Discovering The Lost Stories of 800 Pioneer Women

This thirty-minute program introduces The Society of California Pioneers Museum and Library's new online resource for writers, teachers, scholars, genealogists, and armchair historians: Her Side of the Story; Tales of California Pioneer Women. Featuring a recently-discovered collection of over 800 unpublished, first-person accounts written by pioneer women (currently featured in their museum, illustrated with rarely-seen photographs, prints, and maps from their archives), this program illuminates their diverse experiences and demonstrates the importance of uniting with others to ensure that your story is included when history is recorded. You will learn how to access both the original, hand-written text and the annotated transcription of these engaging and entertaining accounts, as well as how to search this unique primary source for information specific to your field of research, your family history, or your curriculum goals.

John Hogan oversees exhibitions and public programs at The Society of California Pioneers Museum and Library, where he curates exhibitions using art and artifacts from the archives amassed and maintained by the organization since 1850. He is currently working with other organizations including the Mechanics Institute on the upcoming city-wide celebration of Golden Gate Park's sesquicentennial.