Category Archives: California History

Will Locals Keep Paying for State Parks They Saved?

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Two years ago this month, the California Department of Parks & Recreation announced a list of 70 parks it planned to close. Park lovers rallied, giving their time and money to pick up the parks the state was willing to … Continue reading »


The Train-Hopping 'Polaroid Kidd' Settles in Oakland, Publishes Book of Life on the Rails

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Mike Brodie has earned the nickname "Polaroid Kidd" by winning prestigious photography awards for his pictures documenting the lives of freight train hoppers across the United States. Now, while also working as a car mechanic in Oakland, he has just … Continue reading »


Interactive Map: A History of San Francisco Place Names

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In San Francisco, we have a lot of streets with no-nonsense names, like Pine, 3rd Street and Broadway. But what about Geary? Divisadero? Castro? Do you know what they're named for? There's a map for that. A new interactive map … Continue reading »


Tussle in Tracy: Off-Roaders, Nature Lovers Fight over State Park's Future

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We’ve heard a lot over the last couple of years about all the money troubles the California state parks have been having—but not all state parks are starved for cash. Eight “off-highway vehicle parks” get a steady stream of gas-tax … Continue reading »


Asking the Crowd to Help Tell the Story of San Francisco Bay

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Through a unique history crowdsourcing project called “Year of the Bay,” the California Historical Society is hoping the public will help uncover the story behind many historical pictures of the San Francisco Bay.


When California Was an Island

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To some, it seems a mere technicality that California is attached to the rest of North America. It's not just a fantasy held by liberals keen to disengage from national politics, or by conservative pundits keen to dismiss our inexplicably … Continue reading »


News Pix: Prop. 8 Oral Arguments, Bay Bridge Bolts Snap, Devil's Slide Tunnel Opens

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Crowds of people outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C protest the Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday, March 27. (Jacob Fenston/KQED) On Tuesday March 26, the rainbow flag was raised over Berkeley City Hall to mark arguments in the … Continue reading »


Report: California Should Give Up Control of Some State Parks

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by Tracie Cone, Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Over the years, California has added more parks to its state system than it can afford and should consider turning over control of some to local entities, a new report says. … Continue reading »


Golden Gate Bridge Says Goodbye to Toll-Takers — and to a Personal Touch for Travelers

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By Danielle Venton Dawnette Reed started working at the Golden Gate Bridge gift shop one summer when she was 17. Now, at 43, she's a toll collector, and loves it. She’s even got her favorite lanes, Number 1 and 2. … Continue reading »


Deal Will Keep China Camp, Olompali, Tomales Bay State Parks Running

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China Camp Village lovers will be celebrating Saturday as the California Department of Parks & Recreation officially signs a new agreement that keeps the park running. And Olompali State Historic Park near Novato. And Tomales Bay State Park, too. Now … Continue reading »