A History Lesson~Abridged

I have just learned that a California historian wishes to interview my family, based on some light, though matter-of-fact conversations with one of my cousins.  I find this extremely fascinating, because I have always thought that one could make a mini movie series or docudrama about my families' histories.  On both sides of my family, we have a treasure trove of incredibly interesting accomplishments.

For instance, my great-great grandfather on my dad's side planted the eucalyptus trees that once lined both sides of HWY 126 between Piru & Castaic.  This was when my grandmother was very young and they lived where Six Flags over Magic Mountain is now.  That same grandmother has given very vivid accounts of the San Francisquito Dam disaster in 1928.  Ones where their family was awaken by rumbling and water crashing through their small community.  Her father and other townsmen plucked bodies (some alive but most dead) from trees and we still have family members whose bodies were never recovered.  They remember the WWI blackouts in LA, and as a mason, my grandfather assisted with the building of Dodger Stadium.

Both my parents' families are actual founding families of Piru, Ca.  It is the 1/2 way point between the San Fernando and the Buenaventura Missions on el Camino Real.  My mother's father actually worked on the Historical Camulos Ranch there.  And he and my grandmother were Cristero Revolutionary survivors.

As a forest ranger, my dad was once in charge of guarding the California Condor Sanctuary in the Los Padres National Forest.  This was before they had breeding grounds and while they were on the endangered species list.  He carried a shotgun and it was purely for protecting the condors from game or humans.  My father is also a fallen firefighter.  He is forever immortalized on the California Fallen Firefighter's Memorial in Sacramento and also in Ventura County.  He will soon be added to the National memorial as well.

My mother and her brother were the ones to begin enactment of Title 9 in our community.  They brought girls softball to our town, coaching without pay and no uniforms against big schools like Buena and Ventura--and winning teams no less.

As National Hispanic Heritage month winds down, I am eager to find out more about my ancestry and history.  Perhaps this stranger's interest in my family is the stepping stone I needed to research and validate their roots... my roots.