The History Spot: 2018

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Friday, March 16, 2018

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Monday, March 12, 2018

A Castle For The People?

William Randolph Hearst built a stunning castle on the California coast and filled it with priceless artwork and artifacts. What would happen to his castle after its king had passed on?

As we would find out, the exclusive gates to his castle would be thrown open to the public; or at least the members of the public willing to shell out the money to do so. Was this what Mr. Hearst had wanted? Maybe.

But if that was the case, why did Hearst have a legendary argument with his architect, Julia Morgan about the Castle’s visibility from the main highway? Ms. Morgan had wanted to remove some large trees so that people on the highway could see the house. Hearst nixed that plan; he reportedly told her that the eyes of the common man should never gaze upon his castle. He invited a ton of people to stay and play in his castle, but only those rich and famous people who interested him. A who’s who of Hollywood and political leaders would gaze upon his lavish grounds and enjoy his hospitality. Certainly not the common man.

Many of his famous guests told apocryphal stories in which a wistful Hearst asked them what should be done with his castle upon his death. In the stories, they allegedly suggest donating the place to the state to run as a museum. Of course, they thought nothing about it until years later when they heard that the famed Castle was being opened to the public. Even Marion Davies, Hearst’s mistress of his heart and his Castle claimed that it was she who planted the idea in his mind. These stories seem a bit farfetched considering Mr. Hearst’s opinion on how visible his castle should be.

So how was the decision made to open the castle as a museum? In his will, Mr. Hearst made no special requests about his castle. His wife, Millicent Hearst, really wanted nothing to do with a place she associated with Mr. Hearst’s mistress. Millicent reportedly spoke with a Berkeley development officer as she was dealing with her husband’s financial matters (both Mr. Hearst and his mother had donated millions to Berkeley) and told him about her problems with determining what to do with the castle. He was the person who suggested that she could donate the place to the state of California who could run it as a museum. The idea appealed to Ms. Hearst who did that very thing.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Ciro’s

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Mitre Square

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Building the Castle

It was the home of his dreams; his most favorite place in the world. Hearst Castle was an architectural marvel. Most architects believed that its construction was impossible and it became a legendary structure that only the elite who interested its King could dream of visiting.

Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst had inherited his empire from his father. A simple man, George Hearst earned the family fortune by buying an abandoned gold mine from an owner who believed he was ripping off Mr. Hearst. While the mine had been stripped of its gold, it proved to be a very lucrative silver mine, making the Hearst family wealthy beyond its wildest dreams. George Hearst originally purchased his newspapers as a way to influence the electorate as part of his plan to become a powerful politician. After the newspapers had served their purpose, George handed them off to his son to manage as a way to keep him busy. WR Hearst built them into a giant yellow journalism empire.

As a child, he had become enchanted by a vast parcel of land that his father had purchased near San Simeon. After his father’s death, WR begged his mother to give him control of the land. She refused, insisting that he would only waste vast amounts of money building a mammoth house. Of course, that was exactly his plan. No sooner did his mother pass away than WR began drawing up plans for his elaborate Casa Grande, built on “La Cuesta Encantada.” The house would feature his amazing art collection and provide a practical use for his priceless antiquities. His wife never took to the property and further distanced herself from it after his other woman- actress Marion Davies, became the mistress of the castle, so to speak.

Of course, kings cannot live forever no matter how hard they try. What would happen to Hearst’s Castle? That’s a story for next time.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Coming Soon- True Crime Courthouse at RalfMora.com

There are many True Crime websites out there, but not many of them look at notorious crimes from a historical perspective. That’s why we’re introducing True Crime Courthouse at http://www.ralfmora.com

TCC will feature multi-part stories highlighting notorious crimes from throughout history. We’ll try to set the stage for each crime, detailing how historic events and societal norms at the time might have contributed to the tragedy.

Join us as we enter the historical world of true crime- coming soon!