July - August 2020

Ralph Gibson

Museums Administrator

On Monday, June 1st, former Museums Administrator, Melanie Barton passed away. I struggled to find the right words to describe how important she was as a leader and as a mentor, but I settled on Melanie telling you herself. This is her final Placer article from the May-June issue of 2013:

Melanie Barton

“History is People”

I’ve never claimed to be a historian; however, I have a love of history and a passion for sharing it with others. At our annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner this month, it was very clear to me that my passion was shared by everyone who attended. Museum volunteers are a unique group. They are dedicated to the role they play sharing history with visitors to our museums, answering research requests at the Archives, leading tours, and assisting staff with programs. This year 200 volunteers spent over 15,500 hours providing these various services. In a very real sense, each and every Museum volunteer is making history. For this, I cannot thank them enough.

“I’m History”

Yes, I am retiring on May 31st after 11 years at the helm of the Museums Division. It has been an extremely rewarding experience and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity of a lifetime. I cannot help but be reflective at this juncture. Highlights for me are the growth and expansion of the Living History, School Tour, and Community Education programs. I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with the renovation of the Bernhard Winery, building the Summer Kitchen, and a major renovation of the historic Courthouse. The Museum Exhibit Team has done a remarkable job keeping our exhibits ‘refreshed’ and creating outstanding new ones such as A Leap of Imagination, Fashioning a New Identity, and Curves and Compromise.

We made a bold move six years ago when we launched the first Heritage Trail event. This year 19 museums from Roseville to Tahoe will participate in the county wide museum tour. More and more visitors are coming to this area for the two-day event and I can’t think of a better way to highlight local history and all the wonderful local history museums in the county.

Recently, we relocated the Archives and Collections at the County Government Center in Dewitt. This project was first discussed almost nine years ago and we have spent the last year preparing for the move in earnest. The new location provides many amenities that we needed such as climate and humidity control for the collection, high density shelving units, and ample research space for staff and volunteers.

Though I am sad to leave, the time is right. We’ve accomplished much and I have enjoyed every challenge. I know that the Placer County Museums will continue to play a vital role in our community. Museum staff is more professional and better trained than ever before and I am confident that they will move forward in wonderful new directions. Ralph Gibson will assume leadership of the division until a new Museums Administrator is selected.

I am looking forward to spending more time riding my horse Pancho and exploring this beautiful country with my husband in our 5th wheel. Now that I’m a Grandma, I can’t wait to have more time to visit my three sons and grandchildren.

Thank you all for your support and for sharing my vision!

From all of us, Goodbye and Godspeed, Melanie.

Katy Bartosh

Staff Writer

The first two weeks of March gave us no clear indication of how COVID-19 would effect Placer County Museums. Four months later, it feels like a whole new world. While we face challenges and changes in our daily routine, there has been one immense benefit to all of this—the creation of online content.

Prior to COVID-19, Placer County Museums had an online presence, but it wasn’t large. This newsletter is on our blog. We have a Twitter (@PlacerMuseum), Facebook, and a recently created Instagram (@placercountymuseums). 

                     

But when Placer County Museums shuttered and staff started working from home, we had to find new ways to reach visitors, students, and docents.

No mask? No problem. Jason utilized an Adobe program called Spark to create simple, yet effective webpages to display material on artifacts, tours, and historic topics. All from the comfort and safety of your computer or smartphone. 

Museum staff have been putting together numerous “Spark Pages” since March. These are easily available through our Museums’ home page and cover a variety of topics. 

With no opportunity to greet visitors, we immediately opened “Ask a Curator” for the curious to submit their queries. The responses have been posted and we’re still taking questions. 

Without a gallery to visit in person, Kasia has been providing patrons with their recommended dose of objects through beautifully photographed artifact highlights.

One of Kelsey’s big projects has been recreating self-guided tours with meticulously researched pages on buildings in Old Town and Downtown Auburn.

