california gold rush Archives - California Writers Club, Sacramento Branch

New book by CWC member Cheryl Stapp: Sacramento Chronicles A Golden Past

Happy release day to CWC-Sacramento member Cheryl Stapp for her latest local history book, Sacramento Chronicles: A Golden Past.

About the book:

Sacramento boomed when forty-niners flocked to California, but the road from riverfront trading post to cosmopolitan capital was bumpy and winding. In this collection, historian and local author Cheryl Anne Stapp reveals the setbacks and successes that shaped the city, including a devastating cholera outbreak, the 1850s’ Squatter Riots, two major fires, the glamorous Pony Express and the first transcontinental railroad built by Sacramento merchants. Even bursting levees and swollen riverbanks couldn’t keep the fledgling city down, as Sacramento hoisted its downtown buildings and streets above flood level. Come discover the diversity of Sacramento’s heritage from agriculture and state fairs to war efforts, Prohibition and historic preservation, and explore the historic sites that mark the city’s development.

About the Author

Cheryl Anne Stapp lives with her husband in Sacramento, where she was born, raised, and acquired an avid interest in Sacramento’s exciting Gold Rush History. A graduate of California State University, Northridge, she currently serves as vice president of the California Writers Club, Sacramento branch. Visit her website “California’s Olden Golden Days” at CherylAnneStapp.com.

New book by CWC member Cheryl Stapp: Disaster & Triumph: Sacramento Women Gold Rush through Civil War

CWC-Sacramento congratulates long-time member Cheryl Stapp on the recent publication of her excellent work of regional women’s history, Disaster and Triumph: Sacramento Women, Gold Rush Through the Civil War.

About the book:

Most histories highlight men’s lives. Disaster & Triumph: Sacramento Women, Gold Rush Through the Civil War is the first one to uncover the women who helped shape history in today’s California capital–then an important “hub” city of the great California Gold Rush.

Thousands upon thousands of men from all over the world descended on the region eager to find a fortune . . . but expecting to get rich quick and return home, few brought wives and families. Two years into the Golden Immigration, less than 8% of Sacramento’s residents were women. Yet those women made their mark, proving their mettle as decision makers and breadwinners in a uniquely masculine society. Displaying spunk and determination and skills honed by new experiences, their successes altered women’s perceived traditional roles in a turbulent city beset with major fires, devastating floods, and other disasters. Read intriguing cameos of respectable ladies and scandalous harlots–then experience the lives and times of six extraordinary women:

Jennie Wimmer, the camp cook and laundress at the Coloma gold discovery site;
Dorothea Wolfinger Zins, a Donner Party survivor who made bricks for the construction of Sacramento homes and businesses;
the accomplished governor’s wife Mary Zabriskie Johnson;
overland pioneer Margaret Frink, church founder and dairyman’s wife;
Lavinia Waterhouse, successful water-cure practitioner, midwife, and fiery suffragette;
Margaret Crocker, the beloved benefactress to a maturing city.

Meticulously researched and visually written with spirit and wit, Disaster & Triumph: Sacramento Women, Gold Rush Through the Civil War is for history buffs, students, women’s discussion groups, or anyone who savors an entertaining and educational read about the struggles and attainments of pioneer women.

About the Author

Cheryl Anne Stapp lives with her husband in Sacramento, where she was born, raised, and acquired an avid interest in Sacramento’s exciting Gold Rush History. A graduate of California State University, Northridge, she currently serves as vice president of the California Writers Club, Sacramento branch. Disaster & Triumph: Sacramento Women, Gold Rush Through the Civil War took two years to research and write. Visit her website “California’s Olden Golden Days” at CherylAnneStapp.com.