The Rocklin Historical Society Blog

Historical Society Establishes Fund to Forever Preserve Rocklin's Heritage

2011-10-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Historical Society Establishes Fund to Forever Preserve Rocklin’s Heritage

The Rocklin Historical Society is proud to announce the establishment of the Rocklin Heritage Fund at the Placer Community Foundation. This endowed fund supports the Society’s efforts to promote public awareness and enjoyment of Rocklin’s history—a history that is based in Rocklin’s native Nisenan population, and in its late nineteenth and early twentieth century granite quarries, railroad roundhouse facilities, and ethnically diverse ranches.

The Historical Society chose to establish this fund at Placer Community Foundation because it offers an effective way for the community to contribute. Gifts can be made today or through bequest and, because the fund is endowed, the principal is invested. This allows the fund to grow over time, using only the earnings to support public education programs and preservation projects around Rocklin’s rich history.

“The Rocklin Heritage Fund was an important and necessary step to continue and build upon our work as our community continues to keep pace with the explosive growth we’ve experienced during the past fifty years,” states Chris Gebel, President of the Rocklin Historical Society. “Gifts made to this fund will support entertainment and educational programs at the Rocklin History Museum and projects such as the maintenance of the Old Saint Mary’s chapel, and the effort to save and restore Rocklin’s granite processing sites and artifacts.”

One of the Historical Society’s near term projects intends to preserve much of the site of Rocklin’s Capital Quarry, known recently as the Big Gun Quarry, near the corner of Pacific Street and Rocklin Road. In the 1860s that quarry provided granite building materials, mainly granite blocks, for California’s State Capital building in Sacramento.

“Through public awareness, the Rocklin Heritage Fund will build community pride and engagement for the many new families in the area,” states Veronica Blake, CEO of the Placer Community Foundation. “This impressive group of dedicated, forward-thinking volunteers is taking action today to ensure future resources are in place to protect Rocklin’s heritage.”

To make a gift to the Rocklin Heritage Fund today, or for information about supporting this fund in your estate plan, visitwww.placercf.org or call 530.885.4920.

About Rocklin Historical Society

Rocklin Historical Society is a tax exempt, all-volunteer organization of 160 members. Their mission is to generate community interest and support for preservation of the history of Rocklin and to promote and encourage volunteerism and charitable gifts for these purposes. They operate the Rocklin History Museum, which educates and entertains history buffs and supplements the history curriculum for 750 of Rocklin’s third graders each year. They also maintain Rocklin’s oldest public building, the restored Old Saint Mary’s Chapel in the heart of Rocklin’s Front Street Historic District.

Save Our Sheds Update and Information on the Referendum Process

2011-09-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

The following is an editorial written by RHS member Dani Loebs. The opinions expressed are her own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Rocklin Historical Society.

Dear Rocklin History Supporters:

Tonight the City Council unanimously voted to "proceed with the demolition of the remaining sheds in order to render the site safe. Salvage whatever wood we can, pending the results of the demolition."

It is important to understand that this may not be the end of this process. When I asked, the city attorney was not sure if this type of resolution was applicable to the referendum process, but he said that it probably was and Mayor Magnuson agreed. We will need confirmation on that. Assuming it is applicable, please read on to learn more about the referendum process.

About a century ago, some great men and women here in California worked very hard to amend our state constitution to grant additional rights of grassroots democratic process. Most of us are aware of the initiative process at both the state and local level. However, far fewer are aware of the referendum process available to us at the local level.

The referendum powers that we have at the city level here in Rocklin grant us the right to force the city council to have their controversial and unpopular decision be ratified by the voters of Rocklin. What's more, the city council has the option to repeal their unpopular decision and avoid the measure being sent to the voters at all. The latter is the ideal outcome, but both are good.

Since Rocklin is a general law city, the laws governing the local referendum process are within the CA Elections Code. The important sections of the Elections Code are 9235, 9237-9243, 9114-9115, and 9210. You can find the table of contents to the Elections Code here:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=elec&codebody=&hits=20

The last report of registration for Rocklin is 30,752 registrants.
You can find it here:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ror/ror-pages/ror-odd-year-11/
And specifically here:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ror/ror-pages/ror-odd-year-11/politicalsub.pdf

So what this means is that a successful petition for referendum will require 10% of the registrants' signatures. That would be 3,076 needed signatures. It is best to gather about 12% to insure that more than 10% remain after the invalid signatures are removed by the officials when they verify the petitions. So somewhere in the vicinity of 3600-3700 is likely the goal. (That can be verified with the City Clerk, the County Elections office and the individuals that led the successful Clover Valley signature-gathering process a few years ago.)

