welcome to www.socminco.com home of Bill Wink |
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Here’s the answer: Years ago this was the
home page for an “Old-West Trading Company” named ‘Socrates Mining Company’.
After closing down the company the page has been used for personal purposes
just as it is today. |
I have recently written and had printed six small books
regarding the Middletown, Lake county, California area, my home. These books
each tell a different story about something that happened here. They are full
of local history, from our 480,000 year old natural fresh water lake to our
violent volcanic past and how these have influenced the development of South
Lake County. This
is not a profit motivated venture by me. The books are being donated
to non-profit organizations to be used as a fund raising avenue. The books
are available at the Middletown Senior Center thrift store located at 21256
Washington Street, Middletown and Gibson Museum at 21267 Calistoga Street,
Middletown. I
hope you will make a donation to either one of these organizations and
collect all six books and then, after reading all of them, comes that certain
day when you visit the Middletown Cemetery, you will find that some of the
markers speak to you differently, because now you are an informed member of
the community that those resting there help build. Middletown
Senior Center, Post Office Box 1037, Middletown, CA 95461 Gibson
Museum, Post Office Box 31, Middletown, CA 95461 |
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This
is the first book, ‘MURDER IN THE MAYACAMAS’, and it tells the story of a 35
year old divorcee who was murdered during the stormy early morning hours of
November 20, 1966. Law enforcement, to this day, has never solved this case.
However, in 2018 some startling new evidence came forth and it completely
changed the dynamics of this event. This book tells that story. The
book is comprised of 13,289 words on 74 pages |
The
second book, ‘GUENOC RANCH & The Days Of The Flying Muleshoe’, relates
the history of the Ranch from the Lake Miwok, who lived around a lake they
called Wennok, through all the major landholders to present day. It also
tells the story of a period in time from 1955 into the 1970s that I
experienced and that I called “The Days of the Flying Muleshoe”. This
book is comprised of 9,846 words on 71 pages NEW! NOW
24,414 words 142 pages I have published on-line a 2nd Edition
of this book about Guenoc Ranch. It has lots of new history and is over twice
as large as the 1st Edition with more pictures. Click the below
link to read the new version |
This
is the third book, ‘CINNABAR’ - The Saga Of The White Cap Murders’. This book
tells the story of murders that took place three miles south of Middletown,
October 10, 1890, at a roadside saloon known as ‘The Camper’s Retreat’ and
why the murderers were called White Caps and why it became a national story.
It also addresses the Bradford mine and its relationship to the murderers. The
book is comprised of 12,041 words on
74 pages |
This
is the fourth book, ‘ENGLISH’. This book tells the story of the English
family. From them fighting Indians in the 1830s in Missouri, to their move to
Middletown and all the violence that followed them. The most infamous of the
family was Lawrence Buchanan “Buck” English and most of the story focuses on
his life. Also included as a bonus in the book is the story of a local
kleptomaniac, “George Coburn”. The
book is comprised of 12,215 words on 67 pages NEW! I have published on-line a 2nd Edition
of this book about the English family. It has new history. It is now 14,211
words on 84 pages. Click the below link to read the new version. |
This
is the fifth book, ‘FIRE’ - Middletown Is Burning - This book tells the story of Middletown’s history
regarding fire, starting with the 1918 fire through the fire that destroyed Hardester’s Market. It also tells the story of some of
the people involved during this time and reveals the history of some
landmarks like the Lake County House. The
book is comprised of 11,296 words on
71 pages. |
This is the sixth book, HISTORY- They Left Their Mark On South
Lake County. There are eight short stories in this book plus an Addendum to
the “FIRE” book. It starts with the Native Americans who lived around Wennock
lake and ends with the Addendum to “FIRE. This book is comprised of 14,544 words on 81 pages. |
Links
to general interest pages
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Links
to history related pages on this website
Contact:
bill@socminco.com
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