The Adventures of Elias Hawthorne
Elias Hawthorne was born in 1882 along the Sacramento River to a riverboat captain and a schoolteacher who nurtured his love of exploration. At sixteen, driven by tales of far-off lands, he set off to see the world.

His travels began in Polynesia in 1899, where he learned traditional navigation and recorded his experiences through sketches and essays. In 1902, he joined an undersea expedition off South America, becoming one of the first to document shipwrecks using early diving gear.

In 1905, Elias crossed Africa, observing wildlife and local cultures. From 1908 to 1910, he joined an early Mount Everest expedition, contributing valuable knowledge of Himalayan conditions. Between 1912 and 1914, he explored the Amazon, living with indigenous tribes and writing about biodiversity and traditional medicine. He later journeyed through Alaska in 1915 and joined an Antarctic expedition in 1918, enduring harsh conditions that deepened his appreciation for human resilience.

After returning home in 1920, Elias shared his adventures through public lectures and writings. By the mid-1920s, he had collected an impressive archive of artifacts from around the world.

In 1923, Elias purchased Sacramento’s historic What Cheer House, transforming it into a lecture hall and private archive. He secretly converted the basement into a climate-controlled vault to protect his most valuable items. Though the public admired his exhibits, the hidden archive remained a mystery.

Elias retired in 1932, and decades later, in 2023, a renovation crew rediscovered the sealed basement. Inside, they found a treasure trove of journals, maps, and rare artifacts, perfectly preserved.

Today, the What Cheer House celebrates Elias Hawthorne’s legacy. His once-hidden archive is now open to the public, offering a glimpse into the life of a fearless explorer who helped expand our understanding of the world.