Highway 1 from San Francisco to Mendocino

The Rugged Mendocino Coast
In the late 1980's Macrine and I (no kids this time) drove Highway 1 from San Francisco to Mendocino just for one time to celebrate a wedding anniversary. On our way we stopped at St Orres in Gualala along Highway 1 for lunch. We stayed overnight at the Victorian Mendocino Hotel that was constructed in 1878 and restored in 1975. The Hotel had 51 deluxe accommodations. It is luxurious, and romantic. There are garden suites and cottages situated on two acres of botanical gardens with fireplaces. Italian marble vanities, private balconies and spectacular ocean or garden views are featured in some rooms. Antiques, fine art, down comforters, stained glass and Oriental carpets, are some of the luxuries provided by the Hotel.
St Orres at Gualala, California
St. Orres is a combination 4-star restaurant with dramatic dining room setting, lodge, and series of cottages located on the Mendocino coast about 3 hours north of San Francisco.
Stinson Beach Near Muir Woods
I loved to drive the kids and Macrine to Point Reyes National Park almost once a month during the summer months. We purchased fresh oysters at Point Reyes and swam in Stinson Beach and Bolinas Bay (away from the Nude Beach because we have small children at that time). We also drove around the Muir Woods National Park, Mt Tamalpais and around Marin County and back to Pinole, Contra Costa County where we resided.
Muir Woods National Park
We ate lunch at Sausalito and Tiburon every now then. We went to Bodega Bay a couple of times just for sight seeing. We drove to Santa Rosa, Guerneville, Napa, Geyservile, Glenn Ellen and surrounding areas. I was young and adventurous at that time and I really did not mind driving just for sightseeing. The kids love it. Today, I hate to drive especially at night. What 30 years of time passing by can do to the human body and spirit.
Point Reyes National Seashores

Note: This is No.14 (Part 1) of a series of article on the places that the Katague Family had visited or resided in US since 1960.

Summary Of Philippine-American History, 1898-1946

Filipino Immigrants to US in the 1930's
In the early 1930's Macrine's uncle immigrated to the US. Although he had an engineering degree, the only job he was accepted to do was either a waiter or a dishwasher. He was not also allowed to date a Caucasian woman. In the late 1930's he came back to the Philippines, married Macrine's aunt and later become Governor of the province of Marinduque. He did feel the anti-filipino or anti-asian discriminatory practices of those times.

FILIPINO-AMERICAN HISTORICAL TIMELINE DETAILS (1930 to 1939)
1930: ANTI FILIPINO RIOTS
Anti-Filipino riot occurred in Watsonville, California and in Kent Washington. The five days of the Watsonville riots, throwing two counties into turmoil and spreading fear and hatred throughout the state, had a profound impact on California's attitude toward imported Asian labor. As a result, Filipino immigration plummeted, and while they remained a significant part of the labor in the fields, they began to be replaced by Mexicans. The Japanese American Citizens League's first national convention was held in Seattle on August 29.

1930:AGRICULTURAL WORKERS LEAGUE
The struggle for better working conditions was given a decided boost when a group of Filipino farm workers organized the Agricultural Workers League in 1930. The organization was set up to initiate large-scale unionization of Filipino workers and threaten field owners with the real possibility of paralyzing strikes. With the seeds planted, unionization moved forward. In 1933 Rufo Canete and other Filipino labor leaders met in Salinas and formed the Filipino Labor Union (FLU). Largely as a result of grower recruiting in the Philippines and Hawaii, where thousands of young Filipinos worked in the sugar fields, the California Filipino population grew from only five in 1900 to over 30,000 by 1930, when Filipino workers made up nearly 15 percent of all California agricultural workers.

1930: FILIPINOS IN ALASKAN CANNERIES
Nearly 3000 Filipinos were working in the Alaskan canneries.

1933: FILIPINO LABOR UNION AND JOURNAL IS FORMED
The Filipino Labor Union, founded in 1933, organized the Salinas Lettuce Strike. Filipino Agricultural Workers Union publishes the Filipino Journal. Some of these men formed the first Filipino-led union ever organized in the United States: the Cannery Workers’ and Farm Labors’ Union Local 18257. Based in Seattle, it was organized by "Alaskeros" who worked in the Alaska salmon canneries each summer and in the harvest fields of Washington, Oregon, and California in the other seasons. The union was in its shaky beginnings when two of its founders were murdered. Yet, although its leaders were dead, the union would not die. Instead in the next few years, it grew stronger, becoming effective up and down the West Coast.

