| Author |
Bixby Smith, Sarah, 1871-1935 |
| Title |
Adobe days : being the truthful narrative of the events in the life of a California girl on a sheep ranch and in El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles while it was yet a small and humble town; together with an account of how three young men from Maine in eighteen hundred and fifty-three drove sheep and cattle across the plains, mountains and deserts from Illinois to the Pacific coast; and the strange prophecy of Admiral Thatcher about San Pedro harbor
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| Original Publication |
Cedar Rapids: The Torch Press, 1925.
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 62.8 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
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| Credits |
Carla Foust, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
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| Summary |
A native Californian, Sarah Hathaway Bixby Smith (1871-1935) was born at her family's sheep ranch near San Juan Bautista, where she lived until the family moved to Los Angeles some six years later. Her father, Llewellyn Bixby, had left Maine to settle in the West in 1851, and he and his brothers became one of southern California's most influential families. Adobe days (1925) is Mrs. Smith's account of her early childhood on the ranch and trips east to visit relatives in Maine, girlhood in Los Angeles, visits to Los Cerritos and Los Alamitos ranches, and her education in Los Angeles public schools and at Pomona and Wellesley Colleges. She supplements this with the life of her father, Llewellyn Bixby: his journey to California via Panama and months as a prospector at the Volcano Diggings, cattle and sheep drives across country, and real estate investments in Los Angeles and neighboring counties. More generally, she discusses the role of Mexican and Chinese servants and other aspects of housekeeping and childrearing, sheep husbandry and the wool business, Los Angeles's growth, the history of Southern California under the Spanish, and the evolution of Pasadena, Riverside, Anaheim, and San Bernardino.
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| Summary |
"Adobe Days" by Sarah Bixby-Smith is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The narrative chronicles the life of a California girl growing up on a sheep ranch during a time when California was still in its formative years, detailing experiences alongside her family's migration to the Pacific Coast amidst the greater context of America's westward expansion. The opening of the book immerses the reader in the rich tapestry of Bixby-Smith's early life, beginning with her upbringing on a sheep ranch in California's San Benito Valley. She intricately describes the surrounding landscapes, the dynamics of her family, and the daily activities on the ranch. The narrative sets the scene for a blend of personal and historical storytelling, revealing how her family's journey from Maine to California shaped their lives amidst the backdrop of significant societal changes, including railroad development and the decline of the Gold Rush era. The author emphasizes her deep connection to the land and the arts of ranch life, while also hinting at the larger cultural and historical events that influence her personal narrative. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
F850.5: United States local history: Pacific States
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| Subject |
Agriculture -- California
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| Subject |
Urbanization -- California
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| Subject |
Real estate development -- California
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| Subject |
Mines and mineral resources -- California
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| Subject |
Ethnic groups -- California
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| Subject |
Women -- California
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| Subject |
Bixby Smith, Sarah, 1871-1935 -- Childhood and youth
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| Subject |
Sheep ranches -- California
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| Subject |
Frontier and pioneer life -- California -- Los Angeles
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| Subject |
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Biography
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| Subject |
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
74799 |
| Release Date |
Nov 26, 2024 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
429 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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