The city of Grover Beach is nestled in the dunes of the California coastline in San Luis Obispo County. In 1842, Jose Ortego received a Mexican land grant and made the first claim on the area. Ortego sold his 8,838 acres to Isaac Sparks in 1867, and Sparks later sold half to John Price. Price sold his share to Dwight William Grover for $22,982.20 in gold. By 1887, Grover had filed with the county and founded the Town of Grover. Developers John F....

"The image of Hollywood often translates as some otherworldly dreamscape filled with fantastic lives and fantasy fulfillment. The real place was carved from the Southern California desert as an outpost northwest of Los Angeles. The movie industry arrived when tumbleweeds were not simply props and actual horsepower pulled the loads. Everyday workers, civic management, and Main Street conventionalities nurtured Hollywood's growth, as did a balmy climate...

Forged from glaciers and sacred to Native Americans, the mountains, boulders, and rocks of the Alabama Hills mirror landscapes found all over the world. A scenic three-hour drive from the Hollywood sign, this location would prove to serve as the place to make movies. Early Hollywood studios sent location scouts to the area after hearing stories shared by travelers, and the rest is movie history. Over 500 films have completed shooting here, including...

"Located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Arroyo Grande Valley was founded during the period of the Mexican land grants. In 1837, the San Manuela Rancho was granted to Francis and Manuela Branch. The rich soils and mild coastal climate created a wonderful location to build a home, grow crops, and raise livestock. While livestock production has diminished, it has been replaced by a growing wine industry and field crops continue to...

Located in the stark landscape of Eastern California's Owens Valley, Bishop is situated between two of the highest mountain ranges of the contiguous United States. Native Americans had been in the region since antiquity, and white settlers began to filter in after many battles with the Paiutes and Shoshones. Bishop was named after Sam Bishop, who drove cattle into the area and settled along Bishop Creek. Many more farmers and ranchers followed. To...

The San Ramon Valley stretches for 20 beautiful miles under the shadow of Mount Diablo and includes the bustling communities of San Ramon, Alamo, and Danville. Some 113,000 people make their homes here in a scenic area of open spaces, gracious homes, and tree-lined streets. Also here are major business hubs and the winding Interstate 680 freeway. Of course, this valley wasn't always so populous. In the 1850s, while nearby San Francisco boomed and...

Nipomo, Chumash for 'at the foot of the hills,' and Los Berros, Spanish for 'watercress,' comprise an important Central Coast area that is often overlooked by history. First established by Chumash Indians and then formally recognized in 1837 in the form of a 38,000-acre land grant from the Mexican government, the area evolved into a hidden national treasure. What started with a ranch owned by William Goodwin Dana and his wife, Maria Josefa Carrillo,...

Atascadero, California--located nearly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on US Highway 101--is the brainchild of E.G. Lewis. Thought by some to have been a visionary, others considered Lewis a con artist. In spite of his reputation, he founded Atascadero and left in his wake a collection of unique architecture that was the first planned community in the state of California. He established roads, water mains, power grids, agricultural cooperatives,...

Brentwood Borough, established in 1915, spans one of the highest ridges in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, just six miles southeast of Pittsburgh. In the 19th century, three small villages, four inns, and several blacksmith shops clustered along the rural ridge. A popular and primitive roadway, now known as Brownsville Road, connected these three hamlets with the wider world. This major artery carried coaches, wagons, livestock, and even escaping...

Bordentown, New Jersey, is located at the confluence of the Delaware River, Blacks Creek, and Crosswicks Creek. The town sits on a high bluff northeast of Philadelphia. Bordentown has always been an accessible crossroads, first by water and train and presently by car and light rail. The community was a railroading town and had a successful boating industry. It eventually transitioned into a factory town, supporting such businesses as Eagle Shirt Factory,...