This paper investigates the early history of the Cannery Workers’ and Farm Laborers' Union and the sense of pride and fraternity within the Alaskero brotherhood that made the union possible. Much of the credit has to be given to the Filipino community. The workers believed in community and unity. The Cannery Workers’ and Farmers’ Union’s motto was "Unity is Strength." This motto and spirit kept the union together after the death of its founders, Virgil S. Duyungan and Aurelio Simon. The union elected a new president and soon emerged stronger than before. The camaraderie and fraternity within this group of men helped them build a successful union, one of the first lasting organizations led by Asian American workers.

1933: FILIPINOS INELIGIBLE FOR CITIZENSHIP
Filipinos are ruled ineligible for citizenship and therefore are barred from immigrating to the US.

1933: FILIPINO ELECTED PRESIDENT OF LABOR UNION
Cannery Workers' and Farm Laborers' Union formed in Seattle. Virgil Duyungan, a Filipino cannery worker, is the first president.

1939: FILIPINO AMERICAN HARBOR JEWS DURING WWII
In Manila, though, a vigorous expatriate cigar manufacturer from Cincinnati had been playing poker and bridge with the likes of Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower; Paul V. McNutt, the American high commissioner; and Manuel L. Quezon, the first Philippines president.

When Alex Frieder, a expatriate cigar manufacturer from Cincinnati, saw refugees straggling to the port pleading for entry, he cajoled his high-profiled poker cronies (Dwight D. Eisenhower, Paul V. McNutt - the American high commissioner and Manuel L. Quezon - the 1st Philippines president - to let the Philippines become a haven for thousands more.

Through his efforts and Phillip - along with his two other brothers (Morris, Herbert & Henry), about 1,200 German and Austrian Jews eventually found sanctuary in the Philippines in the late 1930's, then an American protectorate, even as the liner St. Louis was turned away from Miami with a boatload of 900 Jews in a more typical example of American policy.

The story of the Manila rescue begins in 1918 with the decision of the Frieder family to move much of its two-for-a-nickel cigar business from Manhattan to the Philippines, where production would be cheaper. Alex, Philip, Herbert and Morris took turns living in Manila for two years each.

Frank Ephraim who as a child was one of the Jewish refugees in Manila and who wrote a history of the rescue, "Escape to Manila: From Nazi Tyranny to Japanese Terror" (University of Illinois Press, 2003), said that in 1937 Philip Frieder saw European Jews arriving in Manila's port from Shanghai while it was under siege by the Japanese. Shanghai remained an open port and eventually harbored 17,000 German Jews. Mr. McNutt, the high commissioner, was able to finesse State Department bureaucrats to turn a blind eye to quotas and admit 1,000 Jews a year.

Mr. Quezon's approval was also needed. Dr. Racelle Weiman, the Holocaust center's director, said there was a letter written by Alex Frieder to Morris Frieder that said skeptics in Mr. Quezon's administration spoke of Jews as "Communists and schemers" bent on "controlling the world." "He assured us that big or little, he raised hell with every one of those persons," Alex Frieder wrote of Mr. Quezon in August 1939. "He made them ashamed of themselves for being a victim of propaganda intended to further victimize an already persecuted people." Mr. Frieder combed lists of imperiled Jews for needed skills and advertised in German newspapers. The brothers and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee arranged visas, jobs and housing and raised thousands of dollars for sustenance.

Source: US_asian.tripod.com/timeline

Manila in the 1930's
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Philippine-American War (1898 - 1946)

In February, 1899, Aguinaldo led a new revolt, this time against U.S. rule. Defeated on the battlefield, the Filipinos turned to guerrilla warfare, and their defeat became a mammoth project for the United States— Thus began the Philippine-American War, one that cost far more money and took far more lives than the Spanish-American War. Fighting broke out on February 4, 1899, after two American privates on patrol killed three Filipino soldiers in San Juan, Metro Manila. Some 126,000 American soldiers would be committed to the conflict; 4,234 American and 16,000 Filipino soldiers, part of a nationwide guerrilla movement of indeterminate numbers, died. Estimates on civilian deaths during the war range between 250,000 and 1,000,000, largely because of famine and disease. Atrocities were committed by both sides.

