Kevin's Occasional Pods

Occasional podcasts on curious aspects of California history​

Kevin's Occasional Pods

Occasional podcasts on curious aspects of California history​

Latest Episodes

  • May 27, 2026

    Episode 4:

    The Conquest of California: Consummation (2/2)

    EPISODE 4:  THE CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA:  CONSUMMATION (2/2) SUMMARY:  The Navy sailed into Monterey harbor and raised the Stars [...]

  • May 27, 2026

    Episode 3:

    The Conquest of California: Anticipation (1/2)

    EPISODE 3:  THE CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA:  ANTICIPATION (1/2) SUMMARY:  Spain and Mexico each in turn “controlled” the territory of [...]

  • June 5, 2025

    Episode 2:

    Stopping the Slickens: The Rise and Fall of Hydraulic Mining in California

    As gold disappeared from Sierra streams during the California Gold Rush, miners turned to more involved technologies to extract the [...]

  • February 8, 2024

    Episode 1:

    The Quest for Nova Albion, Francis Drake’s West Coast Landfall

    After scouting the West Coast of North America in 1579, Francis Drake desperately needed to find a sheltered bay [...]