November-December 2017

Administrator’s Notes

By Ralph Gibson

After Beth Rohlfes was promoted to Supervising Curator this summer, we recruited applicants for a new Curator of Education. Thirty-seven people from across the U.S. applied for the position. After a thorough and detailed process, we offered the position to Kathleen Bartosh, and she accepted.

Kathleen (Katy) comes to us from the Cocopah Museum & Cultural Center in Yuma, Arizona where she was the Director and Cultural Programs Coordinator. Her focus in museums is in education and programming.

Katy, originally from California, earned her BA in History from UCLA and her MA in Museum Studies from the University of London in the United Kingdom. Her first day on the job will be November 13th but she may attend the Volunteer Appreciation event on November 6th at the State Theater. Please give her a warm welcome when you see her!

We are very excited to have a new staff member. It will be the first time since 2008 that we’ve been fully-staffed. We’re running on all cylinders now and nearing the finish-line on two big projects—the Gold Rush Museum and the DeWitt History Museum. Having another bright, talented person to help carry the load is just what we need to bring them home and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the coming years.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday season!

Christmas Gifts

By Kasia Woroniecka, Curator of Collections

The holiday season is almost here and soon, crowds of shoppers will go forth in-search of that perfect gift.

Watch fob, given to donor’s father, 

William C.A. Thiele, 

as a Christmas gift in 1870 

by members of his fraternity.

Christmas shopping, with its enticing shop displays, Santa Claus mall-photos, and marketing strategies like “Black Friday,” is a concept that got its start during the Victorian Era. Victorians did not invent Christmas, but they did invigorate it with family celebrations and new commercial possibilities.

Gift-giving has been a tradition since ancient times. Romans exchanged gifts on New Year’s Day in celebration of the winter solstice. Yet, Christmas was not a popular holiday in early America.

It was in the years after the Civil War that children’s books and women’s magazines helped in spreading the customs, decorating ideas, and shopping suggestions associated with Christmas. By 1867, the holiday gift industry was booming and, for the first time, Macy’s in New York City was open until midnight on Christmas Eve.

Christmas did not become a federal holiday until 1870.

During the Victorian Era, popular gifts for men included sleeping caps, house slippers, and shaving accessories. Children’s gifts revolved around food and small trinkets, while ladies favored scented soaps, sachets, and perfumes.

Toy tea set with nursery rhyme design.   

Donor’s mother, Anna Zimmer Barth, gave her 

this set in 1914 as a Christmas gift.

Homemade gifts were also well-received. An 1894 edition of Demorest’s Family Magazine reminded its female readers, “young women making gifts might paint something, embroider something, make anything with their own hands, that may be called part of themselves.”

Embroidered drawstring purse.  Card inside reads: 

“A Merry Christmas to Catherine from  

 Isabelle Cavelier Miller, 1912.”

Strict rules of etiquette also guided gift-giving since “a costly gift from a gentleman to a young lady would be indelicate, as having the appearance of a bribe upon her affections.”

There is a variety of objects in our collections that began as Christmas gifts. Maybe one day, one of your gifted treasures will find its way to a museum.

 

The Scoop

By Beth Rohlfes, Supervising Curator

Museums Administrator, Ralph Gibson discusses the significant history 

of the Penryn Granite Works at the Griffith Quarry Museum and Park.

If you spend any time at the Placer County Museums this fall, you will likely notice a host of fresh faces. Twenty-three new volunteers have signed up to dedicate their time and talent to our museums in Penryn, Foresthill, Dutch Flat, and Auburn. Their full engagement in this fall’s New Volunteer Training Classes brings fresh enthusiasm for history and excitement about how our museums present it.

Justin Eckhardt   explores exhibits inside the 

Griffith Quarry Museum as part of 

2017 Docent Training.

Our 2017 class began their nine-week training in mid-September and will finish in time to celebrate their graduation at the Holiday Docent Luncheon. Once they’ve completed these classes, they’ll select where they would like to focus their time and, by the New Year, they’ll be shadowing other volunteers and staff to continue their journey.

We look forward to welcoming them into our museum community!

Foresthill Divide Museum—Joshua Alpine, Sally Drone, Aaron Edson, Matt Johnson, and Patricia Johnson. Golden Drift Museum—Marybeth Blackinton, Tony Gallardo, and James “Bud” Paul. Placer County Museums in Auburn and Penryn—Kathy Blanco, Bev Call, Annie Demaria-Norris, Theresa Dilworth, Justin Eckhardt, Henry Erna, Diane Fishburn, Bill Gray, Jean Gray, Kaitlin Grebe, Kathryn Kratzer-Yue, Craig Norris, Meagan Olsom, Jim Vessely, and Tessa Webber. Never too late! Are you interested in volunteering at Placer County Museums? Contact me at 530-889-6504 or brohlfes@placer.ca.gov.

