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Nipomo, California – July 25, 2006 – Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos (D.A.N.A.) announced that on August 5, the “Saturday Talks at the Dana Adobe” series will preview a soon-to-be-published book by Joe Dana, great great grandson of Captain William Goodwin Dana. The book, which is an historical biography of the captain, is an outgrowth of a thesis Mr. Dana wrote while at the University of California, Berkeley. The book synthesizes primary source material on the captain’s life with content from his letters to other Yankee settlers to California during the mid-1800s. It explores the captain’s childhood in Boston, his life as a sea trader, his decision to settle in California and his life as proprietor of Rancho Nipomo.
“Just as he navigated the seas as a young man, the captain had to navigate between two very different cultures in California — his Yankee heritage and the Mexican customs he adopted when he married Maria Josefa Carrillo,” says Joe Dana, who is also principal of Ralph Dunlap Elementary School in Orcutt. “The letters he wrote to his peers reveal much about his personality and character as well as his ambivalence toward Mexican control of California.” Captain Dana was heavily involved in the Mexican government, serving as alcalde and captain of the port of Santa Barbara. At the same time, he played a behind-the-scenes role in John C. Fremont’s efforts to wrest Alta California from Mexico and create the Bear Flag Republic.
South County Historical Society (SCHS) is publishing the book and is currently working with Mr. Dana to help obtain the necessary permissions to use various photos and illustrations. “This book is a rich source of information on the history of the South County,” says Linda Shephard, chair of the SCHS book committee. “Joe accessed primary documents, actually handling letters that his great great grandfather wrote. The quotations and descriptions he uses bring Captain Dana to life, making it not only an interesting historical account but also an entertaining and enjoyable book to read.”
The talk will take place from 1:00 to 2:00 pm on Saturday, August 5. The adobe will be open from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. D.A.N.A. invites members of the community to bring a picnic lunch, enjoy the adobe grounds, and participate in a docent-led tour of the adobe. Admission is free. Rancho Nipomo Dana Adobe is located at 671 South Oakglen Avenue in Nipomo. For more information on the talk, call 805-929-2606.
About Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos
D.A.N.A. is a private, nonprofit public benefit corporation. One of its primary functions is the stewardship and restoration of one of California’s most important historical structures — the Dana Adobe — located in Nipomo, California. D.A.N.A. is working towards the creation of an historical park with the Dana Adobe as its centerpiece. For more information on the adobe, visit www.danaadobe.org or call 805-929-5679.
About South County Historical Society
SCHS, chartered in 1976, is dedicated to the reseach, restoration and dissemination of information on the historical heritage of Avila, Pismo Beach, Edna, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Halcyon, Huasna, Los Berrros, Oso Flaco, and Nipomo. Currently, the society's five hundred members maintain four museums. SCHS will open its fifth and main museum, the 1902 IOOF building in Arroyo Grande, in late 2006. For more information on SCHS, visit www.southcountyhistory.org or call 805-473-5077.
For More Information
For more information on Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos, the Dana Adobe, or Rancho Nipomo, contact:
| Paul Mangione | Herb Kandel |
| Mangione, Payne & Associates | Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos |
| Phone: 805-929-6825 | Phone: 805-922-4490 |
| Email: paulm@mangionepayne.com | hkandel@slonet.org |