The number of signatures sounds high, but the Clover Valley folks were able to collect about that amount of signatures in just 20 days! The law allows us 30 days. I was not involved with the Clover Valley fight personally, but we can also speak with them to get the nuts and bolts info on the process.

Lastly, if you read through the sections of the code I referenced above, you will notice that there are significant delays created by the process. First there is the regular 30 days of any ordinance or resolution. Then there is the time the city/county officials are granted to verify that a sufficient number of signatures have been submitted. That can take 30-60 business days. Then if the Rocklin city council decides to repeal their original decision, that requires them to not readdress the issue for at least one year. If they opt to send the referendum to the ballot, then it will take another couple of months before the special election. As you can see, there are many strategic delays involved in the process.

We've got nothing to lose. Will the Historical Society be willing to collect signatures for a referendum? Who will volunteer to talk to the City Clerk tomorrow? I'd do it if I didn't have to work, but we need someone as soon as possible to ask about starting the paperwork! I would be happy to help in any way that I can if the Historical Society decides to move forward with the signature gathering (and assuming that the referendum process applies to the type of resolution adopted by the city council tonight).

This may not be over yet!

All the best,
Dani Loebs

Save Our Sheds! City Council Meeting Agenda Threatens Demolition of Historic Landmarks

2011-09-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

Big Gun Sheds to be Lost

This year a number of considerations have come to light suggesting that we re-look at the plan that would result in removal of the Big Gun buildings: Citizen polls show that the community wants our historic structures included in downtown; professional opinions indicate that the Big Gun buildings can be rehabilitated. And, we now realize that removal of the buildings prematurely, will limit the options available to potential developers - effectively eliminating consideration by those that would incorporate the heritage structures in their project. From both practical and heritage standpoints the advantages of allowing the structures to remain in place for a period of time appear significant.

At the Sep 13 council meeting, Skip Gebel, President of The Rocklin Historical Society, addressed the Council and formally requested that the City delay plans to remove the Big Gun Buildings. (To allow the community time to reconsider the fate of the Historic Quarry Sheds in light of recent information indicating that rehabilitation of the structures and their use in a commercial setting may be desirable and practical.) Council members received packets of information including: John Chase’s artist rendering of rehabilitated Big Gun Sheds as the common area of a Quarry Village; a 13 point justification for recommending delaying removal of the sheds; a petition/poll in support of a one year delay signed by 310 persons. Vice Mayor Storey, Council Members Hill, Ruslin and Yuill were present. Eight presentations were made by Citizens in support of the request for a delay. Vice Mayor Storey brought up an additional concern. Rather than referring the issues to the Citizens’ Redevelopment Advisory Committee or City Staff for consideration and guidance, the request for a delay was denied on the spot and direction given to proceed immediately per the plan to remove the Sheds.

Unbelievably, we are clearly on the path to losing the only surviving structures representing the very essence of our community’s heritage – sacrificed by rigid adherence to scrape and wait planning of the past. Led by our City, that by California Law is charged with stewardship of our heritage, we will be destroying what is arguably Rocklin’s most valuable cultural asset.

I am convinced that the City of Rocklin and the Community at large can pull together, as we have in the past, and, somehow avoid this tragedy.

Gene Johnson

Chairman, Rocklin Historical Society Big Gun Committee

Tel 916-624-2378

e-mail marg.n.gene.rocklin@starstream.net

What you can do to help:

Attend the City Council Meeting Tonight (Tuesday 9/27) at 6pm in the Council Chambers and show your support for Saving Our Sheds.

The Historical Society will be making a presentation to the Council at the meeting and needs a large showing of support. If you cannot attend, share this with those who can.

Heritage Trail Days This Saturday and Sunday

2011-08-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Placer Herald did a great feature on us for our Heritage Trail event this weekend. Come one, come all! Details are in the article below:

Century-old home houses Rocklin's history, memories

Visit Rocklin History Museum during Heritage Trail

Gloria Beverage, Placer Herald Editor

Rocklin History Museum/Special to the Placer Herald

Since opening the Rocklin History Museum in 2002, thousands of photos and newspaper articles have been donated to the museum’s archives, including this 1907 photo of Front Street donated by Ione Grindell Frederick.

Rocklin’s History Museum will be open for touring during this weekend’s Heritage Trail event, which features 18 museums from Roseville to North Lake Tahoe.

The museum is headquartered in a house built around 1905 at the corner of Rocklin Road and San Francisco Street. For many years, it was the residence and office of Dr. Henry D. Fletcher, the Southern
Pacific Railroad’s district surgeon.

A portion of the museum display areas are housed in what used to be the doctor’s waiting room and examination areas.

