6 Comments

The statistics! It really does give more meaning to "e pluribus unum." That less than half made the journey alive.

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It's staggering, isn't it? Lead with that - and more kids would dive in to history.

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Stoddard was such a descriptive and fun writer. Sutro became mayor of sf and, with Joaquin and Ina, established Arbor Day and planted some 4 million trees in the bay area. It really is hard to imagine the hardship of getting here now. Vivid research, really brings it to light.

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They are all such vivid and layered personalities. I studied California history but never had any kind of sense of these huge characters that were really integral to the California story.

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Stoddard was such a descriptive and fun writer. Sutro became mayor of sf and, with Joaquin and Ina, established Arbor Day and planted some 4 million trees in the bay area. It really is hard to imagine the hardship of getting here now. Vivid research, really brings it to light.

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I will never ever see California, especially SF, the same way again. I'll never not think of these journeys that people took to get there. Had no idea except about the covered wagons that everyone knows.

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