Interesting Stuff - Americana
Ever since the white man set foot on California's golden soil, it has been the land of eternal promise, the land of opportunity, the American Dream. This is as true today as it ever has been. Any place, wherever it is in the world, where you can ski in the morning, surf in the afternoon and party all night, can only be known by one true name: Paradise.
The only problem, as I see it, is that those who live there, don't know what it is they've got and take it for granted. The only ones who can truly appreciate all that California has to offer are those who have travelled great distances to get there and, as we know, those Wild West Pioneers were desperate to surf some gnarly waves, dude.
Of course, these days, it is so much easier to get to than it once was.
The only problem, as I see it, is that those who live there, don't know what it is they've got and take it for granted. The only ones who can truly appreciate all that California has to offer are those who have travelled great distances to get there and, as we know, those Wild West Pioneers were desperate to surf some gnarly waves, dude.
Of course, these days, it is so much easier to get to than it once was.
The Wedge - Newport Beach
Truckee
When settlers from the east began to make their way across the vast American continent, in the first half of the 1800s, the ones who survived the sheer distance, the heat and rain of the great plains, not to mention the natives who, fiercely protective of their tribal lands, were prepared to do whatever was necessary to stop the white man from ruining it all, often fell at the final hurdle: the Sierra Nevada. This great mountain range runs, like a backbone, from north-to-south separating California from Nevada and for the early pioneers, crossing into California was a matter of life, or death.
Truckee lies beside the main emigrant trail into California. The first emigrants to discover the Truckee basin were the Stephen-Townsend-Murphy Party, which passed through the area in 1844. While traveling westward along the Humboldt River in Western Nevada, a northern Pauite Indian befriended the emigrant party and offered to guide them to California. His name sounded something like "Tro-Kay", but the emigrants called him "Truckee". As they proceeded westward they discovered a beautiful stream running down from the mountains, and later a large deep lake; they named the stream the "Truckee River" and the lake "Truckee Lake", in honor of their guide. The stream still bears Chief Truckee's name, but Truckee Lake became Donner Lake, in memory of the emigrants whose tragic ordeal occurred on its shores.
Truckee lies beside the main emigrant trail into California. The first emigrants to discover the Truckee basin were the Stephen-Townsend-Murphy Party, which passed through the area in 1844. While traveling westward along the Humboldt River in Western Nevada, a northern Pauite Indian befriended the emigrant party and offered to guide them to California. His name sounded something like "Tro-Kay", but the emigrants called him "Truckee". As they proceeded westward they discovered a beautiful stream running down from the mountains, and later a large deep lake; they named the stream the "Truckee River" and the lake "Truckee Lake", in honor of their guide. The stream still bears Chief Truckee's name, but Truckee Lake became Donner Lake, in memory of the emigrants whose tragic ordeal occurred on its shores.
The Donner Party
Many died as a result of the difficult, often impassable terrain; others died from cold and the extreme weather conditions.
After gold was found here in 1849, many died through stupidity, greed and carelessness at the business end of a gun or a knife.In 1846 a great westward movement began. A small part of the movement, the Donner Party, a loose knit band of midwestern farmers and adventurers, left Independence, Missouri, in April of 1846. Traveling west through the Great Plains, they crossed the Rocky Mountain crest at South Pass, in Wyoming territory, and then headed southwest through a relatively new and unexplored shortcut, or "cutoff". This cutoff was their undoing, for rather than a shortcut, it added precious weeks to their travel time. The party finally reached present day Truckee in late October, 1846.
It was too late. Already starving, their stamina depleted, the emigrants were greeted by one of the earliest and most severe of Sierra winters. They could not climb out of the Truckee basin, and they remained there to wait out the winter. In January, 1847, a few broke through westward, over the 7,088 foot pass (now Donner Pass) and they summoned relief parties. By April 1847, only 48 of the 89 emigrants who comprised the Donner Party were still alive. The others, 41 in all, had died along the way.
All but a few had died of starvation or cold in the long Sierra winter. Those that survived subsisted on their few meagre provisions, the ox hides, and finally the bodies of their dead friends and relatives.
I wonder if that's where we get Donner Kebabs from? Sick, sick puppy... I know, I know...More fortunate emigrant trains traveled through the Truckee area in the summer and fall of 1847, and in January, 1848, James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill near Coloma in the Sierra foothills. Word spread quickly, and the great California gold rush was on.
Even today, crossing the Sierra Nevada mountain range is no straightforward task. Reaching the summit, at just under 15, 000 ft, can quite easily break modern motor vehicles. Signs advise you to turn air-conditioning off, otherwise run the risk of stressing the engine to breaking point. At certain times of the year, snow chains are mandatory equipment for anyone wanting to travel along this road. Conditions up there get quite extreme, very quickly.
The scenery, which is quite breathtaking, has it all; towering mountains, densely forested slopes, meandering rivers, immense ravines and massive landscapes are all part of the stunning natural beauty of the area. But, it has not always been the scenery that brought people through here.