The poorly equipped Filipino troops were handily overpowered by American troops in open combat, but they were frightening opponents in guerrilla warfare. Malolos, the revolutionary capital, was captured on March 31, 1899. Aguinaldo and his government escaped, however, establishing a new capital at San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Antonio Luna, Aguinaldo's most capable military commander, was murdered in June. With his best commander dead and his troops suffering continued defeats as American forces pushed into northern Luzon, Aguinaldo dissolved the regular army in November 1899 and ordered the establishment of decentralized guerrilla commands in each of several military zones. The general population, caught between Americans and rebels, suffered significantly.

The revolution was effectively ended with the capture (1901) of Aguinaldo by Gen. Frederick Funston at Palanan, Isabela on March 23, 1901 and was brought to Manila, but the question of Philippine independence remained a burning issue in the politics of both the United States and the islands. The matter was complex by the growing economic ties between the two countries. Although moderately little American capital was invested in island industries, U.S. trade bulked larger and larger until the Philippines became almost entirely dependent upon the American market. Free trade, established by an act of 1909, was expanded in 1913. Influenced of the uselessness of further resistance, he swore allegiance to the United States and issued a proclamation calling on his compatriots to lay down their arms, officially bringing an end to the war. However, sporadic insurgent resistance continued in various parts of the Philippines, especially in the Muslim south, until 1913.

U.S. colony

Civil government was established by the Americans in 1901, with William Howard Taft as the first American Governor-General of the Philippines. English was declared the official language. Six hundred American teachers were imported aboard the USS Thomas. Also, the Catholic Church was disestablished, and a substantial amount of church land was purchased and redistributed. Some measures of Filipino self-rule were allowed, however. An elected Filipino legislature was established in 1907.

When Woodrow Wilson became U.S. President in 1913, there was a major change in official American policy concerning the Philippines. While the previous Republican administrations had predicted the Philippines as a perpetual American colony, the Wilson administration decided to start a process that would slowly lead to Philippine independence. U.S. administration of the Philippines was declared to be temporary and aimed to develop institutions that would permit and encourage the eventual establishment of a free and democratic government. Therefore, U.S. officials concentrated on the creation of such practical supports for democratic government as public education and a sound legal system. The Philippines were granted free trade status, with the U.S.

In 1916, the Philippine Autonomy Act, widely known as the Jones Law, was passed by the U.S. Congress. The law which served as the new organic act (or constitution) for the Philippines, stated in its preamble that the ultimate independence of the Philippines would be American policy, subject to the establishment of a stable government. The law placed executive power in the Governor General of the Philippines, appointed by the President of the United States, but established a bicameral Philippine Legislature to replace the elected Philippine Assembly (lower house) and appointive Philippine Commission (upper house) previously in place. The Filipino House of Representatives would be purely elected, while the new Philippine Senate would have the majority of its members elected by senatorial district with senators representing non-Christian areas appointed by the Governor-General.

The 1920s saw alternating periods of cooperation and confrontation with American governors-general, depending on how intent the official who holds an office was on exercising his powers vis-à-vis the Philippine legislature. Members to the elected legislature lost no time in lobbying for immediate and complete independence from the United States. Several independence missions were sent to Washington, D.C. A civil service was formed and was regularly taken over by Filipinos, who had effectively gained control by the end of World War I.

When the Republicans regained power in 1921, the trend toward bringing Filipinos into the government was inverted. Gen. Leonard Wood, who was appointed governor-general, largely replaced Filipino activities with a semi military rule. However, the advent of the Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s and the first aggressive moves by Japan in Asia (1931) shifted U.S. sentiment sharply toward the granting of immediate independence to the Philippines.

In 1934, the United States Congress, having originally passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act as a Philippine Independence Act over President Hoover's refusal, only to have the law rejected by the Philippine legislature, finally passed a new Philippine Independence Act, popularly known as the Tydings-McDuffie Act. The law provided for the granting of Philippine independence by 1946.

