OSLHP Newsletter - July 2004

President's Message

What a year. Congratulations to everyone for all of the hard work this past year. I can not believe that there was over 5,000 volunteer hours. Looking to next year the OSLHP needs to keep up the momentum and keep reaching into the community.

Executive Council Meeting

The first meeting of the council for the new fiscal year and new officers will be July 6th at 7pm at the Living History Center.

General Meeting:

July 10th at 10am. Potluck Lunch: After the general meeting everyone is invited to a potluck lunch to watch videos of activities from the past year. A-G Bring a dessert, H-N Bring an entrée, O-U bring a side dish and V-Z bring an appetizer. OSLHP will provide beverages and paper products. Plan to stay until 1:30 or 2 p.m.

Annual Report

The second Annual report to members will be available at the July 10th general meeting. If you do not attend one will be mailed to your home.

Annual Membership Dues

Dues are now payable. Please pay by check or cash directly to Amy. Please make checks payable to the HOSF. 

Dues are:

• Individual $25
• Families $35
• Senior $12
• Senior family $16

A fee waiver can be requested by speaking with Amy. All information is kept confidential. Dues paid after Aug. 1st are delinquent. A reminder will be sent in September, and if no response is given then you will be dropped from membership. New members do not need to pay dues until after one fiscal year has past.

Links to the Past

The OSLHP is updating the Links to the Past. This is an online resource of web sites of general interest, costuming, Internet stores, and basically anything related to Living History. If you have a site you would like to share please send its address and a brief description about why it is useful. Information can be sent to Richard Sneed.

PAST EVENTS

COLUMBIA DIGGINS 1852
by Ken Knott

The Diggins is a mystical place that comes to life Brigadoon-like once a year on the first weekend in June down in the old gold rush town of Columbia. The structures there are a collection of wood frames covered with canvas, substantial wood buildings with a smattering of canvas tents. The more prominent buildings are the American Hotel, the Star Spangled Banner Saloon, and Cazneau's Exchange & Theater.

This was my fifth year at the Diggins, and the docents there really make me feel welcome; I think I have become part of their community. I set up my Faro Bank in Cazneau's Exchange, the Saloon that shares the building with the theater. The theater is really the social center for the Diggins as everyone shows up to enjoy the music and songs performed there. The performers needed someone to be the announcer and I volunteered. Pretty soon I was portraying Col. Cazneau, the proprietor. The musical performances included: The Celebrated and Illustrious Chapman Theatrical Troupe, with The Duchess of Dixie, and Mademoiselle Comfort Goodman, Los Californios, and The Free and Accepted Minstrels of Old New Orleans, a wonderful variety of gold rush music including such tunes as "Hangtown Gals," "Wait for the Music," "Camptown Races," "Old Dan Tucker," and "Dandy Jim from Caroline."

Old Sacramento Living History was represented by Biscuits, Jim Lundsten and Wanda Garnett, and yours truly. Several of the Sutter's Fort docents were there, as well as docents from Coloma, San Diego, Monterey, and Bodie. If you would like to go next year, let me know and I will give you all the particulars.

ONGOING EVENTS

Walking Tours

In June, we started doing a Wednesday tour because of inquiries. The person hired to do Saturday and Wednesday tours, Addie Spoon, also works as a greeter for 1 hour passing out information about OSLHP programs. If you see Addie say "Hi."

Event Committee

The event committee met June 17th for 2 hours discussing events for the next year. Please see the attached calendar of events. New this year will be teacher workshops, mini-after school programs, and possibly Family History Days. We are revisiting a holiday program. Volunteers are needed to help plan Ghost Tours and a Holiday Program.

COMING EVENTS

Volunteer Appreciation Day

The past year members and friends of the OSLHP volunteered over 5,000 hours. YEAH!!!!! This is mostly by event sign in sheets. I wonder what it would be if everybody tracked their personal time as well? Special awards will go to Volunteer of the Year, New Volunteer of the Year, Member Recruitment and a new award this year entitled the Director’s Award. Officers and committee chairs will also be recognized.

