Stories Past and Present: Archaeology, lore, and community at von Pfister’s General Store, Benicia, California

Summary

The story of the start of the California Gold Rush by the announcement of the discovery at von Pfister’s General Store in Benicia, California, lives large in the contemporary community’s collective memory. Archaeological excavations and historical research at von Pfister’s has shed light on daily life at the general store and has served to historically and socially contextualize the popular story. This paper explores the origins of the story and the ways the narrative has shaped a larger community identity based heavily in its historical relevance to local and state development. Also explored are the ways in which local historic preservation efforts at the von Pfister site have been mobilized to draw attention to local traditions and challenge rapid Bay Area development.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• "Unless We Remember We Cannot Understand": Archaeological Inquiries into the Act of Remembering

Keywords

Spatial Coverage