U.S. rule was accompanied by improvements in the education and health systems of the Philippines; school enrollment rates multiplied fivefold. By the 1930s, literacy rates had reached 50%. Several diseases were virtually eliminated. However, the Philippines remained economically backward. U.S. trade policies encouraged the export of cash crops and the importation of manufactured goods; little industrial development occurred. Meanwhile, landlessness became a serious problem in rural areas; peasants were often reduced to the status of serfs.

Commonwealth

The period 1935–1946 would ideally be dedicated to the final adjustments required for a peaceful transition to full independence, great latitude in autonomy being granted in the meantime.

The Hare-Hawes Cutting Act, passed by Congress in 1932, provided for complete independence of the islands in 1945 after 10 years of self-government under U.S. supervision. The bill had been drawn up with the aid of a commission from the Philippines, but Manuel L. Quezon, the leader of the leading Nationalist party, opposed it, partially because of its threat of American tariffs against Philippine products but principally because of the provisions leaving naval bases in U.S. hands. Under his influence, the Philippine legislature rejected the bill. The Tydings-McDuffie Independence Act (1934) closely looks like the Hare-Hawes Cutting Act, but struck the provisions for American bases and carried a promise of further study to correct “imperfections or inequalities.”
Manuel Quezon with some family members welcome by President Roosevelt in Washington, D.C.

The Philippine legislature approved the bill; a constitution, approved by President Roosevelt (Mar., 1935) was accepted by the Philippine people in a vote by the electorate determining public opinion on a question of national importance (May); and Quezon was elected the first president (Sept.). On May 14, 1935, an election to fill the newly created office of President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines was won by Manuel L. Quezon (Nacionalista Party) and a Filipino government was formed on the basis of principles apparently similar to the US Constitution. When Quezon was inaugurated on Nov. 15, 1935, the Commonwealth was formally established in 1935, featured a very strong executive, a unicameral National Assembly, and a Supreme Court composed entirely of Filipinos for the first time since 1901. The new government embarked on an ambitious agenda of establishing the basis for national defense, greater control over the economy, reforms in education, improvement of transport, the colonization of the island of Mindanao, and the promotion of local capital and industrialization. The Commonwealth however, was also faced with agrarian unrest, an uncertain diplomatic and military situation in South East Asia, and uncertainty about the level of United States commitment to the future Republic of the Philippines.

In 1939-40, the Philippine Constitution was revised to restore a bicameral Congress, and permit the reelection of President Quezon, previously restricted to a single, six-year term. Quezon was reelected in Nov., 1941. To develop defensive forces against possible aggression, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was brought to the islands as military adviser in 1935, and the following year he became field marshal of the Commonwealth army.

During the Commonwealth years, Philippines sent one elected Resident Commissioner to the United States House of Representatives, as Puerto Rico currently does today.

Source: www.philippinecountry.com/history

Note: A more detailed discussion of the Filipino-American War of 1898-1901 and the Japanese-American War in the Philippines from 1941-1945 has been posted on my blog
http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com

Santa Cruz and Monterey Vicinity and Pacific Coast Highway

Lone Cypress Tree in Monterey-the most photographed tree in California
We have been to Santa Cruz, Carmel and Monterey vicinity a couple of times in the early 1980's. We visited the Santa Cruz Board walk, the Monterey aquarium, Cannery Row and the 17 mile drive in Carmel on scenic route Highway 1. A winding road that leads through an exclusive neighborhood and past scenic coastal views to the famed Pebble Beach, the 17-Mile Drive is one experience the Katague family will not forget. Our leisurely drive on the Pacific Coast Highway from Monterey to Los Angeles that took us two days is one experience that we will never forget.
Here's a short review about the 17-mile drive from a satisfied tourist.
Visiting 17-Mile Drive-A must for Visitors

The 17-Mile Drive is fundamentally a road that passes through an exclusive neighborhood. You'll pay a fee (per car) to drive on it and motorcycles are not allowed. Despite what you may read elsewhere, the drive from the Highway 1 Gate to the Carmel Gate is approximately 17 miles. If you enter and/or leave through different gates, the distance may be different.

