Los Angeles / — --°

Latest fieldtrip 03 February 2026

The San Miguel Massacre

A tale of greed and deception at California's 16th mission...

File
FT–03
Place
Paso Robles
Runtime
4 min 55 s
Host
Michael Imlay

On the night of December 4, 1848, six unfamiliar riders arrived at the old convento of Mission San Miguel Arcángel seeking lodging. William Reed welcomed them in. It was a ghastly mistake.

Read transcript
The archive

Chronicling the Southland’s history and lore…

Famous landmarks and obscure events. The truth behind urban legends. Dreamers and schemers from the past—and the people keeping their memory alive today.

The work

Field trip videos, articles and shorts exploring the landmarks, legends, forgotten places and curious corners of Southern California.

The beat

SoCal history in all its complexity—from missions and boomtowns to Hollywood, highways, colorful characters and the occasional dark chapter.

The host

Michael Imlay, a journalist, editor and itinerant shutterbug with a lifelong fascination for the history and lore of his native LA region.

The archive

3 fieldtrips · more on the way

FT–03 February 3, 2026 · Paso Robles

The San Miguel Massacre

On the night of December 4, 1848, six unfamiliar riders arrived at the old convento of Mission San Miguel Arcángel seeking lodging. William Reed welcomed them in. It was a ghastly mistake.

Transcript
FT–01 August 9, 2025 · Placerita Canyon

Oak of the Golden Dream

On March 9, 1842, ranchero Francisco López awoke hungry from a tree-shaded siesta. Digging up some onions to snack on, he got a glittering surprise — gold flakes.

Transcript
FT–02 August 9, 2025 · Quartzsite, Arizona

The Tomb of Hi Jolly

Ghostly camels wandering the SoCal desert? For the real-life backstory to this spooky legend, we’ll have to visit a curious pyramid in Arizona.

Transcript