Historical Gems of the San Francisco Bay Area: A Guide to Museums, Historical Sites, History Parks, and Historical Homes

Richard Di Giacomo

Feb 2015 · Richard Di Giacomo

About this ebook

 The San Francisco Bay Area is loaded with fascinating and unique historical sites that represent a broad range of historical events and eras.  A resident of the Bay Area or a tourist in town for a few days can see a wide range of historical sites all within a day's drive of San Francisco. This book may also be useful for a teacher or parent who is looking for an educational field trip which ties in with the child's curriculum in a history, literature, or science class.  Others may find it interesting to learn more about the Native Americans or pioneer settlers in a local community.  So, whether you are just curious about what is inside that old historical house in your neighborhood, want to know how a specific historical event played out in your area, or are just looking for an interesting day trip, this book has something for you.  Many people are familiar with the more famous sites in California.  It is not uncommon to see tourists make a trip to see all of the California missions or Gold Rush towns, but there are also scores of lesser-known sites within the Bay Area that highlight a particular historical event or offer a comprehensive overview of the history of that town or region. More than just a tour guide, the book is broken into sections with essays that acquaint the reader with the history that is covered by the representative museums or sites.  DiGiacomo goes beyond the traditional city, county, state, and national museums and historic sites that feature famous people, historic homes and events.  He also covers museums devoted to agriculture, business, Hispanic California, immigration, military posts, mining, Native Americans, transportation, sports, as well as science and technology.  He thoughtfully includes key information on each museum such as its location, web address, hours of operation, cost, and what a visitor can expect to encounter. Over 220 historical sites are listed.

About the author

Richard Di Giacomo graduated from San José State University with a BA in Ancient and Medieval history, a BA in Social Science and an MA in American History.  He has been a teacher for over 25 years and has taught in a variety of schools from private and continuation schools to public high schools.  He has taught everything from at risk and limited English students to honors and college preparatory classes.  The subjects he has taught include US and World History, Government, Economics, Bible and Ethics, History of the Cold War, and Contemporary World History.  He has been a reviewer and contributor to textbooks, and a frequent presenter at social studies conferences on the use of simulations, videos, and computers in education.  Rich's love for California history and museums led to the creation of this book.