Fall 2021 Newsletter

Click below to read the Fall 2021 html version of our email newsletter. 

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Fall 2021 Newsletter Inside: President's Message Update on $25K Capital Campaign First Lecture by Utica Power & Water Well Attended! New Living History Blacksmith Exhibit Sierra Railway Exhibit Assessment Grant Writing team update Old Timer’s Museum News Volunteer Opportunities  President's Message           Have you been to the museum lately? Because of your generous donations, the museum has made many improvements and more are planned for 2021-2022.   Thanks to Bob O’Neil, Linda Nard and Lindy Miller, the rock and gem exhibit is complete. Also thanks to the donation from the Old Timers Museum in Murphys, the rock and gem exhibit is displayed in beautiful, lighted cabinets. We still need a sponsor for this exhibit, if you are interested in sponsoring, please contact the Foundation at [email protected].           The Foundation’s newest project in the updating of the Farming and Ranching exhibits is an ambitious $25,000 campaign to raise funds for renovation, including organizing the equipment, signage and expanding the concrete with the goal of make the exhibits more accessible. If you are interested in sponsoring a piece of equipment or donating to the project, please visit our website at https://www.angelsmuseumfoundation.org and click on “current campaigns.”           We are excited to have lectures again. The lecture series began October3rd with Joel Metzger giving a presentation on Utica Power and Water. We had almost 40 people attend the lecture!  We do owe members an apology for not informing everyone in a more timely manner that the lectures are no longer a member benefit as they have been in the past.  Admission for all lectures is now $10 per person and all funds raised are put towards our $25K pole barn fundraising campaign.  Many thanks to all who attended and we look forward to seeing you each month (except January) through April 2022!           Through a grant from Calaveras Community Foundation, the museum is creating a Frog Jump exhibit for everyone to enjoy. Thank you to Martin Huberty, Sandi and Bob Lema and Lori Giannini for spearheading this exhibit.  Look for a grand opening event for this next Spring.  It's going to be a great addition to the museum!             We are very proud of the improvements the Foundation has made to the exhibits. With your support we will continue to make more!           Karen Karen Strand, Foundation President Foundation Fundraising Campaign Update - $25,000 Goal           The Angels Camp Museum Foundation recently inaugurated its new website and began its campaign to raise $25,000 to complete the exhibits in the Ranching and Mining Building, also known as the Pole Barn.  Years ago, we raised the funds to build the Artisan Exhibits in the Barn, completing the carpentry, printing, and textile exhibits but we were unable to create the Blacksmith Shop.            Our goal is the raise $25,000 to not only complete the Blacksmith Shop, but also to finish the "Farming in the Age of Steam and Horses" displays. The museum has unique antique machines and implements, many originally horse-drawn, which need proper display and interpretive signage. We will fund this through the generous donations from the community, our lecture series, and a variety of special events.           If you can help, please visit our new website, angelsmuseumfoundation.org, for more information on the Foundation and support of our fabulous museum. It's easy to donate on the website and all donations are tax deductible!  Joel Metzger, GM of Utica Water and Power Authority, and Karen Strand, President, Angels Camp Museum Foundation  First Lecture, Utica Power & Water - a Hit! The Museum Foundation Lecture Series got off to a great start on October 3rd, featuring Joel Metzger, General Manager of the Utica Water and Power Authority.  Joel was born and brought up in Calaveras County, earning an AA from Columbia College, a BA in Political Science from Sonoma State, and returning to Calaveras to settle down. For six years, he was a reporter and later editor for the Calaveras Enterprise. Moving on to the Calaveras County Water District, Joel became the Manager of External Affairs, which included Water Conservation, Grant Writing, Legislative Affairs, and Public Relations. The presentation included photos and other historical information on the Utica system, which includes the iconic wooden flumes, part of which can be seen on Murphys Grade Rd., and various reservoirs, which start in Avery and move down to end in Angels Camp.  This system is a vital part of the water delivery in Calaveras County. More information is found on www.uticawater.com and www.facebook.com/UticaWaterPower The Museum Foundation Lecture Series is part of our campaign to raise money for the Mining and Ranching Building exhibits.  Admission fees go directly to the campaign. Suzie Barnett applies some "flame" to the new Blacksmith Exhibit THE BLACKSMITH SHOP        The blacksmith was often one of the first craftsmen to set up shop in a young frontier town. There was rarely a shortage of work, as tools and equipment needed to be made and repaired, and horses and mules needed shoeing.      