Eliza Gregson’s Story chronicles the life of a woman who experienced California before the Gold Rush and during the early years of statehood. Born in Manchester, England, Eliza Marshall Gregson worked in the cotton mills of Derbyshire, England and Pawtucket, Rhode Island before her marriage and journey west. Her experiences are those of an ordinary woman in extraordinary times. She arrived in Sonoma to witness the Bear Flag Revolt.

About the Author:    Eileen M. Hook has been actively researching and portraying California pioneer women since 1980. Her study of Eliza Gregson’s life has taken her to England, Rhode Island, along the   California Trail, and the areas of California where Eliza lived and died. Eileen’s own portrayals of pioneer women take place at the California Trail Center in Elko, NV, Sutter’s Fort State    Historic Park in Sacramento, CA and Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, CA.