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Present: Josh Leone, Glenn Leone, Carol K. Page, Tricia Watts, Joann Mitchell, Mary Blankenship, Diane Smith, Ray Owen, Daniel Murley, Eileen Steen, Kit Schlich, Teresa Froschl, Michele Luna, Bob Nelson, Darlene LaMont, Jim Robinson, Russell Gaughen, John Schubert, Sarah Brooks, Karen Petersen, Simone Wilson, Daniel Markwyn, Sherry Huss, Marshall West, Christa Bechler, Lee Torliatt, Susan Coolidge, Ginny MacKenzie Magan, Nancy Conzett, Adri Boudewyn, Guy Smith, Tony Hoskins, Joe Honton, Steve Lehmann, Jan Lehmann, Jeremy Nichols, Evelyn McClure, John McClure, Gray Brechin, Katherine Rinehart, June Smith and Harry Lapham.
Harry called the meeting to order at 9:35 a.m. He brought cards to be signed and sent to member Ray Anderson, who recently suffered a stroke, and former secretary Lynne Collins, who moved to Michigan. He announced that the $10 annual Network dues for 2006 are now payable. Thanks to all who paid at this meeting.
Sturgeon’s Mill hopes to have their boiler hooked up so they can have a “steam up” this summer.
Legacy of a Village Jack Florence’s popular history of Asti and the Italian Swiss Colony Winery is again available. Price to museums or other groups is $10.50 per autographed copy. Suggested retail price is $17.95. Contact Jack: jwfsr@mac.com or 433-6844.
New Deal Legacy Project Gray Brechin is researching F. D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” agencies and the many public sites, art works etc. they created in California through the CWA, PWA, WPA etc. If you have knowledge of any of these programs (1933-1942) or their contributions to your community, please let Gray know: gbrechin@newdealproject.org. A data base of the buildings, parks etc. will be on line.
Sonoma County Museum Joann Mitchell introduced the museum’s new chief curator Tricia Watts, saying they are “lucky to have her.” Tricia announced they will open a 1906 Earthquake Exhibit opening on April 22. The upper level of the Museum will soon house a permanent county history exhibit.
Joann announced the Museum’s annual membership luncheon is set for January 29 at the Flamingo.
Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation Joe Honton discussed the plans to open a Laguna Learning Center. He would like to receive stories about previous floods in the area. He announced Guy Smith is now on the Foundation’s board of directors.
Sonoma County Historical Records Commission Dan Markwyn reported the deadline for the Peterson Prize entries is March 1. Contest rules and information are online at www.sonomacountyhrc.org. Dan will provide Gray Brechin with a copy of a master’s essay on WPA and other New Deal programs in Sonoma County.
Windsor Historical Society Steve Lehmann has information on the migrant labor camp at Windsor. Windsor Town promises the Society they will have a museum in 2006. The Society is concerned about the proposal to cut up and move the Windsor Church.
Sonoma County Recorder’s Office will complete digitizing all their indexes and films within the next 6 months. They will be available for researchers on computers at the office. California State Archives has made 75-year and older records available to the public.
Russian River Historical Society Josh Leone announced their next quarterly meeting on February 26 will present a program about disasters along the river. Information is posted on their Web site www.russianriverhistory.org . As the society has no building, they will maintain the Web site as a “virtual museum.” Josh received congratulations from the Network group on the RRHS site which features many historic photos of the river area. Russell Gaughen told us there are plans to rebuild the Koret Club at Monte Rio, and they hope to host a Network meeting there in 2007.
Occidental Sherry Huss reported that the Heritage Days program in November was very successful and they hope it will be the first of a series. The celebration, attended by 350 to 400 people, featured exhibits, talks about Occidental’s history by Harry and others, walking tours, storytelling, music etc.
Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods Michele Luna, executive director, reported they are supporting the research on the “mammoth rock” at the coast, learning about the Willow Creek watershed and maintaining the Visitors Center at Jenner. They are expanding their knowledge about Armstrong Woods and Austin Creek. They hope to get funding to set up a two-day environmental camping program for students.
Tomales Regional History Center Nancy Conzett reported Kathleen Satori is the new president. On March 24th Philip Fradkin will discuss his latest book “The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself.”
Their 8th Annual Tea and Fashion Show will be on May 20, 2006. Author Ginny Magan was present at our meeting.
West County Museum Evelyn McClure reported the1906 Earthquake Experience Exhibit and the Sebastopol Pharmacies History Exhibit will open on January 28th, with a reception at 1:00 p.m. They will continue through July.