Blacksmithing is an ancient craft, dating back to the transition from Bronze Age to Iron Age. During the Gold Rush and long after, blacksmiths were busy working for the established mines and other businesses such as wagon and carriage builders.      The Angels Camp Museum's Mining and Ranching building has on display a large horse-drawn clod-crusher that was originally used to break up soil in the fields prior to planting. This artifact was not made by a manufacturer of agricultural equipment but instead shows the hand of a local blacksmith.          The heart of the blacksmith shop was the forge, which was used to heat the metal before working it. The forge usually had a bellows to make the fire hotter and regulate the heat with a steady blast of air.      The Museum's original 1860's bellows were restored by staff member Jim Miller, shown left in the photo. It would have been operated by the smithy while he worked, using a lever and chains, as demonstrated by staff member Chuck Schneider, shown right.      The museum has many other tools and equipment used by the blacksmith to display. The Foundation is currently working to raise $25,000 dollars for the Mining and Ranching Building exhibits, including the Blacksmith Shop. These funds will allow us to create a professional exhibit which will educate visitors on the importance of the blacksmith to the community and how he practiced his craft. Above: Volunteer train enthusiast, Chuck Hakkarinen documenting the project Sierra Railway Restoration Project   A simple conversation led to a new network of train enthusiasts who are helping the Angels Camp Museum develop an assessment of what needs to be done to get the Sierra Railway Angels Branch model railroad (which has not been functional for over a decade) in working order again!  The effort kicked off with a visit from bay area resident Chuck Hakkarinen and his wife Vicki to the museum October 8 to take measurements and begin the assessment!   The model located at the back of the Museum’s Mining and Ranching Building (aka the Pole Barn) replicates the unique switchback design which was required to descend some 700 feet in elevation from Jamestown to Melones and then back up to Angels Camp. The daily passenger train ran from September 10th, 1902 until March 1939 significantly shortening the travel time between these towns.  When the last train traveled the route, the crew picked up the tracks behind it.    Chuck feels that if we can find someone with the skills to lead the renovation which will include replacing all of the track and wiring, we should be able to finish in time for the 2022 Calaveras County Fair in May!  Stay tuned and if you know anyone with the skills we’re looking for, get in touch with Gina Milani who is spearheading this effort on behalf of the Foundation. Grant Writing Team Update In our quest to find appropriate grants to pursue, we uncovered a grant training opportunity through The Sierra Conservancy.  Board Members and grant writing team Gina Milani and Marilyn Smith both attended the intensive 3-day training and came away with valuable insights on how they will approach future grant proposals.   To date, the team has submitted applications for five grants. Each are highly competitive, and three of these we know we have not been awarded.  We're awaiting results of the other two, and our team remains optimistic that the recent training will have a positive impact on our future efforts. Going in to the training both found it very useful to have already tried to write grant proposals. THANK YOU SIERRA CONSERVANCY!!  If you’d like to join our grant writing team as a volunteer, drop us a line at [email protected] we'll be happy to share what we learned!  Old Timer’s Museum News   As many of you already know, the beloved Old Timers Museum (OTM) in Murphys found it necessary to close its doors with a significant number of artifacts finding a home on loan at the Angels Camp Museum.  The OTM Board of Directors will maintain the Museum’s nonprofit 501C3 status and continue exploring new avenues to educate the public, including developing a website with information on local history, and a cell phone walking tour. The stories that make Murphys unique are about Native Americans, the Gold Rush, early settlement, the history of wine making, water and agriculture, and tourism. A physical site for the museum is the goal in the future, but meanwhile, these stories will not go untold.  If by December 31, 2022 a new location has not been found, it was agreed that the artifacts would become the property of the Angels Camp Museum.   HOW YOU CAN HELP:    If you have skills in social media and would like to help the Angels Camp Museum Foundation craft a social media strategy and presence we'd love to hear from you!  We are in the process of trying to implement a Google Ad Words Grant to benefit the Museum that has been approved under the foundation.   MUSEUM HOURS:  Open 7 Days a week, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM $15.00 Adults,  $10 Children 6-17, under 6 (free) Discounts: Veterans, Active Duty, Seniors, First Responders and Calaveras County Residents receive a 20% discount ($12.00) Families of 4 and above (same family) $40.00 flat fee    Copyright ©  2020, Angels Camp Museum Foundation, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Angels Camp Museum 753 S. Main St., Angels Camp, CA 95222 (209) 736-2963 | angelscamp.gov/museum Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.