each chapter covered a
number of subtopics. These are the chapter titles:
1. The Spanish Governors
2. Growth of the Missions
3. Life at the Missions
4. The Russians Arrive
5. A Semblance of Self-Government
6. Figueroa and Colonization
7. Downfall of the Missions
8. Oregon and the Trail Makers
9. Alavarado and Home Rule.
10. A House Divided
Appendix : The Secularization Laws
Frontispiece is a portrait of Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. There
are 30 other illustrations, including portraits of Abel Stearns, Alfred
Robinson, Juan Bandini, José Castro, Richard Henry Dana, Jr.,
George Vancouver, Captain William G. Dana, George Yount, José
Antonio Carrillo, Juan Bautista Alvarado, Thomas O. Larkin, and many more. There
are also picture of some of the missions, Fort Ross in 1857, Yerba Buena in
1837, and Sutter's Fort. 488 pages.
Condition: Interior very good. No writing on
pages except for old bookseller notations. There is moderate wear to the
exterior, especially the leather parts, which are beginning to chip away,
especially on the corners and on and near spine. Boards are exposed on corners.
Some damage similar to that in the second image with Vol. I is evident on the
back near spine, but not as much as on Vol. 1.
 Vol.
III. Content: Chapter titles are as follows:
1. The Bear Flag
2. The Change of Flag
3. The Settlers and Military Rule
4. The Discovery of Gold
5.The Great Migration
6. The Constitution
7. Forty-Nine and Spring of Fifty
8. Admitted to the Union
9. The Struggle for Order
10. Personal and Party Politics
Appendix: Buchanan to Larkin
The frontispiece is a portrait of Peter J. Burnett in 1849.
There are also over forty other illustrations, including pictures of John C.
Fremont in 1846, John B. Montgomery, Kit Carson, John D. Sloat, Samuel f. Du
Pont, Robert F Stockton, Washington A Bartlett, Stephen W Kearny, Selim E.
Woodworth, Richard B. Mason, Stephen C. Foster, S. Clinton Hastings, Herny L.
Dodge, and many more. Illustrations of places include San Francisco in 1846,
Custom House in Monterey, Los Angeles in 1853, Santa Barbara Mission, Fort Hall,
Coloma in 1857, Fort Laramie, San Francisco in 1849, and more. There is a
fold-out map of the Overland Trail. 508 pages.
Condition: Condition: Interior very good. No
writing on pages except for old bookseller notations, but there are some smears
on some of the pages before the text starts. the half-title and title pages have
a small chip at the bottom edge where I accidentally put my thumb nail.
Deckle edge is getting dark. There is moderate wear to the exterior,
especially the leather parts, which are beginning to chip away, especially on
the corners and on and near spine. Boards are exposed on corners. Some damage
similar to that in the second image with Vol. I is evident on the back near
spine, but not much.
 Vol. IV.
Content: Chapter headings are as follows:
1. General Progress
2. The Vigilance Committee of 1856
3. Broderick
4. Civil War Times
5. Comstock Lode
6. The Pacific Railroad
7. Chinese Immigration and the Sand-Lot Agitation
8. The New Constitution
9. Trade and Transportation
10. The Colorado Desert
11. Indian Affairs -- Political History
12. Evolution of Society
The frontispiece is a portrait of John Bidwell. There are over
50 other illustrations, including several portraits and places. 509 pages.
Condition: Interior very good. No
writing on pages except for old bookseller notations. There is moderate
wear to the exterior, especially the leather parts, which are beginning to chip
away, especially on the corners and on and near spine. Boards are exposed on
corners. Deckle edge is getting dark.
 Vol. V.
Content: This volume contains a variety of topics such as Viticulture in
California; A Brief History of Astronomy in California; Irrigation in
California; The Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco in 1906; the City of Los
Angeles; California Books and Authors; The Panama Canal; The Indians of
California; The Development of the Petroleum Industry in California; The Geology
of California; The Agronomics of California; The Mormons in the History of
California; The California Fruit Industry; California's Mining History; and
more. The index for the entire set is also in the end of this volume. The
frontispiece for this volume is a portrait of Darius Ogden Mills. there
are four plates related to the Panama Canal, and seven other illustrations. 643
pages.
Condition: Condition: Interior
very good. No writing on pages except for old bookseller notations. There
is moderate wear to the exterior, especially the leather parts, which are
beginning to chip away, especially on the corners and on and near spine. Boards
are exposed on corners. Deckle edge is getting dark.
 John Sutter of California, by Glenn Clairmonte.
Published by Nelson in 1954. Learn about the man who arrived in California in
1839 and built an empire in the wilderness near Sacramento. It was on his land
the California Gold Rush started.
Reading
level is middle and upper elementary. .
185 pages. .Good HC in Poor
dust jacket
Green cover has
a stain at top of spine extending a bit onto the back. Back top side corner of
cover has a wrinkle. There is other light edge and corner wear. Jacket has
tears, some of which have been repaired with tape. It is also price-clipped.