Tom Origer & Associates Eileen Steen reported the firm is currently researching archeology reports on the Bastoni farm (Riebli Road, Santa Rosa), the site of the burned Warren Dutton house and the Carrington Ranch on the Sonoma Coast.
Heritage Homes of Petaluma Kit Schlich announced their first-time Halloween tour was successful and will be held again. Other annual tours are the Summer Tour, which will be held in conjunction with the Petaluma Quilt Show, and the Holiday Tour in December. They are currently sponsoring contra dances to raise funds to save the Water Street Trestle, which the city wants to tear down.
Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Ray Owen reported the annual September Lamplight Tours again sold out and netted over $10,000. The board is tackling the problem of off-leash dogs in the cemetery.
Depot Park Museum and Sonoma Valley Historical Society Diane Smith introduced the Society’s president, Carol Page. The Museum mailed membership flyers to the local Chamber of Commerce list. Their earthquake exhibit opens on April 14. Sonoma Plaza was a refuge for San Franciscans in 1906. The museum received $2000 from the City of Sonoma for new exhibits. The Sonoma Valley Ecology Center’s large topo map is on display at the museum.
Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society Daniel Murley reported the Healdsburg Images of America book is out. Copies were available at the meeting, or contact the museum healdsburgmuseum@sbcglobal.net. Approximately 2500 artifacts have now been cataloged and accessioned. A new reader/printer which scans was purchased with a City of Healdsburg grant. Dan will present a slide show about the next exhibit, Botany and Botanists, at the Healdsburg Library on February 15. The exhibit opens at the museum on February 17.
Rancho Bodega Historical Society Adri Boudewyn reported they are planning a historical coloring book with captions in English and Spanish and will apply for a grant to publish it.
Mahoney Library SRJC Petaluma Campus Librarian Karen Petersen invited us to visit the campus. Plans are to triple its size this spring
Sonoma County Historical Society Simone Wilson announced she is resigning as editor of the Sonoma Historian after 14 years. She has produced consistently interesting and timely issues of the journal and will be missed. If you know of someone who could carry on as editor, please let Tony Hoskins or Harry know. Lee Torliatt is now the SCHS archivist. Gray Brechin will be the speaker at the society’s annual meeting on March 25th at Fountain Grove.
Tony Hoskins announced the following:
Sonoma County Library will update the local history and genealogical portion of the Web site and will digitize the instructions for tracing property histories.
Historical Records Commission will start recording the oral histories with Sonoma County department heads. The interviews will be available on CDs, added to county records and to the library’s local history annex.
Sonoma County Genealogical Society’s annual Spring Seminar is set for April 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Barbara Vines Little, nationally known genealogist, will present four lectures at the LBC. The Society is looking for a new editor for their journal, The Sonoma Searcher.
Friends of the Carrillo Adobe The City of Santa Rosa has agreed to the development plans for this historic and archeologically important site. The Friends will not dispute this final plan as they feel the adobe will now have a better deal, if not a perfect one.
Jeremy Nichols announced the following:
Chanate Cemetery 440 markers have been found, plus a piece of a tombstone. The Redwood Empire Chinese Association has placed a plaque in memory of the Chinese buried there. Sonoma County Regional Parks now officially owns the site.
Sonoma County Archives Team has been formed to advise and convince the county to move the archives to a more accessible location. They need suggestions of sites that could accommodate these records and, hopefully, the local history annex collection.
1906 Earthquake book John Schubert announced that he did not get enough response from Network members to complete the book he planned. That project has folded. He recommended reading a report, compiled four years after the earthquake, which has information from each local community, at the Sonoma County Library Annex.
Georgetown Guy Smith reported two programs on the History Channel featured Georgetown last year.
Pacific Coast Air Museum The Museum has acquired more aircraft. Guy will be flying to Tucson to pick up fighter aircraft pieces to be reassembled by Museum members. Ray Anderson is working with a therapist as he recovers from a stroke.
Petaluma Museum Katherine Rinehart introduced Museum members Susan Coolidge, Marshall West, Christa Bechler and Teresa Froschl. The Museum is closed through January. Teresa announced the next exhibit will feature old street names and photos. Also planned is a Jewish Chicken Ranch Exhibit.
Harry thanked Katherine and the other Petaluma Museum members for hosting today’s meeting.
Submitted by June Smith
Next meeting: Saturday, April 8th, at 9:30 a.m. Location to be announced.
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