History: Brick By Brick

10/09/2026

🧱 HISTORY BRICK BY BRICK | A Legacy of Fountain Valley
Some homes hold more than memories. They hold generations of history.
Dating back to the 1870s, one family's legacy became part of the very foundation of Fountain Valley, California.
In this special episode of History Brick By Brick, Charles Spratley sits down with Ron Courreges, a descendant of one of Fountain Valley's historical legends and the last caretaker of his family's longtime property.
Before the historic home was demolished to make way for modern development, we were fortunate enough to walk through its doors, explore the property, and capture a piece of local history that can never be replaced.
The house may be gone, but its stories deserve to live on.

Because progress may change the landscape, but it should never erase the legacy.
🎥 Join Charles and Ron as we preserve another remarkable chapter of Southern California history, one brick at a time.

Brick By Brick's Charles Spratley interviews Ron Courreges, the des...

10/05/2026

🎃 HISTORY BRICK BY BRICK: Why Do We Carve Pumpkins? Every October, we scoop out a pumpkin, carve a face into it, stick a light inside and set it by the door. But why?
The tradition didn’t begin with pumpkins at all.
Long before Halloween became an American holiday filled with candy and costumes, people in Ireland and other parts of the British Isles carved frightening faces into turnips and other root vegetables.
The glowing faces were connected to old beliefs surrounding the season when the boundary between the living and the dead was thought to grow thin. A carved face illuminated from within could serve as protection, something unsettling enough to discourage wandering spirits or other unwelcome visitors. Then came the legend of Stingy Jack.
According to Irish folklore, Jack was a clever but troublesome man who managed to trick the Devil more than once. When Jack eventually died, Heaven wouldn’t take him … and neither would Hell. The Devil supposedly gave Jack a single burning coal to light his way as he wandered the darkness. Jack placed the coal inside a hollowed-out turnip.
And so the wandering figure became known as “Jack of the Lantern” — Jack-o’-lantern. When Irish immigrants brought their traditions to America in the 19th century, they encountered something wonderfully suited to the job: Pumpkins.
They were plentiful, much larger than turnips and considerably easier to carve.
The American pumpkin gradually replaced the old hollowed turnip, and what had once been a rather eerie folk tradition evolved into one of Halloween’s most recognizable customs. So this year, when you plunge your knife into that pumpkin and begin carving a crooked grin, remember:
You aren’t simply decorating for Halloween. You’re carrying on a tradition shaped by folklore, immigration, superstition and one unfortunate fellow condemned to wander through the darkness carrying a glowing vegetable. 🎃

History is everywhere. Sometimes it’s sitting right on your front porch. History Brick by Brick / These Curious Times Network

10/04/2026

☀️ SO… WHAT DID PEOPLE DO WHEN IT HIT 102° IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN THE 1800s? They certainly didn't turn to an air conditioner ~ And, for the most part, they didn't try to fight the heat either.
Long before electricity and central air, Southern Californians built their lives around the climate. Much of the hard work was done early in the morning, before the worst heat arrived. When midday temperatures became brutal, people sought shade, rested, ate, or moved to quieter work. Outdoor activity picked up again as the day cooled. And those old adobe homes?
They were remarkably well suited to the job.
Adobe walls could be several feet thick, absorbing heat slowly and helping keep the interior considerably more comfortable during the hottest part of the day. Smaller windows reduced direct sunlight, while verandas, covered walkways and courtyards created precious shade.
Cooking could also be done outdoors, because nobody needed a roaring fire making an already-hot house even hotter.
Water, of course, was everything. Wells, springs, rivers, cisterns and irrigation systems weren't conveniences—they were essential to survival.
So a 102° day in 19th-century Southern California probably followed a very sensible rhythm:
🌅 Work early.
☀️ Get out of the midday sun.
💧 Drink and conserve water.
🏠 Let the adobe and shade do their jobs.
🌄 Resume work when the temperature dropped.
In other words, people adapted their lives to the heat instead of expecting their bodies to overpower it.
More than a century later, that may still be pretty good advice. When Southern California says 102°, perhaps history's answer is simply: Don't argue with the sun.

Stay cool. Stay safe. And, as always… Stay Curious.

