H.L. Mencken on Pioneers

"Much of California's unconventional ethos is rooted in its past. Mr. Chandler points to the observation of renowned writer H.L. Mencken, who said that the East Coast was settled by people who were bold and daring in the 17th century. The West Coast, notably San Francisco, was settled by people who were bold and daring in the mid-19th century. "Eastern settlers tended to be running from something but California settlers were madcap dreamers filled with optimistic fantasies about personal enrichment," he says. "They were running to, not from - a perspective that continues today."" (California turns out to be so, like ... so... California | csmonitor.com)