This image is the cover for the book Historic Bay Area Visionaries, American Chronicles

Historic Bay Area Visionaries, American Chronicles

For centuries, California's environment has nurtured remarkable people. Ohlone Lope Inigo found a way to protect his family in troubled times on the shores of San Francisco Bay. Pioneer Juana Briones made a fortune from her rancho yet took the time to care for those in need. Innovator Thomas Foon Chew discovered a climate for success, in spite of the obstacles. Around the region that became Silicon Valley, filmmaker Charlie Chaplin found inspiration, poet Robert Louis Stevenson uncovered adventure and Sarah Winchester built a house that would intrigue people long after she was gone. Author Robin Chapman shares fascinating tales of those who exemplify the enterprising spirit of the Golden State.

Robin Chapman

Robin Chapman is a longtime journalist who is a native of the Santa Clara Valley. She earned her master's degree in journalism from the University of California-Los Angeles and worked at KRON-TV in San Francisco and several other stations in the West before heading to Washington, D.C. In 2009, she returned to California and authored California Apricots. She now writes a history column for a Silicon Valley weekly and serves on the board of the Los Altos History Museum. This is her fifth book.

The History Press