10/02/2026

Tommyknocker ~ Tommyknocker …. Knocking at your door / Part II
by Charles Spratley
I work at Calico Ghost Town several times a year. Calico is in the small town of Yermo, off the 15, and most people don’t know that it exists unless they are on the way to Vegas. Calico was a silver mining town that slowly died after the silver mines closed in 1899.
Now, it is a roadside attraction run by San Bernardino County Regional Parks. One of its mines, Maggie Mine, is one of Calico’s attractions that you can visit. I have visited it a couple of times over the years, but it became an interest when I decided that I wanted to start writing this article.
Not only did I visit the mine, but I wanted to talk with the employees who work there. After talking to a few employees, I was directed to Justeen, an employee who has worked in the mine for a long time. According to Justeen, the Tommyknockers are at work in the mine on a regular basis.
She told me about many incidents that she has experienced while working. She told me of merchandise flying off the shelves in the gift store at the entrance of the mine, and of feeling something tugging on her pants while she was in the mine.
Two of the stories she told me had to do with the large wooden door at the entrance of the mine itself. One day, while she was getting the attraction ready, she heard knocking on the door. The knock was very loud and intentional. She ran to the door and opened it, but no one was there.
On a different occasion, the large wooden door simply opened on its own. There was no wind or anything else that could explain the situation. Other incidents, as well as knocking, have been reported in the mine.
My interview with the employees also reminded me of something: all the activity might not be the Tommyknockers. Some of the story’s sound like poltergeist activity or some other ghostly presence. This is interesting because some of the stories that I have researched spoke about miners seeing the ghosts of people who were killed in mining accidents, and these specters were causing the knocking.
As a bizarre storytelling magician, I do historical séances that require spending some time with people in the dark. In the darkness that surrounds us, people become very interesting. The very rational can cry in fear as the natural instinct of being a surface dweller is squashed in the black abyss of a completely dark room. When I light a solitary candle, people come to me like a moth to a flame, not for warmth, but for the light itself.
It is no wonder that miners saw things in the mine to explain the fear of going where no man was supposed to go. As the stories of the Tommyknockers and their kin tell us, the phenomenon is worldwide: somebody or something is waiting for you in the darkness of the mine, even if that something is just fear.

10/01/2026

Tommyknocker ~ Tommyknocker …. Knocking at your door / Part I
by Charles Spratley

It’s 9 a.m., but it is still dark. And it will be dark until the end of your shift in a few hours, when you will see the light of day. For now, you are making your way down a tunnel, a long stretch underground where you have to bend at your waist a couple of inches because if you stand up straight, you will scrape your head on the sharp rocks.
You have been chiseling away at the rock face for about an hour now when you hear a sound that is foreign to you. It is a soft but deliberate knocking. You’ve heard the stories, and now, as the knocking becomes louder, you start rushing your way down the tunnel. Behind you comes a crash that is deafening to the ears as the tunnel you were just in collapses.
You breathe a sigh of relief. A Tommyknocker just saved your life.
Knockers are an interesting type of cryptid, as old as time itself and found worldwide. We use the word “knockers” because of the Cornish miners who have experienced them for generations. They acquired that name because of their behavior of knocking on the walls of the mine, either helping miners find rich veins of ore or warning them of impending doom.
During the late 18th century and early 19th century, due to economic depression, many Cornish miners made their way to the coal mines of Pennsylvania. People from England who migrated to the New World were sometimes called a “Tommy,” which was also slang for a British soldier. So, when these Cornish miners came and started talking about the folklore of their people, these underground phenomena became Tommyknockers.
What exactly is a knocker? According to some, they are gnome-like creatures with long arms, wrinkled skin and large white beards. Think of a 2-foot garden gnome complete with mining tools. This description is pretty much worldwide, although we do have differences in some parts of the world, mainly South America.
In Bolivia, instead of multiple spirits, they believe in a being called El Tío, or “The Uncle.” El Tío is the god of the underworld, and there are altars dedicated to him even today. Roman Catholics on the surface, the moment you go underground, you are in the realm of El Tío.
How do you appease knockers or other spirits in the mine? The Cornish miners used to take a small portion of a meat pie, or pasty, a common miner’s lunch, and leave it for the Tommyknockers. For spirits like El Tío, to***co would be left, or perhaps some liquor or coca leaves. There has even been recent documentation of animal sacrifice to appease El Tío.
What are some of the behaviors associated with knockers or their ilk? Other than finding rich veins of ore or warning people of a collapse, they are known to help lost miners find their way and warn them of various disasters, such as toxic gases — like a cryptid canary in a coal mine.
These creatures are known to be helpful, but they can also be malicious. If you make fun of the knockers or fail to leave them a small morsel of food, you might get lost in the mine, perhaps some of your tools might go missing, or worse, you might not get any warning before a cave-in.

