The Handy California Answer Book
Hollywood. Silicon Valley. The cities, beaches and redwoods. An enlightening look at the Sunshine State, people, history, and culture!

California is the country's most populous state. The home of the entertainment industry and silicon valley. It's known for its beaches, its redwood forests, and as the “land of fruit and nuts.” Its people, industries, politicians, climate, and allure captivates the world and draws millions of visitors each year. Exploring the state’s fascinating history, people, myths, culture, and trivia, The Handy California Answer Book takes an in-depth look look at this fascinating, quirky, and diverse state.

Learn about the original Indigenous peoples, the Spanish explorers, the independence from Spain, the secession from Mexico, the Gold Rush, the building of the Los Angeles Aqueducts, the earthquakes, the water shortages, and much, much more. Tour landmarks from Disney Land to the Golden Gate Bridge to Yosemite National Park. Learn about famous sons and daughters, including Ronald Reagan, Jeff Bridges, Tony Hawk, and John Steinbeck. Sports (college and professional) are illuminated. The government, parks, and cultural institutions are all packed into this comprehensive guide to the state of California. Find answers to more than 1,100 questions, including:

  • How did “Eureka!” become the state motto?
  • Why is a grizzly bear on the state flag when no grizzlies exist in California?
  • Was the coast of California ever attacked by pirates?
  • How did Russians come to colonize part of what is now California?
  • How did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad drastically transform the state?
  • Does the ghost of Cary Grant still roam his favorite home in Palm Springs?
  • Is the “Big One” earthquake inevitable, and are Californians prepared for it?
  • How did Silicon Valley become a center for the high tech industry?
  • Can you eat the snails in your backyard in California?
  • Why do so many Californians want to divide the state into smaller states?
  • What is a “Valley Girl” fer shur fer shur?
  • Why did the Brooklyn Dodgers move to Los Angeles?
  • Did anyone ever escape the island prison on Alcatraz?
  • When you order your fast-food burger at In & Out “animal style,” what will land on your plate?

    A convenient place to go to look up the basic—and fun—facts about California, its history and culture, The Handy California Answer Book illustrates the unique character of the state through a combination of facts, stats, and stories, as well as the unusual and quirky. This informative book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.

  • 1123304835
    The Handy California Answer Book
    Hollywood. Silicon Valley. The cities, beaches and redwoods. An enlightening look at the Sunshine State, people, history, and culture!

    California is the country's most populous state. The home of the entertainment industry and silicon valley. It's known for its beaches, its redwood forests, and as the “land of fruit and nuts.” Its people, industries, politicians, climate, and allure captivates the world and draws millions of visitors each year. Exploring the state’s fascinating history, people, myths, culture, and trivia, The Handy California Answer Book takes an in-depth look look at this fascinating, quirky, and diverse state.

    Learn about the original Indigenous peoples, the Spanish explorers, the independence from Spain, the secession from Mexico, the Gold Rush, the building of the Los Angeles Aqueducts, the earthquakes, the water shortages, and much, much more. Tour landmarks from Disney Land to the Golden Gate Bridge to Yosemite National Park. Learn about famous sons and daughters, including Ronald Reagan, Jeff Bridges, Tony Hawk, and John Steinbeck. Sports (college and professional) are illuminated. The government, parks, and cultural institutions are all packed into this comprehensive guide to the state of California. Find answers to more than 1,100 questions, including:

  • How did “Eureka!” become the state motto?
  • Why is a grizzly bear on the state flag when no grizzlies exist in California?
  • Was the coast of California ever attacked by pirates?
  • How did Russians come to colonize part of what is now California?
  • How did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad drastically transform the state?
  • Does the ghost of Cary Grant still roam his favorite home in Palm Springs?
  • Is the “Big One” earthquake inevitable, and are Californians prepared for it?
  • How did Silicon Valley become a center for the high tech industry?
  • Can you eat the snails in your backyard in California?
  • Why do so many Californians want to divide the state into smaller states?
  • What is a “Valley Girl” fer shur fer shur?
  • Why did the Brooklyn Dodgers move to Los Angeles?
  • Did anyone ever escape the island prison on Alcatraz?
  • When you order your fast-food burger at In & Out “animal style,” what will land on your plate?

    A convenient place to go to look up the basic—and fun—facts about California, its history and culture, The Handy California Answer Book illustrates the unique character of the state through a combination of facts, stats, and stories, as well as the unusual and quirky. This informative book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.

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    The Handy California Answer Book

    The Handy California Answer Book

    by Kevin Hile
    The Handy California Answer Book

    The Handy California Answer Book

    by Kevin Hile

    Paperback

    $54.95 
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    Overview

    Hollywood. Silicon Valley. The cities, beaches and redwoods. An enlightening look at the Sunshine State, people, history, and culture!

    California is the country's most populous state. The home of the entertainment industry and silicon valley. It's known for its beaches, its redwood forests, and as the “land of fruit and nuts.” Its people, industries, politicians, climate, and allure captivates the world and draws millions of visitors each year. Exploring the state’s fascinating history, people, myths, culture, and trivia, The Handy California Answer Book takes an in-depth look look at this fascinating, quirky, and diverse state.