Current volunteers— Don’t forget to RSVP and join us at the State Theater on Monday, November 6 at 1pm for a special Volunteer Appreciation Event, a private screening of the Jack Lemon and Shirley MacLaine movie The Apartment.

 

From the Photo Archives: Auburn

By Bryanna Ryan, Curator of Archives

Lincoln Way (formerly Railroad Street). c. 1935.   

Photographs have that amazing ability to transport you to another time and place. The Placer County Archive has an estimated 50,000 photographs in the collection—over 30,000 of which are in our searchable database and available for your viewing pleasure at the Archive and Research Center.

I just want to share a few examples for you of ones that have mesmerized me and helped me to understand more about this very special county we are dedicated to preserving.

Tahoe Club on High Street at Lincoln Way. c. 1925.

Today, my focus turns to a few of the iconic landmarks in Auburn, but there are many amazing images here which document the history of this whole county. I encourage you to make an appointment to come in and see for yourself!

We are available for researchers on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 9-3 (closed for lunch).

Main Street, Old Town Auburn. 1934.    

 

New courthouse with old courthouse and jail. 1898.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News from the Placer County Historical Society

by April McDonald-Loomis, President

The Society is busy doing some fall-cleaning. Our membership list hasn’t been updated for quite some time. If you have had any changes in your phone number, address, or email address, please let us know.

Also, I encourage you to take some time to stop in at the Gold Rush Museum and take a look at the marvelous mural commissioned by the Society. Derrel Fleener did a fabulous job making the whole place come alive! The mural is a tremendous asset to the Museum and one the Society is proud to have facilitated.

There have been some changes in Auburn’s Streetscape Tile Program. For a while it seemed that the proportion of tiles for current citizens and those from the endurance community were out-pacing the historical tiles. The Streetscape History and Art Advisory Committee (SHAAC) is now instituting some new rules requiring those requesting a tile for a living person to pay for a historical tile as well. The SHAAC is hoping to make the tile selection a more balanced program and are reviewing requests for new tiles including one honoring a citizen involved in law enforcement and one from the endurance community. The SHAAC will pair those with two of the four historical tiles also under consideration: Charlie Yue, Sarah Jane Dunlap, Harriet Crandall and Kee Chinn.

If you would like to contribute to the funding of historical tiles please contact Auburn City Clerk, Amy Lind at alind@auburn.ca.gov or Councilwoman, Bridget Powers at bpowers@auburn.ca.gov.

Our next general meeting is December 7th and we will hold our annual raffle event. If you have something to contribute just bring it along, or just come, buy tickets and maybe pick up some treasures!

april400@wavecable.com (530) 823-2128

Placer County Historical Society Dinner Meeting

By Addah Owens, Vice President

When: December 7, 2017

Time: 6:30 Dinner, 7:30 Program

Where: Veterans Memorial Hall, 100 East St, Auburn

Cost: $16 per person

Menu: Gourmet Christmas Dinner, catered by Lisa Bloom “A Window Opened.”

Program: “Rotaries—Avalanche on the Mountain” - A video about the battle against Mother Nature’s wrath in the Sierra Nevada.

The winter of 2011 broke records dating back nearly thirty years. A rotary snow plow was called into action to clear an avalanche that had destroyed important equipment on the Southern Pacific mainline at Cisco Grove.

Filmmaker, Brendon Compton spent five days during the most inclement times to film the rotary snow plow in action. See how the A-Team worked day and night to clear the line. The film will be available for purchase at the meeting where we will also hold our annual drawing.

Mail Dinner Checks to:
PCHS c/o Jane Hamilton, 1871 Crockett Road, Auburn , CA 95603. (530) 885-7839 or hamiltonjane1@me.com

DO NOT BRING ALCOHOL.