Rocklin business owner C.A. Moon purchased the house in 1936. While he and his family lived in the house, Moon used the basement as a storage area for his grocery business, which was located in the granite building (Rocklin’s city hall) on Rocklin Road.

Members of the Rocklin Historical Society began planning for a museum in 1988, finally realizing their dream of a location to showcase the city’s history in late 2000.

Through the efforts of the Historical Society’s membership and several Scout troops, the 1,000-square-foot residence (along with the 500-square-foot basement) and the gardens were renovated and opened to the public in 2002.
Longtime volunteer Jean Day reports the museum collection includes more than 30,000 items that offer a glimpse of the early days in Rocklin’s history.

A good portion of the displays focus on Rocklin’s granite quarries. In fact, the first two stories of the California Capitol building and several locations in San Francisco feature granite mined from Rocklin’s quarries. A slab of Rocklin granite has been used for the countertop in the kitchen, added Day.

In addition to a sizeable collection of historic photos in the archives, the museum’s collection includes a 1900-era stove, a coffee grinder, a butter maker and an old telephone as well as tools and equipment used at the quarries.
According to Roy Ruhkala, one of the founders of the Historical Society, the oldest item in the museum is a drilling machine dating back to the 1870s.

Another exhibit tracks the history and culture of the Native Americans, including the Nisenan, who lived throughout this area.

One of the newer displays pays tribute to the San Francisco 49ers, who set up their summer training camp at Sierra College from 1981 through 1997.

“They won 73 percent of their games during those years, including 16 National Football League playoff games and five Super Bowls,” writes Quarry Quarterly newsletter editor Gary Day. “Their Rocklin years brought them from obscurity to greatness and they have returned to obscurity since leaving.”

During this weekend’s Heritage Trail event, docents will be on hand to share stories about Rocklin’s history. Ruhkala is scheduled to demonstrate granite cutting at 10 a.m. on Sunday. A video of Ruhkala working with granite will be shown throughout the weekend.

In addition to operating the museum, Historical Society members open the Old St. Mary’s Chapel for viewing during the Front Street Friday Festivals through October.

Thanks to their efforts, the chapel was saved from demolition in 2005, moved to its present location and restored to pristine condition. It is now available for weddings, memorials and other public events.
Plans are underway to restore Rocklin’s Front Street corridor and the Big Gun Quarry, the largest quarry owned and operated by the Ruhkala family’s Union Granite Company.
The society is hoping to save some of the granite processing artifacts on the rim of the 90-foot deep quarry pit.
________
Heritage Trail Day At Rocklin History Museum
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Where: At corner of San Francisco and Rocklin Road
Featuring Roy Ruhkala demonstration of granite cutting at 10 a.m. on Sunday
Admission: free

The July Quarry Quarterly is Out!

2011-07-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Attention all members: check your mailboxes for the July issue of the Quarry Quarterly.

The six page, all-color issue is rich with content, and will be posted on the Rocklin Historical Society's website shortly. If you aren't a member and would like to know what the fuss is about, I will be posting articles from the Quarterly on the blog this week.

President's Message

by Skip Gebel, RHS President

Welcome! Now that summertime is here and because our next general meeting will be in September I thought that it would be a good time to highlight our accomplishments thus far. Membership continues to grow; we're now at 139 people. That's the highest number to date. New volunteer docents have been trained and they've begun their duties at the History Museum. Our website content continues to grow, attracting inquiries from more local residents as well as people throughout Northern California.

The Children's Tile Project was completed in May by Brent Clark, a Rocklin Boy Scout. Completion of this community service project enabled his advancement to the rank of Eagle Scout. It's the highest position in the Boy Scouts organization. The tile panels were installed on the grounds of the History Museum. After the replica of Firehouse Number 1 is built in Heritage Park they'll be moved to and permanently installed there.

A committee was recently established to assist the City with its plans to develop the Big Gun Quarry. The plans include an area within the existing property to construct an interpretive center. The center will house relevant and useful artifacts gathered from the site so that the story of Rocklin's granite rock quarrying industry can be accurately told. Committee members have recently been on-site, identifying those items so that they can be set aside and moved to the newly built structure.

The Rocklin Chamber of Commerce has recently completed a "Welcome to Rocklin" DVD. It includes a brief introduction by me and a short segment by Roy Ruhkala talking about our granite quarry heritage. We'll show it at one of our upcoming meetings. Thanks to everyone for all your efforts and contributions for our success thus far.

Have a great time this summer and see you at the pot luck dinner in September.

More articles will be featured in the coming days. To get a Quarry Quarterly delivered to your home, become a member of the Rocklin Historical Society! The cost is only $20 per household.

Big Gun Quarry Slide Show Now Available!