    Learn about the original Indigenous peoples, the Spanish explorers, the independence from Spain, the secession from Mexico, the Gold Rush, the building of the Los Angeles Aqueducts, the earthquakes, the water shortages, and much, much more. Tour landmarks from Disney Land to the Golden Gate Bridge to Yosemite National Park. Learn about famous sons and daughters, including Ronald Reagan, Jeff Bridges, Tony Hawk, and John Steinbeck. Sports (college and professional) are illuminated. The government, parks, and cultural institutions are all packed into this comprehensive guide to the state of California. Find answers to more than 1,100 questions, including:

  • How did “Eureka!” become the state motto?
  • Why is a grizzly bear on the state flag when no grizzlies exist in California?
  • Was the coast of California ever attacked by pirates?
  • How did Russians come to colonize part of what is now California?
  • How did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad drastically transform the state?
  • Does the ghost of Cary Grant still roam his favorite home in Palm Springs?
  • Is the “Big One” earthquake inevitable, and are Californians prepared for it?
  • How did Silicon Valley become a center for the high tech industry?
  • Can you eat the snails in your backyard in California?
  • Why do so many Californians want to divide the state into smaller states?
  • What is a “Valley Girl” fer shur fer shur?
  • Why did the Brooklyn Dodgers move to Los Angeles?
  • Did anyone ever escape the island prison on Alcatraz?
  • When you order your fast-food burger at In & Out “animal style,” what will land on your plate?

    A convenient place to go to look up the basic—and fun—facts about California, its history and culture, The Handy California Answer Book illustrates the unique character of the state through a combination of facts, stats, and stories, as well as the unusual and quirky. This informative book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.


  • Product Details

    ISBN-13: 9781578595914
    Publisher: Visible Ink Press
    Publication date: 10/11/2016
    Series: The Handy Answer Book Series
    Pages: 464
    Product dimensions: 7.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.00(d)

    About the Author

    Raised in Laurel Canyon and Van Nuys, California, Kevin Hile has had a long career as an author and editor. He worked for several years with the late Jim Fordyce on news, entertainment, and travel radio shows about California and the Coachella Valley. He wrote Visible Ink Press' The Handy Weather Answer Book, has edited many other titles in the “Handy Answer” series, and is is most proud of his history book on Michigan’s oldest zoo, Little Zoo by the Red Cedar: The Story of Potter Park Zoo. He lives in Cathedral City, CA.

    Table of Contents

    Dedication vii

    Acknowledgments viii

    Photo Sources ix

    Timeline xi

    Introduction xvii

    California Basics 1

    Population 13

    Early California: First Peoples to the 1849 Gold Rush 15

    First Europeans in California 18

    Spanish Mission Period 21

    The Russian Presence 31

    Rule under Mexico: 1821-1846 33

    The Gold Rush 42

    The State of California: 1850 to the Present 49

    California Becomes a U.S. State 49

    Stagecoaches and Railroads 52

    Ghost Towns 56

    The U.S. Civil War 57

    Chinese Immigration 59

    Other Immigrant Populations in California 61

    The Turn of the Twentieth Century 63

    Wartime California 65

    The 1950s and 1960s 69

    A More Conservative Era 74

    The Twenty-first Century 74

    Natural Wonders 79

    Mountains 83

    Valleys 89

    Fault Lines and Earthquakes 90

    Lakes and Rivers 93

    Fires and Droughts 98

    Beaches 100

    Deserts 102

    Islands 103

    Mammals 106

    Birds 108

    Marine Life 108

    Plant Life 110

    Refuges, Preserves, and Parks 112

    Zoos and Aquariums 116

    Southern California 119

    Los Angeles Area 119

    Pasadena 136

    Riverside County 139

    Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley 140

    Long Beach 143

    San Diego and Surrounding Area 144

    Northern California 149

    San Francisco 149

    Golden Gate Bridge and Park 161

    Other Bay Area Cities 170

    Sacramento 172

    Central California and Agriculture 177

    Agriculture in the Land of Fruits and Nuts 177

    Ranching in the Central Valley and the State 182

    Organics 185

    Vineyards and the Wine Industry 186

    Labor Troubles 190

    Central Valley Cities 192

    Central Coast Cities 195

    California Means Business 201

    Silicon Valley and More High Tech 201

    Other Technology and Medicine 206

    Food Industry 207

    Clothing and Fashion 214

    Transportation 214

    Toys 223

    Big Money 223

    Movies, Television, and Other Entertainment 225

    Hollywood and the Movie and Television Industry 226

    Radio and Television 240

    Music 242

    Art Movements 250

    Politics and the Law 253

    Establishing a State 253

    California's Constitution 255

    Public Education 261

    Utopian (or Near-Utopian) Societies 265

    Actors in Politics 266

    Important State Legislation 269

    The Debate to Divide the State 272

    Professional Sports 275

    Baseball 275

    Football 293

    Basketball 303

    Hockey 319

    More Professional, College, and Amateur Sports 325

    Early California Sports 325

    Auto Racing 326

    Boxing 330

    Golf 332

    Horse Racing 333

    Soccer 335

    Tennis 340

    College Sports 341

    Other Amateur Sports and Outdoor Fun 345

    The Olympics 350

    Quirky California 355

    Odd Places 355

    Musical Wonders 358

    Looney Landmarks 359

    The Supernatural, Paranormal; and Alien 360

    A Taste of the Grotesque 366

    Unconventional Religions, Beliefs, and Societies 366

    Cool and Kooky Conventions 367

    Talk Like a Californian 369

    Odds and Ends 372

    California Notables 373

    Actors and Other Entertainers 373

    Artists and Authors 396

    Athletes and Coaches 401

    Businesspeople 414

    Politics, Law, and the Military 415

    Scientists, Engineers, Inventors, and Educators 419

    California Governors 423

    Further Reading 425

    Index 427

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