Homestead Museum

Medium Rare: An Astrological Reading from “Madam Endor,” Los Angeles, 15 February 1920

by Paul R. Spitzzeri In the first three decades of the 20th century, booming Los Angeles was home to a wide array of religious and spiritual practitioners, with a great many outside the so-called mainstream.  This included clairvoyants, psychics, mediums and others working on the fringes of the spiritual realm. Tonight’s highlighted artifact from the... Continue Reading →

Volunteer Spotlight: Ann Salvador

by Steven Dugan American inventor and innovator Henry Ford once said: “…Anyone who keeps learning is young; the greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Homestead Docent Ann Salvador, a member of the volunteer staff since 2010, certainly takes that advice to heart. In addition to giving tours and working at festivals,... Continue Reading →

A Love Letter for this Valentine’s Day: Walter P. Temple to Laura Gonzalez, 5 July 1887

by Paul R. Spitzzeri For last year’s “Flirting With History” program, which incorporates readings in the Workman House and La Casa Nueva for Homestead visitors of Temple family letters from the 1840s through the 1920s dealing with romantic and familial love, one of the more interesting missives was an April 1887 letter from Walter P.... Continue Reading →

“In High Glee”: A Stock Certificate for the San Gabriel Mining Company, 1888

by Paul R. Spitzzeri In March 1842, nearly six years before James Marshall stumbled upon the precious metal while building a mill for John Sutter on the American River in the Sierra Nevada Mountains east of Sacramento, Francisco López made California’s first major gold discovery in Placerita Canyon at the western edge of the San... Continue Reading →