Tune in tomorrow for Part II and personal encounters .......

09/29/2026

History Brick by Brick doesn’t just investigate historic houses and places. Sometimes, history comes to us on the rails ... We had the honor of stepping aboard the Tioga Pass, a beautifully preserved executive railcar built in the 1950s, and speaking with its caretaker, Norm Orfall.
Our historian , sat down with Norm to uncover some of the Tioga Pass’s fascinating history, explore its remarkable features, and learn what it takes to preserve a piece of America’s railroad past.
Because history isn’t always standing still ~ Sometimes…it’s waiting at the station.

🚂 History Brick by Brick ~ Preserving the stories, places—and journeys—that connect us to the past.

Norm Orfall is the caretaker of the Tioga Pass, an Executive Railca...

09/28/2026

MAGIC IN THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE 🎩 While Calico Days filled the streets of the old ghost town this weekend, something a little more mysterious was happening inside the schoolhouse.
Ashcroft of Dreams Within a Dream, spent the weekend performing several shows each day, mixing history, classic conjuring and, for those who lingered a little longer, some of his darker magic … And apparently, even magicians need recess.
Between performances, Old Jasper and Julia stopped by, turning the schoolhouse into an impromptu magic jam ~ trading advice, practicing techniques and doing what magicians have probably done for centuries: “Okay… but watch it when I do it this way.”
It was exactly the kind of weekend History Brick by Brick loves — an old Western town, a historic schoolhouse, a magician with a few secrets up his sleeve…and just enough strange around the edges to keep us curious.
Because sometimes history isn't sitting quietly behind glass. Sometimes it's standing at the front of the classroom performing a mystery. 🎩✨

09/26/2026

Somewhere in Calico Ghost Town… a magician is honing his skills 🎩✨
While the old mining town settles into another Saturday, Ashcroft is preparing to do what he does best ... blur that wonderfully thin line between history, mystery and magic.
Against the weathered buildings and dusty streets of Calico, it feels like exactly the sort of place where a magician belongs. A little Old West history, a little sleight of hand, and perhaps something that simply cannot be explained.
Ashcroft is at Calico Ghost Town for Calico Days this weekend, ready to amaze, confound and leave a few people wondering:
Wait… how did he DO that?
And knowing Ashcroft, he’s not going to tell you. 😉
Have a little magic up your sleeve today,

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09/25/2026

HISTORY BRICK BY BRICK: THROUGH THE VEIL … Some titles just seem to find their way back to you… History Brick by Brick is heading to Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles for “Through The Veil: An Immersive Séance Experience” by Stage Fright Theatre.
Inside a 150-year-old Victorian home, guests will gather around a séance circle for an intimate theatrical experience exploring that age-old question: What lies beyond death? But once the séance ends, the investigation begins.
Guests will take part in a spirit hunt inside the historic Octagon House, using paranormal investigation tools in an attempt to communicate with whatever—or whoever—may still be lingering there.
Historic architecture. Victorian Los Angeles. A séance. A paranormal investigation.
Yeah…this one has History Brick by Brick written all over it.
And that title? Through the Veil.
😉 Piercing the Veil: Examining San Diego's Haunted History ~ IYKYK

09/21/2026

🎩 HISTORY BRICK BY BRICK IS HEADING TO CALICO! Well… technically, our historian is heading to Calico and apparently he’s bringing a raven, a few questionable little creatures, and an entire bag of tricks with him.
On September 26 & 27 appearing as 'Ashcroft, Magician & Mentalist' will be part of Calico Days at historic Calico Ghost Town. And really, could we ask for a better setting?
Old West history. A genuine ghost town. A magician. And Charles conjuring up questionable enchantments. What could possibly happen? 😏
Catch Ashcroft at the Schoolhouse at 11:30 AM, 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM, while Calico Days runs from 9 AM–5 PM both days.
If you happen to be wandering through Calico next weekend, stop by and say hello. We’ll be waiting to hear what story follows him home.

History has a habit of finding us.