by BHM Offices | Sep 5, 2018 | From the Archives, News & Notes
by Beverly Phelan The Majestic Theatre in Downtown Benicia opened with great fanfare on February 23, 1920. By 7:30 PM – opening time – there were more than 1200 people waiting to be admitted, with only half of the people fortunate enough to get in at the first show!...
by benicia museum | May 19, 2014 | Benicia History
The Mizner Family was one of Benicia’s most interesting pioneer families. They arrived in California at the founding of Benicia in the 1840’s. They built a house and kept a small farm on what is now East L St. near First St. (where the Benicia Public...
by benicia museum | May 19, 2014 | Benicia History
The original land grants gifted to General Vallejo in 1843, incorporating much of Solano and Sonoma County, were ultimately invalidated in the 1860’s. This was due in part due to their sheer size as well as the fact that they were granted by the Mexican...
by benicia museum | May 19, 2014 | Benicia History
Benicia was not on the regular Pony Express Route, but when the riders’ missed their steamer connection to San Francisco from Sacramento, they took the alternative route through Solano County. This happened a total of 19 times in the 19 month history of the...
by benicia museum | May 19, 2014 | Benicia History
There were a large number of schools established in the first years of Benicia’s history, which lead Benicia to be known as the “Athens of California” in the 1850’s-60’s. The first two schools opened in 1852; Blake’s School for Boys...
by benicia museum | May 19, 2014 | Benicia History
In June of 1846, Robert Semple, a young dentist and journalist from Kentucky was escorting Mexican General Mariano C. Vallejo to Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento. It was then that he saw the Strait of Carquinez for the first time. Most of the land north of the...