Calendar of Events

Click for enlarged view

Placer County Historical Organizations  

Colfax Area Historical Society
Chris Miller (530) 346-8599
colfaxhistory.org

Donner Summit Historical Society
Bill Oudegeest, (209) 606-6859
donnersummithistoricalsociety.org

Foresthill Divide Historical Society
Sandy Simester, (530) 367-3535
foresthillhistory.org

Fruitvale School Hall Community Association
Lyndell Grey
(916) 645-3517

Historical Advisory Board
Glenn Vineyard
(916) 747-1961

Old Town Auburn Preservation Society
Lynn Carpenter
(530) 885-1252

Lincoln Highway Association
Bob Dieterich
bobd@iname.com lincolnhwy.org

Lincoln Area Archives Museum
Elizabeth Jansen, (916) 645-3800
laamca.org

Joss House Museum and Chinese History Center
Richard Yue, (530) 346-7121

Loomis Basin Historical Society
Karen Clifford, (916) 663-3871
ppgn.com/loomishistorical.html

Roseville Fire Museum
Jim Giblin
JGiblin@roseville.ca.us, rosevillefiremuseum.org

Maidu Museum & Historic Site
Glenie Strome, (916) 782-3299
roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum

Native Sons of the Golden West, Parlor #59
Dave Allen, (530) 878-2878
dsallen59@sbcglobal.net

Newcastle Portuguese Hall Association
Mario Farinha, (530) 269-2412

Golden Drift Historical Society
Sarah Fugate, (530) 389-2121

Newcastle Portuguese Hall Association
Aileen Gage (530) 885-9113

Placer County Historical Society
April McDonald-Loomis, (530) 823-2128
April400@wavecable.com

Placer County Museums Docent Guild
Tom Innes, (530) 888-8969

Rocklin Historical Society
Hank Lohse, President (916) 624-3464
rocklinhistory.org

Roseville Historical Society
Christina Richter, (916) 773-3003
rosevillehistorical.org

North Lake Tahoe Historical Society
Marnie Carr, (530) 583-1762
northtahoemuseums.org

Placer County Genealogical Society,
Toni Rosasco, (530) 888-8036
pcgs.pcgenes.com

September-October 2017

Administrator’s Notes

By Ralph Gibson, Museums Administrator

“Oh, wow!” 

Some museums strive to achieve this reaction when visitors first come through the door. Exhibits— which are made of large or very significant objects, wall-sized photographs or murals, and unique interactive displays—help set the tone for the museum. Visitors realize within their first few steps that this particular museum is not simply a collection of dusty artifacts and worn text panels; here, they are in for an experience. 

Our big, “Oh, wow!” at the Gold Rush Museum is in progress right now. Derrel Fleener, a retired museum professional and renowned artist, is painting a large landscape with a focus on an early Gold Rush-era mining camp. 

With a generous contribution by the PCHS, and using historic photographs from our collection, his own creativity, experience and skill, Derrel is creating a masterpiece in our museum. Even though it is incomplete, “Oh, wow!” is heard nearly every time someone comes through the door.

If you haven’t visited the Gold Rush Museum in the past few weeks, I suggest you do. It’s open Friday-Sunday, 10:30am to 4:00 pm. 

On The Heritage Trail:

Sept. 1, 4:00pm-7:00pm—(Auburn) DeWitt History Museum (A sneak-peak of this developing museum)

Sept. 2-3 10:00am-4:00pm—(Foresthill) Foresthill Divide Museum

Are you a Spooner?

by Kasia Woroniecka, Curator of Collections

"Auburn" Made by W&H Sterling. 1895

The season of summer travel is almost over and, with it, the temptation to buy touristy key chains, shot glasses, fridge magnets, spoons and other souvenirs celebrating that special visit. Collecting souvenir spoons has been a popular hobby since the late 1800s. Inspired by his trip to Germany in 1890, jeweler Seth F. Low designed a spoon with a figure of a witch. The “Salem Witch Spoon” is credited with starting the spoon collecting craze in the United States. Its design, registered on January 13, 1891, was marketed in an advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post that resulted in several thousand orders. 

Soon, hundreds of souvenir spoon patterns were being produced commemorating cities, famous people, and significant events or anniversaries. A favorite among spoon collectors, who call themselves Spooners, are the World’s Fair souvenir spoons. 

The Columbian Exposition of 1893, also called the Chicago World’s Fair, elevated spoon collecting to a whole new level. It is estimated that more varieties of souvenir spoons were created for this fair than for any other single event in history. 

“Golden Gate San Francisco.” Made by Wallace and Sons Mfg. Co. 

whose spoon factory opened in 1833.   

This spoon belonged to Mabel Carrie Bergholdt 

of Newcastle and is dated 1903.

19th-century innovation and technology made mass-production possible, resulting in increased and efficient production of souvenirs. It also made these objects more affordable as more and more Americans were enjoying travel in the United States and abroad. 