Bry put together an awesome overview of Placer County Geology, and if you’re missing the Highways Through Time video in the gallery, you can read her Journey Through the Sierras Page. 

I’ve loved researching and writing on the 1918 Influenza, Rattlesnake Dick, and Hawver Cave; but I’m really glad the student resources have been helpful to kids missing school this spring.

This has been a big change, but worth it. We currently have 44 Spark Pages which by late May had 23,166 views. This isn’t counting Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube visitors.

When we re-open fully, will we stop creating online content? No! This internet thing seems to have caught on, and we plan to keep releasing content. This has shown us a new way to engage with people who already knows us, and it also allows us to connect with those who can’t reach us for lack of means, mobility, or distance.

How is the push to more online platforms effecting you? Are you enjoying our new content? Do you have any questions for a curator, or suggestions of things you’d like to see? 

Here are some helpful links to get you where you're going:

Preserving This Historic Moment Survey 

To see our Spark pages: https://www.placer.ca.gov/2489/Museums

Placer County Museums Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/placercountymuseums

Placer County Museums Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlacerMuseums

Placer County Museums Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/placercountymuseums/

Kasia Woroniecka

Curator of Collections

Autograph books are not very popular today, but they have been around for centuries. They originated in Europe probably during the 16th century and were a way for students to collect signatures and notes of classmates or fellow colleagues and instructors. Initially students used the blank pages of their own books or bibles, but over time little notebooks with blank pages became popular and were traded amongst friends and filled with autographs, notes, and other correspondence. Autograph books became more affordable during the 19th century and were especially popular among German immigrants in America.

There are many autograph books in our collection. They are full of handwritten messages, famous quotes, funny poems, colorful paper stickers, and original drawings. They provide a fascinating insight into the Victorian aesthetic, family histories and social interactions of the past.

Unlike diaries, autograph books were meant to be viewed by others and came in many shapes and sizes, although the most common was 8” x 7”. Many had decorative covers; some covered in velvet or leather with intricate embossed designs. 

Autograph book with leather embossed design. Belong to Lydia S. Helmich. 1878. PCM Collection.

Autograph book with leather cover. Belonged to Ina Stone. C. 1883-1885. PCM Collection.

Autograph book with leather cover. It belonged to Nellie May Remler C.  1885-1891. Nellie was born in Foresthill on April 6, 1877. Her family moved to the Foresthill Divide in 1859. She taught music in Oakland, San Francisco and Foresthill. She died  on June 9, 1954 in Foresthill. 

Autograph book. Belonged to Aleck Romero. Given to him on his 14^th birthday on May 24, 1884. PCM Collection.

Autograph book with velvet and leather cover with embossed leaf design. C. 1880s. PCM Collection

Many of the pages are filled with simple entries exchanged between friends. But some include colorful stickers, lighthearted and amusing entries, and beautiful drawings.

 

“Dear Susie, Remember me always, Henry Dodds”. San Francisco, September 15, 1889. 

“Remember I say, when you look at these pages, the writing in albums is like working for wages. Your schoolmate E. Wedgewood. Dutch Flat Feb 10, 1896. 

“May thy life be blest, With the joys thou lovest best, Friendship, virtue, pleasure, truth, Hover round thy happy youth. Your friend Millie Ryan.”  Michigan Bluff, August 21, 1883.

“Complements of Otto Friedel. Michigan Bluff, April 25, 1884”

“Don’t be a coward, don’t be afraid, don’t for heaven-sake die an old maid. Your friend Virginia Mitchell. Weimar, February 27, 1888.”

Drawing from an album of unidentified owner. Entries c. 1904-1907.

Drawing from an album of unidentified owner. Entries c. 1904-1907.

This book belonged to Evangeline Polifka of Michigan Bluff. 

It includes an entry from Clara Holt: "Dear Evangeline, when rocks and rills divide us, and you no more I see, just take your pen and paper and write a line to me. Michigan Bluff, March 1, 1885."

