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Californios and Ethnicity: Interview with Archaeologist Jennifer Lucido

By Damian Bacich

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 […]

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Anza, Californios

Traversing Time: The Odyssey of the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail

By Damian Bacich

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 […]

Filed Under: Exploration, Podcast Tagged With: Californios, Juan Bautista de Anza

An Epic Journey Through Time: The Story of “La Récua”

By Damian Bacich

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 […]

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Baja California, Californios, Vaqueros

Stories of Early Orange County: Eric Plunkett, Part 2

By Damian Bacich

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 […]

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5)

Three Californianas You Should Know

By Damian Bacich

The early history of California is made up of many remarkable women. Fortunately, some of them left behind stories that give us important glimpses into life in frontier times.

Filed Under: Mexican California, Podcast Tagged With: Apolinara Lorenzana, Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Josefa Carrillo, Juana Machado, San Diego, women

“The Americanos Played for Keeps”

By Damian Bacich

The Battle of San Pascual

In his memoirs about life in rancho era California, José Jesús López describes how his father joined the “California Army.”

Filed Under: California History Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Los Angeles, Pio Pico, Primary Sources

Bad for the Lungs but Wonderful for Memories

By Damian Bacich

If doors and windows were primitive in Californio homes, you can also imagine that furniture was not much better.

Filed Under: California History Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Los Angeles, Primary Sources

Life in Rancho Era Los Angeles: Hardships and Joys

By Damian Bacich

José Jesús López grew up in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in the 1850s, in the neighborhood of *El Paredón Blanco* (today’s Boyle Heights).

Filed Under: California History Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Los Angeles, Primary Sources, Rancho Era, Ranchos

Origins of Mexican Independence Part 3: Breaking Away

By Damian Bacich

With a foreign occupier in control of Spain and the royal family in exile in France, people in the Spanish territories in the Americas found themselves at a crossroads.

Filed Under: California History Tagged With: Agustín Iturbide, Californios, Hipólito Bouchard, Juana Machado, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Plan of Iguala, Virgin of Guadalupe

The Castro Adobe: A Californio Landmark Restored

By Damian Bacich

The Castro Adobe: A Californio Landmark Restored

If you want to see a precious California landmark in the process of being saved for future generations, mark your calendar to visit the Joaquín Castro Adobe near Watsonville.

Filed Under: California History Tagged With: Adobes, Californios, Castro Adobe, Santa Cruz County, Watsonville

Settlers on the California Frontier (Part 2): The Californios

By Damian Bacich

What type of culture developed among settlers in Alta California? What did they call themselves? How did they live under Mexico and Spain? And how did they respond to American rule?

Filed Under: Exploration, Mexican California, Settlement Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), U.S.-Mexico War

Settlers on the California Frontier (Part 1)

By Damian Bacich

Who settled California? What was their life like? What were the first towns?

Filed Under: Exploration, Settlement Tagged With: Anza, Branciforte, Californios, Daily lives, Frontier, Hijar-Padrés, King Carlos III, Los Angeles, Pueblos, San Francisco

Researching the Early Days: The Sylveria Pacheco Project, Part 2

By Damian Bacich

An update on an ongoing research project into the life of a Hispanic woman on the California frontier. In May, I told you about my research into the life of Sylveria Pacheco, a Californiana who had lived through Spanish, Mexican and American periods. I came across Sylveria as I was working on another project, and […]

Filed Under: California History Tagged With: Californios, Pacheco

Podcast Episode 002 — “You Have to Carry This On”: What it Means to Be a Californio

By Damian Bacich

What it means to be a Californio

In this episode, I speak with Greg Bernal-Mendoza Smestad, a direct descendant of the families who settled Alta California over 200 years ago.  Greg talks to us about their journey, the character of those people who risked their lives to come to come north, and the legacy they passed on.

Filed Under: Exploration, Podcast, Settlement Tagged With: Anza, Bay Area, Californios, genealogy, living history, National Park Service, San José

Beyond Clichés

By Damian Bacich

  Recently I began recording a series of interviews for a new podcast I will be launching as part of California Frontier. For one of the first interviews, I had the pleasure of visiting Greg Bernal Smestad. Greg has made it his mission to preserve and maintain the heritage his ancestors, who came to California […]

Filed Under: Exploration, Settlement Tagged With: Anza, Californios, Virgin of Guadalupe

Happy Birthday San José

By Damian Bacich

The Pueblo of San José, founded in 1777.

San José, California is the oldest city on the West Coast. In November it celebrates its birthday.

Filed Under: Exploration, Settlement Tagged With: Californios, San José

Teaching Materials for the Whole Year

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