Articles

  • John Edward Borein (1872-1945)

    John Edward “Ed” Borein was one of  several early Western artists who was actually born in the West.  As a young man he roamed the western states and much of Mexico,  working as a cowboy and using his artistic  talent to record his  experiences.  Borein, along with Charles Russell, is regarded as one of the […]

  • De la Guerra y Pacheco

    E Clampus Vitus was founded in antiquity, in 4005 B.C. Its most glorious chapter is de la Guerra y Pacheco, Chapter 1.5, emerging in unclaimed territory in Clamper Year 5996 and now reigning magnanimously over San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties, benevolently offering protection and administration to subject lands in the Sandwich  Islands. The […]

  • The Japanese Bombardment of Ellwood

    It was a pleasant evening on the coast of Goleta, it was February 23 1942, the skies were clear and the breeze was gentle but just after 7pm our small town history changed forever.  It was nearly 70 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor when a Japanese I-17 long range submarine   appeared off the […]

  • J.M. Forbes Harness and Saddle Shop

    James M. Forbes, affectionately known as JM, was born on December 13, 1839 in Wooster, Ohio.  His father, Thomas, was a harness maker and in 1860 moved to Mt. Carroll, Illinois with JM and his brother George who was also a trained harness maker.  They built harnesses and saddles until JM enlisted in the 92nd […]

  • The Weber Grain Wagon

    Henry Weber was born in 1822 in Hochweiler, Alsase, France. At the time it was part of  Germany, and thus the family were all German speaking.  Henry came to America in 1841, at the age of 18,  and was indentured to a wagon-maker in Lyons, N.Y. for three years.  After the three years in New […]