Join host Damian Bacich and guest Eric Plunkett as they dive into the fascinating early maritime history of California. Eric Plunkett is a historian based in San Juan Capistrano specializing in early California exploration and indigenous history. In Part 1, Plunkett reveals surprising details about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s 1542 expedition, including his connection to Cortez and […]
About Damian Bacich
Secrets of Mission San Luis Rey with Helena Hazleton
In this interview, I speak with Helena Hazleton, Director of the Museum at Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside, California. In this captivating conversation, Helena shares her expertise on one of the largest and most productive California missions. Main topics of Part 1: Helena provides fascinating insights into the mission’s architecture, its relationship […]
Beyond the Devil’s Road: Interview With Author Dr. Jeremy Beer
This is a two-part interview with author Jeremy Beer about his new book Beyond the Devil’s Road: Francisco Garcés and the Spanish Encounter with the American Southwest. In Part 1, we discuss the challenges and triumphs of Fray Francisco Garcés, a Franciscan friar and lesser-known but remarkable explorer, and his extensive travels across one of North […]
California in 1834: The Memoirs of Carlos N. Híjar
Carlos N. Híjar was eight years old when he came to California from Jalisco, Mexico, in 1834. Four decades later, he described his recollections of Mexican California to an interviewer working for historian Hubert Howe Bancroft. Bancroft was interested in collecting the oral testimonies of people who had lived through California’s Spanish and Mexican periods. […]
The Chumash Uprising: Interview with Dr. John R. Johnson
In Part 1 of this fascinating interview, Dr. John Johnson, former Curator of Anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, provides an in-depth look at the Chumash Uprising of 1824 – the most important indigenous uprising in California history. Dr. Johnson, an expert on California’s Native peoples, especially the Chumash Indians, shares his extensive research on […]
Californios and Ethnicity: Interview with Archaeologist Jennifer Lucido
In today’s interview, I am talking with archaeologist Jennifer Lucido. Jennifer has worked at several important historical sites in the Monterey area and has recently traced the genealogies of some of California’s early poblador families. Her fascinating work has shed light on how their ethnic identities shifted as they arrived in a new territory. In […]
Secrets of Mission Architecture
Two-Part Interview with Dr. Rubén Mendoza Part 1 In Part 1 of this interview, I talk with trailblazing archaeologist Dr. Rubén Mendoza. Recounting his unexpected path from a curious young boy to a renowned scholar, Mendoza shares his pioneering work decoding the missions’ architectural secrets. His discoveries point to an incredible cosmic architecture. The missions […]
An Inside Look at the California Missions Conference
In this episode, I give my take on the California Missions Foundation conference that took place April 12-14. It was the first in-person conference since 2020, making it an important occasion to reconnect with California history in a special way. The California Missions Foundation does a huge amount to preserve the physical reminders of California’s […]
Kevin Starr’s Vision: Interview with Jason Sexton, Pt. 2
In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Jason Sexton, we delve into Kevin’s attempt to understand the “California experience.” Kevin Starr tried to chronicle California’s history in a nuanced yet idealistic way, which connected him to earlier California historians such as Josiah Royce and Carey McWilliams. According to Jason, Starr was an open-minded, generous […]
History and California’s Redemption: Interview with author Jason Sexton, Pt. 1
This is the first part of a lively conversation with Dr. Jason Sexton, editor of a book on the renowned California historian Kevin Starr (1940-2017). Sexton describes Starr as California’s most ambitious interpreter. Starr’s 8-volume history, spanning the state’s origins to the 2000s, is the most complete work on California in print. Kevin Starr grew […]
Traversing Time: The Odyssey of the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail
This episode features an intriguing conversation with Jorge Del Castillo as he shares his experiences following the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. This historic trail was a route used by Spanish settlers in the 18th century to reach Northern California from New Spain (Mexico). Jorge describes his journey, detailing various memorable sites, and […]
An Epic Journey Through Time: The Story of “La Récua”
In this episode of the California Frontier Podcast, I interview Trudi Angell, producer of the documentary film La Récua (The Mule Pack Train). La Récua follows the story of Dario Higuera, a 70-year-old Baja California ranchero, who dreams of recreating an early-20th-century mule train transporting traditional goods from Comondú to La Paz in southern Baja […]
Stories of Early Orange County: Eric Plunkett, Part 2
In part two of this interview with author Eric Plunkett, we get into some real stories of people who lived through some of the enormous changes of the early years. Eric emphasizes the importance of translating and making primary sources from Spanish colonial California available, as they provide deeper and more authentic insights into the […]
Uncovering Orange County’s Hidden History with Eric Plunkett (Pt. 1)
Eric Plunkett is an amazing historian whose enthusiasm for discovering the riches of California’s past is contagious. In this episode, Damian Bacich hosts a deep-dive discussion with Eric on the history of early California, especially Orange County. They touch on indigenous languages, the California grizzly bear, and their mutual interest in archival research. Eric shares […]
California, Mexico and the Far East: Part 3
In the third part of my conversation with Marie Christine Duggan, we discuss the life and experiences of Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, a naval officer in the Spanish colonial era. Bodega faced financial struggles throughout his life, as his primary motivation was to prove himself rather than amass wealth. He eventually became […]
The Coast Miwok: People of the Northern California Coast (Part 2)
Read Part 1 here. First Encounters with Europeans Early Explorations The Coast Miwok people’s encounters with Europeans date back to the sixteenth century. In 1579, the English privateer Francis Drake made landfall along the northern California coast. There, he probably met Coast Miwok people. Portuguese explorer Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho — also known as Sebastián Rodríguez […]
The Coast Miwok: People of the Northern California Coast (Part 1)
The Coast Miwok are indigenous people of the area north of San Francisco Bay. Coast Miwok Territory The name “Coast Miwok” refers to the Native American communities who lived along the California coast north of the San Francisco Bay, in what is today Marin and parts of Sonoma Counties. The terrain of that area is […]
California, Mexico and the Far East: Part 2
The interview uncovers complexities in Pacific trade routes, challenging conventional narratives about the Spanish Empire’s trade. It focuses on San Blas, a naval base in New Spain, which caused discontent among Mexico City merchants. Dr. Duggan explains how the Spanish Crown aimed to weaken the Mexico City merchants by granting San Blas more autonomy, turning […]
California, Mexico and the Far East: Pt. 1
Dr. Marie Christine Duggan is a Professor of Business Management at Keene State University, which gives her a unique approach to the history of New Spain, and especially the Pacific coast. In Part 1, we talk how trade between Mexico and the Philippines impacted California’s early history.
300,000 Bricks, pt. 2
In this episode, I finish my conversation with Dr. Jarrell Jackman. He gives us some insight into his personal journey, the obstacles that had to be overcome and the future of Santa Barbara’s presidio.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 7
- Next Page »