The Story Ends Where it Began: Along El Camino Real - California History for the Young Reader

The Land Known as Alta California

The Conquered Province

Gold Discovered in California

They Came by Way of Panama

They Came Around the Horn

They Came Overland by Train

The Story Ends Where it Began:
Along El Camino Real

Unlike many of the other states, many coming to California continued to venture on. Henry Charles Lee, the circus man was one of them. He joined on with Joseph Chiarini on his world tour. Henry Charles Lee died in Australia. His two younger children were left in an orphanage there. It would be four years before the young daughter of Henry Charles Lee would be brought back to Los Angeles to live with her grandmother.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Edna Lee attended public school where her aunt Jenny taught, and rode to school in the horse drawn cable railway. Edna Lee, married the son of rancher Thomas Hackett Phelan. Joe and Edna went to live in the Imperial Valley long enough to get a stake to return to Whittier.

Joe Phelan and his wife Edna, and son Francis rode on the big wagon loaded down with hay. Their seven year old son Tom drove the family buggy with his baby sister, Marie in a basket at his feet. They traveled along at the leisurely pace, traveling along on El Camino Real, the Kings Highway, the most important highway of all.

The series of seven books, The History Of California For The Young Reader is based on my book the Gold Chain. The historical material is based on the works of Bancroft, Bernard De Voto and Harris Newmark. In this authentic setting the Lees, the Weinshanks and the Phelans witnessed the many changes that took place down through the years and of the men who made them possible, men such as William Mulholland, Phineas Banning and Stephen M. White. All these men made their mark and will go down in the history books of this state.

Click on the book to order.

ISBN 0-87062-296-X