We also have Clara Holt's autograph book. 

In her book, Clara has a page from Evangeline: “May your paths be strewn wit flowers. Your friend and schoolmate Evangeline. Michigan Bluff, January 1886.”

Evangeline Polifka was born in 1876. In 1901 she married Alfred Pine in San Francisco. She died in 1953. Clara Holt was born in 1867. She married Henry Jones, a grocer from Roseville. She died in Auburn in 1961. 

Clara Holt Jones with her family, Sunny South, Placer County. Top row: "Clara Holt, Oscar M., John A. Bottom row: "Mickel Johansson Holt; Anne S. Holt; Anna Sophia (Bostrom) Holt.

These little books are colorful, and full of interesting information. Their popularity peaked around the time of the Civil War. They were gradually replaced by yearbooks, which today are often published in digital format. However, they remain a fascinating glimpse into past lives led.  

April McDonald-Loomis

President, Placer County Historical Society

We are truly living through historic times. The pandemic, racial strife, protests...what’s next? The museum staff is chronicling this period with a survey that will provide a record of what people are currently doing and feeling in their own communities. I’m sure it will give insight to researchers years from now. Since most of us involved with the “history community” are in the vulnerable category, I do hope you are staying close to home, wearing a face mask, and social distancing. It is hard. There are a lot of things I’m sure we all miss.

Thank you all for renewing your membership, our yearly dues campaign was very successful despite everything.

I really don’t have anything to report since the Board has not met since early March. The general meeting dinners are on hold for who knows how long. We missed the election of officers in May. Who knows how many of our by-laws we are breaking!

There is a call from the Historic Foundation for nominations for the Placer County History Award. If you have anyone you are interested in nominating, I can send you the digital form.

The Board is still trying to come up with ways to use the money we have on hand for some useful and meaningful project. Again, if you have any ideas, please let me know. Let’s all hope we will see an end soon and that some positive results will come from the new national consciousness.

Katy Bartosh

Staff Writer

In 2013, Placer County Museums asked visitors the following question: “What Killed the American Hat?” Was it the Kennedys? Hollywood? Youth Culture? The clickers racked up the numbers, and guests filled in their own opinions on the pin board. Was it the Pope’s fault? Maybe hairspray? Or is it simply one more industry that millennials destroyed, somehow decades before their birth. 

What Killed the American Hat? 2013-2020

If you haven’t decided yet, I’m here to inform you that our Top-Secret Case Files are no longer available to help you. What Killed the American Hat? was deinstalled last week to make room for Placer County Museums’ newest exhibit...Stay tuned on our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more) for more information. The next Placer will cover the new exhibit!

Calendar of Events 

If you have a question about meetings for a specific historical organization going into July or August, please contact them directly.

Historical Organizations

Colfax Area Historical Society
Jay MacIntyre, President
(530) 346-8599
colfaxhistory.org

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

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

Fruitvale School Hall Community Association
Mark Fowler

Gold Country Medical History Museum
Lynn Carpenter
(530) 885-1252

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

Historical Advisory Board
Glenn Vineyard
(916) 747-1961

Joss House Museum and Chinese History Center
Larry Finney
(530) 305-9380

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

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

Maidu Museum & Historic Site
Kaitlin Kincade
(916) 774-5934
roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum

The Museum of Sierra Ski History and 1960 Winter Olympics
David C. Antonucci
(775) 722-3502
Sierraskimuseum.com

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

North Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Phil Sexton
(530) 583-1762
northtahoemuseums.org

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

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

Placer County Historical Society
April McDonald-Loomis
(530) 823-2128
placercountyhistoricalsociety.org

Placer County Museums Docent Guild
Fran Hanson
(530) 878-6990

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

Roseville Fire Museum
Jim Giblin
(916) 538-1809
rosevillefiremueum@gmail.org

Roseville Historical Society
Denise Fiddyment
(916) 773-3003