Once you get inside, you'll find signs and red-painted dashed lines on the pavement to help you follow the 17-Mile Drive route. The road winds through a forested area and along the oceanfront, passing three golf courses, two luxury hotels and the famed Lone Cypress tree. The guide map you get at the gate will give a brief description of each point of interest.
If you want to picnic along the 17-Mile Drive, stop at the Safeway store at the intersection of Highway 1 and Rio Road to pick up supplies or try the 5th Avenue Deli (between San Carlos & Dolores) in downtown Carmel. You can also buy picnic goodies along the drive at the Pebble Beach Market next to The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Best picnic spots are between Point Joe and Seal Rock and you'll find picnic tables at many stops. Local seagulls roost on the tables when no one is around, so you may want to bring something to spread over the table before you eat.
Even though it's written on the bottom of the 17-Mile Drive entry fee receipt, it's a little-known fact that you can get a refund. If you spend more than $25 at any of the Pebble Beach Company restaurants along the 17-Mile Drive, they'll deduct the fee from your bill. We recommend Roy's restaurant at the Inn at Spanish Bay for their great views and service. Their prices are also much more reasonable than the Lodge at Pebble Beach, and after the fee was subtracted, our lunch bill was only a few dollars more than a mediocre breakfast we had in Carmel the previous day.
Here's some of Monterey's county tourist destinations for you to consider.
"Visit Monterey and see the amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium, as well as Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row, made famous by Nobel Prize-winning Salinas writer John Steinbeck. Experience the legendary golf courses of Pebble Beach. Take a California wine country vacation in Carmel Valley, Soledad or Salinas Valley, or go art gallery hopping in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea or buzzing Sand City. For an outdoor experience, hike the wild trails of Big Sur, go surfing in Moss Landing, or watch the hang gliders in Marina and Seaside. Dine in centrally located Del Rey Oaks, and relax in an old-fashioned, seaside home town among the Victorian cottages and Monarch butterflies of Pacific Grove. Monterey County is your destination for a perfect California vacation".

With regards to Santa Cruz ,the board walk is too touristy, but fireworks on the beach during July 4th is fun if you do not mind the crowds.
Fireworks at Santa Cruz Beach
Scenic Pacific Coast Highway Drive
My wife and I have driven scenic California Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles with a stop at San Luis Obispo and the Hearst Castle. This experience offered us, the best American coastal scenery in our life time. My next posting will be our leisurely trip from San Francisco to Mendocino passing through Point Reyes National Park and Bodega Bay in the late 1980's.( Posting Number 14).
Some of California's best views lie along the coast road between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The most dramatic scenery is on the stretch between Carmel and San Simeon.
The Pacific Coast Highway – officially designated California Highway 1 – is a favorite route for visitors exploring the state. The 485 miles between San Francisco and Los Angeles is one of the country's best scenic drives. A minimum of two days is needed to see a few of the attractions and allow for plenty of stops to admire the beautiful views along the Pacific Coast Highway.
The coastal scenery is most dramatic on the stretch between Carmel and San Simeon. Here are the highlights of this central section of the Pacific Coast Highway drive.
1.Carmel-by-the-Sea: The actor Clint Eastwood once served a term as mayor of this purposely quaint town 4 miles south of Monterey. It has a beautiful setting on the headlands of Carmel Bay, sloping gently down to the ocean shore. In order to preserve its character, city ordinances forbid such things as parking meters, streetlamps, franchise restaurants and even postal deliveries. The result is a picturesque – and wealthy – town with designer shops and numerous art galleries. Among the best is the Weston Gallery on Sixth Street, with works by famous photographers such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, a former resident. At the end of Ocean Avenue, Carmel Beach is a peaceful spot with beautiful white sand backed by pine-covered cliffs. Further along, Carmel River State Beach has a lagoon and nature preserve harboring many bird species. At both beaches, strong tides and dangerous currents make swimming hazardous. Sea otters and sea lions can be spotted at Point Lobos State Reserve, 2 miles south. The point is also a good place to see migrating California gray whales, especially in January, April and the beginning of May.
2. Carmel Mission: Slightly inland along the river, this was the second in the chain of California missions. Established in 1770, it served as the headquarters for Northern California. Father Junípero Serra, founder of the missions, is buried at the foot of the altar. The mission has been carefully restored to its original plan. The church features an ornate Gothic arch behind the altar, while reconstructed rooms such as the kitchen and Father Serra's simple cell depict mission life.
3.Big Sur: The 100-mile stretch of coast known as Big Sur is the highlight of the Pacific Coast Highway. Here, Highway 1 runs dramatically along a narrow, winding route carved out of the cliffs, high above the sea. Below are rocky coves and crashing waves; inland are steep mountains, canyons and dense forests. Bixby Creek Bridge, 260 feet high and 700 feet long, was the world's largest single-arch span for many years after its construction in 1932.
Few people live in this rugged region. The town of Big Sur is really just a long string of restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations. A cluster of restaurants and shops surround the resort of Nepenthe, tucked away behind oak trees. Most of the coastline is protected in several state parks, which offer hiking trails, campsites, wilderness areas and access to sandy beaches and rocky shores. These include Andrew Molera State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Jade Cove.
Note: This is No.13 of 30 articles on places that the David B. Katague family have either resided or visited in US since 1960. No. 14 will be our trip from San Francisco to Mendocino passing through Point Reyes National Park and Bodega Bay.

