One of the newest book titles in the store is "Images of America - Vacaville, California" - a photo history of Vacaville containing 128 pages and 225 black-and-white photos. Published in December 2004, it is written by Solano County historian Jerry Bowen.

From the book.....

"Vacaville, named for it's founder, Jaun Manual Vaca, grew up next to what has become a major highway to Sacramento and points north. It became famous for it's Nut Tree Restaurant, which for decades offered travelers the produce of this fertile fruit-growing region. Now the modern highway bypasses Vacaville's historic downtown, leaving it to be enjoyed by the growing population of greater Vaca Valley. Even though the modern city has grown out to engulf that new higheway and an ever more diversified economy continues to thrive, old Vacaville still feels and looks like a small town of another era. Unscathed by earthquake since 1892, enlightened city officials not only have preserved much of the original downtown but have added a "Creekwalk" that gives an air of quiet greenery."

"In this well-researched volume, author Jerry Bowen, former volunteer of the Solano County Archives and chairman of the Solano County Records Commission, draws from the extensive photographic collections of the Vacaville Heritage Council, the Vacaville Museum, and his own personal collection. His journalistic experience as a feature writer for the Vacaville Reporter and editor of the Solano Historian informs this fascinating visual journey through Vacaville's past, from the Mexican to the modern era."

Also, in stock in the same series are histories of Vallejo, Benicia, and Travis Air Force Base. All are priced at $19.99.

A recent book by a local author about a local pioneer woman:

In My Checkered Life: Luzena Stanley Wilson in Early California, you are invited to follow one woman and her family as they journeyed west. Mrs. Wilson's rare memoir, Luzena Stanley Wilson:49er, is reprinted in its entirety within this new book. Thus, Gold Rush enthusiasts can rediscover this oft-quoted gem, which has been featured in Ken Burns' documentaries and numerous anthologies about Western women. Solano County readers will particularly enjoy Luzena's recollections of early Vacaville, which was her home for 27 years. Author Fern Henry presents extensive new research to augment and sometimes correct Luzena's account. Fern expands this remarkable tale beyond the 49er years, starting with Luzena's Quaker childhood then following the Wilson family history into the 20th century. Many vintage photographs, drawings, letters, maps and documents further enhance the story.

Fern Henry lives in Vacaville, where she works by day as a piano technician. She is proud to reintroduce a local celebrity to readers of California history. Gary Kurutz, Curator of Special Collections at the California State Library, calls Fern's work "diligent and imaginative historical detective work" and "an invaluable contribution to the history of the Gold Rush, the role of women in early California and the story of Vacaville as seen through the eyes of a pioneer family."

Stop by the Museum Store, make a purchase and show your support of the Vacaville Museum and it's activities.

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Featured Vacaville Museum publications

Omo i de - Memories of Vacaville's Lost Japanese Community • Telling the story of the Japanese community in Vacaville prior to the May 1942 internment of WWII.

Solano's Gold - The People and Their Orchards • Conversations and photos of farmers and ranchers tracing the history of the fruit industry in Solano County.

Nut Tree Remembered - The Cookbook • 40 recipes and more than 100 photos and graphics from the Nut Tree Restaurant and Retail Stores which closed in 1996