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Posts published by “Katy Tahja”

No Gold In These Here Hills

To the average browser looking at a shelf of used books on Western Americana at Grassroots Books in Reno it wasn’t much. A weathered old publication called California Journal of Mines and Geology, Volume 49,…

‘Encyclopedic Cookbook’ Cogitations

While I have written extensively about local history in Mendocino County there is another kind of history I enjoy delving into. Call it culinary history. I enjoy delving into what we eat, how we prepare…

Exploring Back Roads Around Harney County

The 1967 song by the WHO “I Can See for Miles and Miles…” could have been the theme for a recent 1,500 mile jaunt through Harney County in south central Oregon. If you live in…

Exploring The Mendocino Coast

Maps are a time trap for historians—just ask the folks at any museum. A map inspection can turn from a quick glance to an hour or more, often with the assistance of a magnifying lens,…

Exploring Lake County Back Roads

As we enjoy driving deserted roads in the middle of no place my husband and I have a list. We call it the “One of these days we ought to drive down that road and…

Reunion On The Playa – 2022

Gathering together again the first thing Burners heard on the Black Rock playa was the laughter of old friends reuniting after three years. It was a love fest for those of us who go for…

Driving California Byways To A Reunion

Loving parts of my past I jumped at the opportunity to return to the San Diego area for my 56th high school reunion in July. But not wanting to possibly endanger my health mixing with…

New Museum Curator at the Kelley House

After serving as curator at the Kelley House Museum for four years, and guiding it through the challenges of COVID, Karen McGrath has retired. Her tenure was marked by interesting projects and exciting technological advancements,…

Mendo’s  First ‘Aliens’ & POWs

If readers were ever curious about how WWII effected Mendocino citizens, here’s one answer. While many people are familiar with the internment camps for people of Japanese ancestry that the government established during World War…

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