History Websites

Historical materials in a searchable database from a variety of California institutions, including museums, historical societies, and archives.

Information on the earthquake of 1906 from the Museum of the City of San Francisco.

Library of Congress site documenting the WPA ethnomusicology project in 1938-1940 to collect English and ethnic folk music of Northern California.

History, artifacts, and information about the California Zephyr passenger car.

Locate resources (online listings, books, CD-Rom, lookups and addresses) for vital records in each county within the state of California.

Information on the historic Bear Flag and the stories surrounding it.

Photos of old buildings, ghost towns, gold mines, and graveyards throughout the California Mojave Desert.

Historic photographs and drawings of the California gold rush. Prints are also available for sale.

An unofficial history of California Energy Commission power plant licensing cases from 1975 to 2001. Broken down by eras, the site describes over 70 different proceedings, with technologies such as geothermal, natural gas, solar, coal, and garbage burning.

Books on California history and the history of the Old West, plus research and events.

List of past settlers in California who migrated to or were born in California prior to 1880 obtained directly from individuals doing genealogical research.

Author of 47 Down: The 1922 Argonaut Gold Mine Disaster; Collectors Guide to Early Photographs; and Between the Rivers: A History of Early Calaveras County.

Educator-developed site covering California history from Spanish settlement to statehood.

Located in Highlander Hall, adjacent to the University of California, Riverside campus. Includes current projects and center information.

Project dedicated to locating, cataloging, and preserving newspaper publications published in California from 1846 to the present. Online catalog provides information on the location and condition of these publications.

Provides information on the history of the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and the Santa Fe Railways.

Explores the history of Japanese communities, also known as Nihonmachi, in towns throughout California.

Stories from the history of California. Established by California Museum.

H-Net group dedicated to discussing California culture and history. Features subject overview, archive, links to related resources, and subscription information.