Historian Jim Gregory says, “California was a wild and lawless place in the 1850s, and San Luis Obispo County was no exception with the highest murder rate in America.” Outlaws and bandits passed along El Camino Real leaving a trail of victims. The James brothers, the Daltons and even Al Capone made their mark here.

San Luis Obispo County—the deadliest place in America back in the 1850s

Tom Wilmer’s Lowell Thomas Award-winning travel podcast, "Journeys of Discovery," is a regular segment on the weekly KCBX program "Issues & Ideas." Tom's interviews are recorded live on location across America and around the world and showcase the arts, culture, music, nature, history, science, wine and spirits, brewpubs, the culinary arts and more. Tom covers nouns and verbs: people, places, things, and action — everything from baseball to exploring South Pacific atolls, and interviewing the "real" Santa Claus in the Arctic. His feature, recorded live at Harland & Wolfe Shipyards in Belfast Northern Ireland, celebrating the centenary of the launch of the Titanic was the recipient of a Best Travel award from Outdoor Writers Association of California.

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Tom Wilmer’s Lowell Thomas Award-winning travel podcast, "Journeys of Discovery," is a regular segment on the weekly KCBX program "Issues &amp; Ideas." Tom's interviews are recorded live on location across America and around the world and showcase the arts, culture, music, nature, history, science, wine and spirits, brewpubs, the culinary arts and more. Tom covers nouns and verbs: people, places, things, and action — everything from baseball to exploring South Pacific atolls, and interviewing the "real" Santa Claus in the Arctic. His feature, recorded live at Harland &amp; Wolfe Shipyards in Belfast Northern Ireland, celebrating the centenary of the launch of the Titanic was the recipient of a Best Travel award from Outdoor Writers Association of California.

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San Luis Obispo County—the deadliest place in America back in the 1850s

San Luis Obispo County—the deadliest place in America back in the 1850s

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