There is a name stamp, white-out, and some erasures on ffep, and there is a
store name label on back paste-down. There is some ink residue on the half-title
after the contents page, just before the text begins. BT-763. $14.84-U (B)
 The Los
Angeles Barrio 1850-1890: A Social History by Richard Griswold del
Castillo. University of California Press, 1979, first edition. Hardcover with
dustjacket protected in Mylar. 217 pages. This book traces the emergence of a
Chicano community in Los Angeles through a combination of traditional historical
investigation and methods of quantitative analysis. Illustrated with 14 black
and white photos. Contains three maps and 36 tables. Chapter titles: El Pueblo
de Los Angeles; Exclusion form a Developing Economy; Changes in the Urban
Family; An Emerging Ethnic Consciousness; Isolation: Geographic, Political,
Spiritual; Conclusion.
Condition is very good: Light wear to dust jacket, which is
protected by a mylar sleeve, with some light soiling on back. BT-3270. $25.00-U
(B)
 Murphys
Queen of the Sierra: A History of Murphys, Calaveras County, California
by Richard Coke Wood. First published by Calaveras Californian in Angels Camp,
1948. Reprinted in Lodi by Abrahamson Printing in 1982. Almost new condition.
This small booklet covers the following subjects in pertaining
to the history of Murphys: discovery, mining laws, water, mining in the later
period, fire, crime and miner's justice, lumber, big trees, roads and
transportation, schools, churches, townsite, other organizations and
institutions, and pioneers. There are extensive notes and a bibliography, as
well as maps and photos. BT-3400. $15.00-U (A)
 Pioneer
California
by Margaret Roberts. Padre Productions, 1982. Hardcover
student edition, no dust jacket. Retired from public library. The author uses a
series of dramatic tales (well researched and faithful to facts) to take middle
grade readers through the various stages of California's history from the days
of the Spanish explorers to the Gold Rush. (Inquire about the teacher's manual
for this book, which I still may have new.) Condition is G+: Usual library
markings and stamps, date slip and pocket. Illustrated boards have normal wear
and bumps to corners. Front free end paper has penciled number and a rectangle
about 1" x 2" is cut out of its top corner. Except for library markings, text
pages are clean. 296 pages. BTH-3517. $10.00-U (B). I also have a new
teacher guide for this. If interested, please inquire by email.
The Story of Inyo: An Authentic Record of Pioneering
to which has been added Indian Life, Customs and Legends, How Lost Angeles
Got Owens Valley Water by W.A. Chalfant. Privately published, 1933, revised
edition. Hardcover with dustjacket protected by Mylar sleeve. 430 pages + index.
Condition is VG/G+: End papers are beginning to darken with age.
Bookseller notations in pencil on top corner of ffep. Dust jacket has chipping,
creasing, and very small tears, mostly at edges, corners, and spine ends. There
is also some light soiling of the back of the dust jacket. BT-3269. $45.00-U
(B)
To California by Covered Wagon, by George
Stewart. Library discard. OP.A Landmark Book. Hardcover, no jacket. Rebound by library.
Poor condition. Usual library defects and markings. Corners are bumped. Many pages
have corners that have been folded down. A few pages have small tears in the top edge that
don't extend past the margin. Page 124/124 has two long closed tears that have been
repaired with tape. And a few pages have lingering fingerprints. All this attests to
the fact that many readers have enjoyed this exciting adventure story based on that told
by Moses Schallenberger of the trip he made to California by covered wagon when he was but
twenty years old. 180 indexed pages. BT-1428.$8.50-U
Where the
Highway Ends by Geneva Hamilton. Williams Printing Co., 1974. Hardcover
with dust jacket protected by Mylar sleeve. This is number 129 of 500 numbered
and autographed copies of this book -- an interesting and colorful history of
the Ranchos that include San Simeon, Cambria, and Harmony. Includes many maps
and historical photos in black and white, and a complete index. This book covers
the history of this coastal region of California from the Portolá Expedition in
1769 to the arrival of American settlers following the Gold Rush and the coming
of the state highway. Condition: Overall very good. Dust jacket, which is
protected by Mylar sleeve, is lightly soiled, a bit sunned on edges, and has
some edge creases on inside edge of front flap. 219 text pages + photos.
BTH-3744. $32.50-U (B)
The
World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience. An Eyewitness
Account of a Nation Heading West. Simon and Schuster, 1981, 3rd printing,
hardcover with dust jacket. VG/ VG. 559 pages. This unique book about the California Gold
Rush is based on over 500 diaries, among them the diary and letters of a gold
seeker, William Swain. The book covers the time period between spring 1849
until February, 1851. Besides the stories of those who struck it rich, this book
also contains the story of the thousands of discouraged miners who gave up on
their search for quick riches to return to where they came from. Another story
we don't often hear that is told well in this book is the story of the families
left at home. At the end of each chapter there is a break from the action on the
Overland Trail or the mining camps and the focus shifts to William Swain's farm
near Niagara Falls, New York, where his wife, daughter, elderly mother, and
brother George were waiting anxiously for his return home. Also included are
several historic illustrations and maps. Condition: Boards are lightly sunned on
edges. Dust jacket, protected by Brodart sleeve, has light wear and some
rubbing. End papers are maps. Otherwise very good. BT-3406. $10.00-U (B)
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