History & Culture

Native American and Indigenous Studies - Yurok people have lived in and around Sue-meg State Park for generations. The temperate climate and abundant wildlife of the North Coast promoted a culturally rich way of life that continues today. Yurok people built villages of redwood planks along the coast and major…

Military History and Forts - Fort Ross State Historic Park brings attention to the varied stories that have occurred here through the centuries, including the long formation of the coastal natural history, the centuries past and present of resident Kashia Pomo people, the Russian colonization periods (1812-1842), the Ranch era…

Latino Heritage - Pío de Jesus Pico is one of California’s most remarkable historical figures. He was the governor of California in 1832 and again in 1846 before and during the Mexican American War. His adobe home at “El Ranchito” has been completely restored to how it appeared in the…

California Government - The California State Capitol is the seat of the California government, located in Sacramento, the capital of California. The Capitol building serves as both a museum and the state’s working seat of government. The building houses the chambers of the California State Legislature, made up of the…

Gold Rush - The California Gold Rush drew prospectors to Columbia from around the world. Columbia was once known as the "Gem of the Southern Mines," and by 1853, was one of the largest cities in California. Unlike many other Gold Rush settlements that disappeared due to fire, vandalism and…

California Missions - Misión la Purísima Concepción de María Santísima (Mission of the Immaculate Conception of Most Holy Mary) was founded by Father Presidente Fermin de Lasuén on December 8, 1787. The Native Americans who built and worked at the mission were from the Chumash tribe.

Asian American and Pacific Islander History - From 1910 to 1940, the U.S. Immigration Station processed hundreds of thousands of immigrants, the majority from China due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1883. During WWII, Japanese and German prisoners of war (POWs) were detained at the Station before being sent…

Art and Architecture - La Cuesta Encantada, "The Enchanted Hill" high above the ocean at San Simeon, was conceived by two extraordinary individuals, William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Their collaboration, which began in 1919 and continued for nearly 30 years, transformed an informal hilltop campsite into the world-famous…

Agriculture - The California Citrus State Historic Park interprets the industry's role in the history and development of California through the stories of the diverse groups of people who made it all possible. The park recaptures the complexities of the time when "Citrus was King," exploring the significance of the…

African American History - In 1908, Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other settlers established a town in California’s Central Valley. Their dream of developing an abundant and thriving community stemmed directly from a strong belief in programs that allowed Black people to help themselves create better lives. Colonel Allen Allensworth…