After gold was found here in 1849, many died through stupidity, greed and carelessness at the business end of a gun or a knife.In 1846 a great westward movement began. A small part of the movement, the Donner Party, a loose knit band of midwestern farmers and adventurers, left Independence, Missouri, in April of 1846. Traveling west through the Great Plains, they crossed the Rocky Mountain crest at South Pass, in Wyoming territory, and then headed southwest through a relatively new and unexplored shortcut, or "cutoff". This cutoff was their undoing, for rather than a shortcut, it added precious weeks to their travel time. The party finally reached present day Truckee in late October, 1846.
It was too late. Already starving, their stamina depleted, the emigrants were greeted by one of the earliest and most severe of Sierra winters. They could not climb out of the Truckee basin, and they remained there to wait out the winter. In January, 1847, a few broke through westward, over the 7,088 foot pass (now Donner Pass) and they summoned relief parties. By April 1847, only 48 of the 89 emigrants who comprised the Donner Party were still alive. The others, 41 in all, had died along the way.
All but a few had died of starvation or cold in the long Sierra winter. Those that survived subsisted on their few meagre provisions, the ox hides, and finally the bodies of their dead friends and relatives.
I wonder if that's where we get Donner Kebabs from? Sick, sick puppy... I know, I know...More fortunate emigrant trains traveled through the Truckee area in the summer and fall of 1847, and in January, 1848, James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill near Coloma in the Sierra foothills. Word spread quickly, and the great California gold rush was on.
Even today, crossing the Sierra Nevada mountain range is no straightforward task. Reaching the summit, at just under 15, 000 ft, can quite easily break modern motor vehicles. Signs advise you to turn air-conditioning off, otherwise run the risk of stressing the engine to breaking point. At certain times of the year, snow chains are mandatory equipment for anyone wanting to travel along this road. Conditions up there get quite extreme, very quickly.
The scenery, which is quite breathtaking, has it all; towering mountains, densely forested slopes, meandering rivers, immense ravines and massive landscapes are all part of the stunning natural beauty of the area. But, it has not always been the scenery that brought people through here.
The First Transcontinental Railroad
In 1862, President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act, which named and directed two companies, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific, to construct a transcontinental railroad. The Union Pacific broke ground in Omaha, the following year, whilst the Central Pacific started from Sacramento. The general idea was that $millions would be available in government money and land grants for the railroad builders, making the companies fantastically wealthy and owners of vast tracts of land. First, however, they had to lay the first forty miles of track at their own cost.For the Union Pacific, initial funding issues delayed them until 1865 but, from then on, progress on the flat plains was rapid. For the Central Pacific team, trouble was all they seemed to have. There was no local heavy industry in Northern California. All of the steel and rolling stock would have to come from the east. Later, it would all come by rail, in days, but for now it must come by sea, through some of the most treacherous waters in the world and it would take weeks. There was also the small matter of the Sierra Nevada.
Work on the eastbound section began using European labour, but as soon as men had earned enough for picks and shovels, they left to seek their fortunes in the nearby gold fields. All seemed lost. Then, a stroke of luck. Fleeing oppression in their home country, thousands of Chinese immigrants landed in San Francisco. Despite initial reservations, the newcomers proved to be more hardworking and faster than their European counterparts. At the height of construction, as many as ten thousand were employed.
It took several years of backbreaking labour to force a way through the mountains, with all of the engineering problems that they would provide. At one point, progress was so slow that it was measured in inches falling at one point to as little as twelve inches per day. Once they attained the Nevada salt flats, however, things sped up greatly. On one record-breaking day, the Central Pacific team laid an astounding ten miles of track.
For six long years, the two teams battled the land, the natives and each other to be the first team to finish the task they had started. In 1869 that moment finally came at Promontory Summit, Utah. The golden spike was driven home by officials of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific, marking the inauguration of the first transcontinental railroad.
Work on the eastbound section began using European labour, but as soon as men had earned enough for picks and shovels, they left to seek their fortunes in the nearby gold fields. All seemed lost. Then, a stroke of luck. Fleeing oppression in their home country, thousands of Chinese immigrants landed in San Francisco. Despite initial reservations, the newcomers proved to be more hardworking and faster than their European counterparts. At the height of construction, as many as ten thousand were employed.
It took several years of backbreaking labour to force a way through the mountains, with all of the engineering problems that they would provide. At one point, progress was so slow that it was measured in inches falling at one point to as little as twelve inches per day. Once they attained the Nevada salt flats, however, things sped up greatly. On one record-breaking day, the Central Pacific team laid an astounding ten miles of track.
For six long years, the two teams battled the land, the natives and each other to be the first team to finish the task they had started. In 1869 that moment finally came at Promontory Summit, Utah. The golden spike was driven home by officials of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific, marking the inauguration of the first transcontinental railroad.