Joaquin Murrieta and His Horse Gangs [signed] [first edition]

Frank F. Latta was born near the mouth of Orestimba Creek in Stanislaus County, September 18, 1892, son of Cumberland Presbyterian Minister, Eli C. Latta, and Schoolteacher Harmonia Campbell Latta. In 1919, while in the U.5 Army he married Jeanette M. Allen horn in Oakland, September 3, 1897. Frank and Jean with their four children have shared equally in the efforts and sacrifices made to gather, prepare and publish these data. In 1906 Occidental Elementary Teacher, Edith V. Hollingsworth, encouraged him to gather the history of the school district by interview-ing the original settlers, many of whom then were still living. Latta started with James Hitchcock who came to California before the discovery of gold by James Marshall. He came with the first wagons to cross the Sierra Nevada, led by Captain Elijah Stevens, and was scalped by the Indians on the way. Latta gathered more than 17,000 stories of San Joaquin Valley pioneers. His combined books, newspaper and magazine articles total more than 3000 publications. DALTON GANG DAYS, SAGA OF RANCHO EL TEJON, AND TAILHOLT TALES were published by the Latta family press, Bear State Books, in 1976 honoring that year with the Bear State Books Bicentennial seal. The second edition of HANDBOOK OF YOKUTS INDIANS, first edition issued in 1949, was published in 1978. Latta's comprehensive book on Death Valley, DEATH VALLEY '49ERS, was published in 1979. His last book, JOAQUIN MURRIETA AND HIS HORSE GANGS, was published in 1980. Latta died in 1981.