I’m reposting this four-year old blog from May of 2014, because Trumpism has made it necessary to get all important art and history items out of the area and into safe zones, away from the anti-history and anti-intellectualism of Trump World.

My entire plan is to find a good home for the Donner collection, which now includes a first edition of the book, which was in its time a best-seller.

The two most vital and memorable incidents in early California history are the Donner Party and the ’49er Gold Rush. I don’t even have to tell you what those are about. If you’re like most Americans, especially Californians, you’ll know.

I happen to be a member of the family known in California as “The Donner Party” and I have a number of Donner Party memorabilia that could well be instrumental in discovering what actually happened at Donner Pass. Was there cannibalism? Maybe these documents will tell the story; they’re waiting for historians to get hold of them, and maybe YOU could be the one to make that happen! Continue reading →