Marooned and left to die near present-day Point Reyes – N. de Morena is a “California Curiosity“. N. de Morena was a ship pilot on the 1577-1580 around-the-world sailing expedition of Francis Drake. Too ill to sail, he was left behind in New Albion (1) in 1579 as the expedition continued across the Pacific Ocean without him. When he recovered his health he supposedly walked to Mexico. Though not much is known about him (even…

(1810 – 1868) Lawman, Texas Ranger, California Ranger and California Curiosity (my designation!). 166 years ago today – on July 25, 1853 – Captain Harry Love allegedly killed the infamous California bandit Joaquin Murrieta and his ruthless accomplice: Three-Fingered Jack. Side note: the murky blend of fact and fiction of Joaquin Murrieta and The Five Joaquins Gang, the mystery and myth, are quite complex and deserving of its own post so I’ll focus on Love…

I recently stumbled upon this group, now a California Curiosity of mine, while deep in a Wikipedia-hole. Origins E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dating back to the Gold Rush days in California. It was founded in 1852 to preserve the history and heritage of the American West and to support the families of gold miners. The group faded after the American Civil War but was revived in the 1930s. Funny Guys The…