The establishment of national parks and, later, the popularity of road-trips, gave people access to infinite numbers of mementos to remind them of their trips, long after they had ended. Collecting spoons continues to be a popular hobby and collectors are still on the lookout for that rare, one-of-a-kind spoon with a great story and superior craftsmanship. 

Rewriting History 

by Bryanna Ryan, Curator of Archives

So far, in 2017 I have worked with public researchers on over 470 individual requests since January. 

Typical researchers are interested in determining chain-of-title for their properties, learning more about family members who lived in the area, or obtaining historic photos for their books, documentaries, or offices. In everything, this work is driven by primary sources—the maps, deeds, assessment rolls, probate files, and other official records maintained by Placer County. Coupled with newspapers (which jump between being primary and secondary sources), and photographs, these requests illuminate history, one piece at a time. 

There are also helpful secondary sources here at the Archive which oftentimes provides a great starting point for delving into the primaries. Using this method, in the past year we have accidentally stumbled upon primary sources that change parts of the established narrative of this County and I would like to share one here. 

This is the story of the “Leland Stanford” house in Michigan City/Bluff. 

Below is a photograph of it, which includes the original label pasted on the front by former curator, May Perry around 1948. 

While working with a researcher to gather all of Leland Stanford’s official records related to his time as Justice of the Peace in Michigan City, we looked at the minutes of Board of Supervisors, at deeds, and finally at photographs. 

Seeing the image of the “Leland Stanford” house did not match up with the records already gathered or with Stanford’s reputed personal account that he had slept on the counter of the Empire Saloon, of which he was a part-owner. We did find his deed for the Saloon but the mystery of the house persisted. So, we dug deeper. 

In meticulously gathering every “Stanford” deed starting in 1851 to see if there was any chance that he purchased this house, suddenly, there it was. 

In Deed Book D on Page 146, Elijah Stanford purchased this house and lot “fronting Main Street” in Michigan City from Nathan and Francis Maria Wentworth on February 17, 1858. Leland Stanford, by this point, had moved on from Michigan City and everything else matched up. Elijah Stanford was Leland’s cousin. 

There are still some unanswered questions in this story. How long did Elijah own the house? Did they ever live there? How early did the rumor begin? What we do know is that Leland Stanford never owned this house. However, we have not located the deed for its sale from Elijah Stanford. 

Maybe the next researcher can help complete the whole story of this mysterious dwelling. 

The Scoop 

by Beth Rohlfes, Supervising Curator

2016 Gold Rush Program Docents

Are you the one we’re searching for? Do you enjoy history? Would you like to learn more about the history of Placer County? Do you like meeting people? Would you get a thrill out of watching faces light up when you share fascinating stories about real people who mined for gold and settled here and teach them to pan for gold? Or, take part in making the history of the DeWitt General Hospital come to life with photographs, uniforms, and original artifacts from this historic WWII military hospital? Or, would you prefer working with original and historic records in the archives and help to preserve and uncover the history of Placer County? 

Would you be willing to learn more about doing oral histories, get out into the community and interview citizens about their lives and experiences in this area? 

Would you enjoy being part of a friendly and knowledgeable community of volunteers? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be the new volunteer we’re searching for at Placer County Museums. 

On September 14, we begin our annual New Volunteer Training— a series of classes that introduce new volunteers to the history of our county and teach them to become effective volunteers and docents for our museums. You could be part of this great adventure. Contact me ASAP to learn more, at brohlfes@placer.ca.gov or 530-889-6504. 

There are good reasons why many Placer County Museum volunteers have been with us for five, ten, fifteen, even twenty-plus years! Come, discover for yourself. 

From the Editor

It has been 93 years since the first issue of The Placer was published. We hope you are enjoying it, and want to hear from you. 

If you have any historical questions or topics you would like us to investigate for upcoming issues, please send them to me at bryan@placer.ca.gov. 

We are also working to update the distribution list for The Placer so do not hesitate to send in names and addresses (email preferred) of those who should be added to the list. 

News from the Placer County Historical Society 

By April McDonald-Loomis, President

This year, PCHS had several volunteers from the Docent Guild participate at the Benton Welty classroom for Heritage Trail. Christie Brzyscz and Sandy Rogers brought in quill pens with ink, along with chalk and small chalkboards, and handed out coloring pages of scenes around Auburn. Jean Allender, who oversees the classroom for PCHS, reported a large increase in visitors this year. It seems that the children who attended loved working with the very messy (but fun) quill pens and ink! 

May W. Perry rock-hunting in Nevada. 

Circa 1948.

