My grandma sent me a few letters in the 1990s detailing different times in her life. The snippets I am sharing here happened during the few years they lived in Salinas, California during the Depression. Better jobs in Salinas My grandparents, Joao Pacheco Smith and Anna Jackson, married in 1929 days before the stock market…
Category: Historic Events
The 1906 Earthquake and Fire: My Great Grandmother’s Story
I’ve been sorting through old letters that my Grandma Shellabarger wrote me. Many are not noteworthy. Hello, how are you? and nothing more. Others contain tidbits of her life. In one particular letter, she shared with me her mother’s recollection of the moment the 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck. It was one moment that change…
How Did Hawaii Fare In The 1918 Flu Pandemic?
Given that we all have pandemics on our mind, I have wondered what happened to Hawaii in 1918. Did the flu pandemic hit them hard? Were they left unscathed because they were isolated? Or, were they in double trouble because of the military bases and international travel? I did a little research. This is what…
The Golden State Warriors Historic 73 Wins in a Season Brings Back Sports Memories
The Golden State Warriors did something in 2016 that no other team in NBA history had done before. They won 73 games in one season. They had to surpass the powerful Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990s to do so. They did it in style. Breaking the record on the very last day of the…
It’s the 110th Anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
It is the 110th anniversary of the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. This is the first year that there are no known survivors to gather at Lotta’s Fountain. My Jones, Jackson, and Kelly relatives were living in the city on the 18th of April 1906. All but one lived to tell the tale. My great grandmother,…