San Diego, California and Vicinity

San Diego Skyline
We have visited San Diego three times since 1960. It is one of my favorite California cities, because the climate reminds me of the Philippines. A friend grows bananas, guavas and avocados in his backyard. It is not only a nice city to visit but also to live and retire if you could afford the housing in the area. Three of our family favorite places in the San Diego area are the Zoo, Legoland and Sea World. It is also a convenient starting place to visit Tijuana, Mexico. Be careful if you decide to visit Tijuana, Mexico for pickpockets etc. We love San Diego and will never get tired of the city.
The Zoo
The Coronado Bridge

Here's a short video of the sites and sounds of this beautiful city.


Note: This No. 12 (Part 1) of the series of articles on the places that the Katague family had either visited or resided in the US since 1960.

San Luis Obispo, Hearst Castle and Vicinity

Macrine and I had been to the Hearst Castle in San Simeon twice in the late 1970's. There are five tours one can take, but if it is your first time, Tour #1 is highly recommended by the National State Park officials. It is about 41 miles from San Luis Obispo, where most tourist stay overnight to return the next day for another tour.
The Garden
Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to the state of California. Since that time it has been maintained as a state historic park where the estate, and its considerable collection of art and antiques, is open for public tours. Despite its location far from any urban center, the site attracts roughly one million visitors per year.

Hearst formally named the estate "La Cuesta Encantada" ("The Enchanted Hill"), but usually called it "the ranch". The castle and grounds are also sometimes referred to as "San Simeon" without distinguishing between the Hearst property and the adjacent unincorporated area of the same name. The history of this castle is fascinating and interesting. For details read the Wikipedia.
The Pool-edged with Gold

Now for information about San Luis Opispo, just recently listed as one of the top ten and best cities to live in the United States.

San Luis Obispo (pronounced /sæn ˈluːɪs ɵˈbɪspoʊ/; Spanish for St. Louis, the Bishop) is a city in California, located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities. The city, referred to locally as "SLO", "SLOtown", "S.L.O" and "San Luis", is the county seat of San Luis Obispo County and is adjacent to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). As of the 2006 Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 42,963 (down 2.8% from 2000). One of Macrine's nephew graduated from Cal Poly in the late 1980's.

The City in 1876

Earliest human inhabitants of the local area were the Chumash peoples, who settled in the vicinity circa 5,000 to 10,000 years BC. One of the earliest villages lies south of San Luis Obispo, and reflects the landscape of the early Holocene when estuaries came farther inland and sea levels were higher. These Chumash people exploited marine resources of the inlets and bays along the Central Coast and inhabited a network of villages including sites at Los Osos and Morro Creek.

San Luis Obispo once had a burgeoning Chinatown in the vicinity of Palm St. and Chorro St. Laborers were brought from China by Ah Louis in order to construct the Pacific Coast Railway, roads connecting San Luis Obispo to Paso Robles and Paso Robles to Cambria, and also the 1884 to 1894 tunneling through Cuesta Ridge for the Southern Pacific Railroad. SLO's Chinatown revolved around Ah Louis Store and other Palm Street businesses owned and run by Chinese business people. Today, Mee Heng Low chop suey shop is all that remains of the culture, although a revitalized Chinatown development is being planned. A display of some of the unearthed relics from this period can be seen on the first floor of the Palm Street parking garage, which was built over the location where Chinatown once stood. The San Luis Obispo Historical Society (adjacent to the Mission) also contains rotating historical exhibits.