PCHS is moving forward with a plaque for the new Gold Rush Museum to commemorate the efforts of former Placer County museum curator, May Perry. For those who don’t know, we can credit May with saving so much of our local heritage. She was a force behind creating the County’s first museum, led the push to save and restore the firehouses, and was an avid collector of historical photos which formed the beginning of the photo collection of the Placer County Archive. This well-deserved recognition is long overdue. 

At the next Dinner Meeting we will present some By-Laws changes. Most are just “housekeeping” items, i.e. changing chairman to chairperson. We are proposing streamlining in the procedure for nominating officers and a few other items in that same vein. The changes will be presented at the October meeting and the entire membership will have the opportunity to vote on them at the December meeting. 

As always, we would like to hear from you regarding speakers you think would be of interest or for ideas on ways to improve the Society and fulfill our mission of preserving the history of this county. 

Placer County Historical Society Dinner Meeting

by Addah Owens, Program Chair

When: October 5, 2017

Time:  6:30 Dinner, 7:30 Program

Where: Veterans Hall, 100 East St, Auburn

Cost: $15 per person

Menu:  Grilled pork loin, roasted sweet potatoes, seasonal veggies, salad, and dessert.

Program:  “Bowman—Making of the Book.”

 
Coauthors Mike Lynch, Rodi Lee, Donna Howell and Karri Samson will talk about the effort and results of putting together the new book on the history of the Bowman area. 

The Bowman Community, northeast of Auburn, had its own Post Office in 1893, a school in 1895 and even its own ZIP code of 95707 in the 1960s. The area is named after early settler and fruit grower Harry Bowman. Bowman developed from a rural fruit farming area to the suburban community it is today. 

The Bowman book is a 132-page history, with color throughout, of the Bowman area, featuring over 400 photos and other images. Coauthors of the book are Donna Howell, Rodi Lee, Michael Lynch and Karri Samson, who researched and wrote the book over a two year period. Subjects include prominent first settlers and their decedents still living in the area, early enterprise, including agriculture, mines, auto camps, civic groups, public agencies, and developments like Hollendale and Train Villages. 

Copies of the recently published Bowman book will be available for purchase at the meeting for $20.00. (Autographs are free!) 

Mail Dinner Checks to: 
PCHS c/o Jane Hamilton, 1871 Crockett Road, Auburn , CA 95603. (530) 885-7839 or hamiltonjane1@me.com 

DO NOT BRING ALCOHOL. County directives prohibit it, and we can't get liability coverage. 

Calendar of Events

Click to enlarge

Placer County Historical Organizations  

Colfax Area Historical Society
Chris Miller (530) 346-8599
colfaxhistory.org

Donner Summit Historical Society
Bill Oudegeest, (209) 606-6859
donnersummithistoricalsociety.org

Foresthill Divide Historical Society
Sandy Simester, (530) 367-3535
foresthillhistory.org

Fruitvale School Hall Community Association
Lyndell Grey
(916) 645-3517

Historical Advisory Board
Glenn Vineyard
(916) 747-1961

Old Town Auburn Preservation Society
Lynn Carpenter
(530) 885-1252

Lincoln Highway Association
Bob Dieterich
bobd@iname.com lincolnhwy.org

Lincoln Area Archives Museum
Elizabeth Jansen, (916) 645-3800
laamca.org

Joss House Museum and Chinese History Center
Richard Yue, (530) 346-7121

Loomis Basin Historical Society
Karen Clifford, (916) 663-3871
ppgn.com/loomishistorical.html

Roseville Fire Museum
Jim Giblin
JGiblin@roseville.ca.us, rosevillefiremuseum.org

Maidu Museum & Historic Site
Glenie Strome, (916) 782-3299
roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum

Native Sons of the Golden West, Parlor #59
Dave Allen, (530) 878-2878
dsallen59@sbcglobal.net

Newcastle Portuguese Hall Association
Mario Farinha, (530) 269-2412

Golden Drift Historical Society
Jim Ricker, (530) 389-8344

Newcastle Portuguese Hall Association
Aileen Gage (530) 885-9113

Placer County Historical Society
April McDonald-Loomis, (530) 823-2128
April400@wavecable.com

Placer County Museums Docent Guild
Tom Innes, (530) 888-8969

Rocklin Historical Society
Hank Lohse, President (916) 624-3464
rocklinhistory.org

Roseville Historical Society
Christina Richter, (916) 773-3003
rosevillehistorical.org

North Lake Tahoe Historical Society
Marnie Carr, (530) 583-1762
northtahoemuseums.org

Placer County Genealogical Society,
Toni Rosasco, (530) 888-8036
pcgs.pcgenes.com