The Story of Michael White

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The Story of Michael White is written by Dorothy Jenkins Ross and published by . It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 096537694X (ISBN 10) and 9780965376945 (ISBN 13).

Michael White is a fascinating historical account of the development of California's San Gabriel Valley based on the life of Michael White, who was born in England in 1801 and at the age of 13 rode the high seas to become one of Southern California's founding pioneers. Factual accounts of his colorful life dramatically illustrate life surrounding the San Gabriel Mission under Spanish rule and early sea trading in the pacific region in the 1820s. After several years at sea, White adopts California as his home in 1828, becomes a Mexican citizen, and marries into a highly regarded mission family. Following the secularization and breakup of the mission lands in the 1830s, White becomes a respected horse rancher, and when the Bear Flag rebellion breaks out in 1846, White is soon swept into the fighting for an independent California republic. Then, when gold is discovered near Sacramento in 1848, White joins in. By the time he returns to his family in San Gabriel, California has become a state of the United States and his world is rapidly changing with large influxes of population, rampant land development, and the introduction of new technologies like trains and telegraphs. Rich in historical detail, with an extensive bibliography, the book contains over 25 early drawings, photographs, and specially constructed maps that allow the reader to follow Michael's lifelong adventures and appreciate the San Gabriel Valley's development from its early beginnings up through the start of the twentieth century.