Huell Burnley Howser (October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013) was an American television personality, actor, and voice artist best known for hosting California's Gold, his human interest show produced by KCET in Los Angeles for California PBS stations. The archive of his video chronicles offers an enhanced understanding of the history, culture, and people of California.

Biography

Howser lived in the historic El Royale apartments in Los Angeles, California and also had homes in Palm Springs and Twentynine Palms.

Howser mentioned that he was a Methodist during his episode covering the Nevada County Fair on California's Golden Fairs.


Volcano House
Howser purchased the 1,800-square-foot (170 m) Volcano House, situated on a volcanic cinder cone just outside of Barstow, along with 60 acres (24 ha) of desert and a man-made lake, in 2003. In 2010, Howser put his unusual Newberry Springs, California, residence (the "Volcano House," 34°51′05″N 116°33′25″W / 34.851354°N 116.557045°W / 34.851354; -116.557045) on the market for $750,000. In June 2012, The Panther, a student-run newspaper for Chapman University announced that Howser had donated the Volcano House to the school.