San Luis Obispo was also a popular stop on both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 with the rise of car culture. Due to its popularity as a stop, it was the location of the first motel, the Milestone Mo-Tel.

Among San Luis Obispo's historical buildings is the former San Luis Obispo Carnegie Library, located at 696 Monterey Street. The San Luis Obispo Carnegie Library was built in 1905 with a grant of $10,000 from Andrew Carnegie, who funded the establishment of 142 California libraries in the early 1900s. The Romanesque style building was designed by architect W.H.Weeks of Watsonville, California and was built by contractor Joseph Maino of San Luis Obispo. As one of numerous California public buildings designed by W. H. Weeks, it shares features with Carnegie libraries in nearby Lompoc and Paso Robles. The San Luis Obispo Carnegie building served as the city library until 1955, when a new public library was built at the corner of Palm and Morro Streets. It has been home to the San Luis Obispo County Historical Museum since 1956. The Carnegie Library building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Note: This is no. 11 ( Part 1) of a series of articles on places that the Katague family had visited or resided in the US since 1960.

Top Ten Conspiracy Theories

The list of conspiracy theories is a collection of the most popular theories related but not limited to clandestine government plans, elaborate murder plots, suppression of secret technology and knowledge, and other supposed schemes behind certain political, cultural, and historical events.

While a conspiracy is defined by law as an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act, a conspiracy theory attempts to attribute the ultimate cause of an event (usually major political, social, historical, or cultural events), chain of events, or the concealment of causes from public knowledge, to a secret and often deceptive plan by a group of people or organizations. Such theories usually go against a general consensus or cannot be proven using the historical method. Here's the top ten conspiracy theories.


Purposely excluded from this list are proven historical conspiracies, e.g. the conspiracy to assassinate U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and members of his cabinet in 1865.

Conspiracy theory is a term that originally was a neutral descriptor for any claim of civil, criminal, or political conspiracy. However, it has become largely pejorative and used almost exclusively to refer to any fringe theory which explains a historical or current event as the result of a secret plot by conspirators of almost superhuman power and cunning.

Conspiracy theories are viewed with skepticism by scholars because they are rarely supported by any conclusive evidence and contrast with institutional analysis, which focuses on people's collective behavior in publicly known institutions, as recorded in scholarly material and mainstream media reports, to explain historical or current events, rather than speculate on the motives and actions of secretive coalitions of individuals. The term is therefore often used dismissively in an attempt to characterize a belief as outlandishly false and held by a person judged to be a crank or a group confined to the lunatic fringe. Such characterization is often the subject of dispute due to its possible unfairness and inaccuracy.

According to political scientist Michael Barkun, conspiracy theories once limited to fringe audiences have become commonplace in mass media. He argues that this has contributed to conspiracism emerging as a cultural phenomenon in the United States of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and the possible replacement of democracy by conspiracy as the dominant paradigm of political action in the public mind. According to anthropologists Todd Sanders and Harry G. West, "evidence suggests that a broad cross section of Americans today…gives credence to at least some conspiracy theories." Belief in conspiracy theories has therefore become a topic of interest for sociologists, psychologists and experts in folklore.

Some deaths that are officially recorded as accident, suicide or natural causes are also the subject of some conspiracy theories. Examples include the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed in 1997, the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash in 1999, and the death of Senator Paul Wellstone in a plane crash in 2002. Other examples include: the suicide of Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster; the plane crash that killed United States Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown; the Mayerling Incident; and the deaths of U.S. Presidents Zachary Taylor and Lyndon B. Johnson, Władysław Sikorski, James Forrestal, British political leader Hugh Gaitskell, Australian prime minister Harold Holt, James P. Brady, New Zealand prime minister Norman Kirk, Jimmy Hoffa and David Kelly. There are also theories about untimely deaths of celebrities, the number one example arguably being the death of Marilyn Monroe, but also Sam Cooke, Brian Jones, Tupac Shakur, Christopher Wallace, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, John Lennon, and more recently Michael Jackson.