Woodland’s “Stroll Through History”

Mark Your Calendar: Members of the OSLHP have been invited to help with Woodland’s “Stroll Through History.” This event lasts most of the day with historical tours of their Victorian Homes, a Fashion Show, Craft Show. and historical re-enactors at their cemetery. For more information please call Frank Jules (530) 666-3223. Amy has a copy of the press release if anyone wants to read it.

Run For the Arts

If I don’t have a chairperson by July 10th we will not be doing it this year.

The Gold Rush Days

Planning Committee

All venues will need help in the afternoon hours. The following items were approved:

• Food: Sandwich vouchers will be given to anyone who works 4 hours, snacks and beverages will be provided to all volunteers and coffee and donuts will be provided for breakfast. 
• Saloon will stay the same, although the site may move a few feet.
•  Penny Adams will head the Proper Ladies’ area.

• Jan Sorci will head the Children’s area.
•  Green Room: will be smaller, but the OSLHP center will be open from 12:30 to 5 p.m. to provide air conditioning and a place to eat lunch.
• Jan Bullard and Terry Eargle are heading the Stage area.
• Venues: Blacksmith, saloon, phrenology, CA militia, proper ladies’ area, children’s area, stage/entertainment.

• Site layout: Ken Knott and people with venues. 
• Rotating venues will be: Writing master, medical shows, auctioneer, puppet show.

If you are planning on a stage act of some sort Terry and Jan will need the information about timing and props by August 1.

August Newsletter

The August newsletter will be devoted entirely to Gold Rush Days. It may arrive late, but don’t worry.

CAN'T DO vs CAN DO

We've never done it before 

We have the opportunity to be first

It's too complicated angle

Let's look at it from a different

We don't have the resources

 Necessity is the Mother of Invention

It will never work 

We'll give it a try

There's not enough time 

We'll reevaluate some priorities

We've already tried it 

We learned from experience

There's no way it will work 

We can make it work

It's a waste of time 

Think of the Possibilities

It's a waste of money 

The investment will be worth it

We don't have the expertise 

Let's network with those who do

We can't compete 

We'll get a jump on the competition

It's good enough 

There's always room for improvement

It can't be done 

It'll be a challenge

I don't have any ideas 

I'll come up with some alternatives

It takes too long for approval 

We'll walk it through the system

It's not my job 

I'll give it my best

I can't do it 

I can do it!

As a group we can accomplish amazing results; the whole is greater than its parts. We can do it if we all work together!! -Ken Knott

Meeting at Night
by Robert Browning
From the New Oxford Book of Victorian Verse

The gray sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed I' with slushy sand.

Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each. - Terry Nelson

1800s Inventions

• The collapsible opera hat, 1823.
• The first waterproofing process for fabric, 1823.
• A machine for making cloth covered buttons, 1827.
• The first harmonica was made in 1829.
• A machine for making solid headed pins was patented in 1831.
• Shoes with rubber gores were made commercially available in 1836.
• The lock-stitch sewing machine was patented in 1841.
• The vulcanizing process for rubber was discovered in 1843.
• The first mechanical washing machine AND the 1st zinc washboards were introduced in 1848.
• The home sewing machine was a viable product by 1851 but not out of the patent pool until 1856.
• Multi-needle embroidery machines were used industrially in the 1850's.
• Parasols with U-shaped steel ribs were patented in 1852. Handles are wooden attached to a metal rod.
• Aniline Dyes were finally feasible in 1856. First was mauve, followed in 1858 by magentas, fuchsia, purple, blues, and green. Then coral, bright blue, violets, bright pink, 'glaring' greens, bright yellow, and every kind of red, as well as dirty grays and browns

Who Are We?

If you have not appeared in this section, please write your story (350 words) and contact Terry Nelson so we can check if we have a picture of your character. If we don’t, we will be sure to get one. We would love to have characterizations and pictures of all our members. They are a great recruiting tool. If I haven’t called upon you yet, be sure I will.\

From the Editor

Submission deadlines are the 15th of the month and should be sent to Jane Rankin.

If you wish your article to be considered for the newsletter. PLEASE KEEP THE 350 WORD LIMIT IN MIND. Articles that are too long or have errors will be returned to the authors for editing and correction. For those without e-mail access, submissions can be mailed to: Jane Rankin or you can submit your piece at our general meeting to Amy, the Director