2011-06-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you unable to make the May 16th meeting at Old St. Mary's Chapel, Gene Johnson's slide show presentation of Big Gun Granite Quarry: Past, Present, Future is now available to view online!

To view the slides, simply click here.

In other news, Rocklin Historical Society now has a Twitter page. Click here to follow us today!

Fountain Dedication at Old St. Mary's Celebrates Rocklin Third Graders

2011-05-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Rocklin Third Graders sit by the newly dedicated spinning ball fountain at Old St. Mary's Chapel which they donated though neighborhood fundraising. Photo Courtesy Ronna Davis.

ROCKLIN, April 28, 2011- The Rocklin Historical Society welcomed 78 third graders from Valley View Elementary School to Old St. Mary’s Chapel for the dedication ceremony of the chapel courtyard’s spinning ball fountain. The funds for the fountain were raised by third graders from the Rocklin Unified School District over a period of three years via neighborhood coin drives spearheaded by Valley View third grade teacher, Nancy Lohse.

“The schools sent the coins to Valley View and we counted them - a feat in itself!” said Lohse. She further explained that transporting the coins with the help of the Rocklin Historical Society was quite the sight, “there was always a big spill on the way to the parking lot!”

2011 RHS essay contest winner Emma Navarre unveils the plaque at the dedication ceremony.
Photo courtesy Ronna Davis.

At the ceremony, a plaque for the fountain was unveiled by Emma Navarre, the winner of the 2011 RHS essay contest. Emma’s essay detailed her class trip to historical sites around Rocklin.

“My favorite area was St. Mary’s Church that my teacher Mrs. Lohse helped move to its new location,” Navarre wrote in her essay. “The church was amazing. My class got to ring the big, shiny bell.” The essay also discussed what the class learned at the Rocklin History Museum: “When ladies did not want their gloves to shrink, they put them on wet!”

Members of the Rocklin Historical Society discovered at the ceremony that the museum trip had a lasting positive effect on many of the third graders as well when a young artist presented a picture she painted of Old St. Mary’s.

Young artist with her rendition of
Old St. Mary's Chapel.
Courtesy of Ronna Davis.

“When the class came to the chapel on their tour a few weeks back, I showed them photos, including the water color painting that Geri Wittbrod had given the Historical Society,” stated Rocklin Museum docent, Ronna Davis. “I said, ‘You could do something like this’ and lo and behold, one little girl showed up Thursday with a nice painting of the chapel! “

Nancy Lohse was recognized for her years-long leadership in the fountain fund raising drive with an award presented at the Rocklin Historical Society Recognition and Installation Dinner held in January. Lohse and the third graders of the Rocklin Unified School District have left a wonderful legacy for the Historical Society; the fountain is a delight to all who view it and will continue to be enjoyed by visitors for years to come.

Children enjoy fountain while Lohse (in yellow)
pauses for a picture with Emma Navarre.
Photo courtesy of Ronna Davis.

Read Excerpts from Emma's Essay:

"Rocklin history is terrific. The city of Rocklin is a amazingly important area. Let me tell you outrageous Rocklin history that rocks!

Just days ago my class went on a Rocklin history field trip where we learned all about Rocklin history. First off my class went to Joel Parker Whitney's tomb. We all admired the granite beauty! A cool fact is that the rock plaque was donated by Rocklin's third graders.

Next we hopped on the bus and went to the brick house where Joel Parker Whitney's house used to be, but sadly they tore the amazing sight down!

...then we all traveled down to see the doors of Joel Parker Whitney's house at the Sunset Whitney Country Club. Those are some terrific doors!

I love Rocklin. Hopefully you can explore Rocklin history someday!"

Monthly Meeting and Ice Cream Social May 16th!

2011-05-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Get ready, the last monthly meeting before our summer break is upon us and we saved the best for last!

Join the Rocklin Historical Society 7pm Monday May 16th at Old St. Mary's Chapel for a fantastic meeting followed immediately by our traditional ice cream social. Bring your friends and neighbors: all are welcome.

The presentation will feature Mr. Fix-it himself: Rocklin Historical Society's Gene Johnson! Gene will be providing a Power Point presentation all about Rocklin's largest and most productive quarry titled, "Big Gun Quarry: Past, Present and Future."

About the Speaker:

Gene’s grandfather, Anders Wickman, immigrated from Finland to Rocklin in 1890. Anders became a granite quarry owner, councilman and mayor. Gene’s father, Ray Johnson, operated Spring View Dairy on property now known as Johnson-Springview Park. Ray also served as councilman and mayor. Gene’s mother, Florence, served as a member of the Rocklin School Board.

Gene attended Rocklin Elementary School, Roseville High, Sacramento Junior College, and UC Berkeley. After a career in Aerospace and Semiconductor Manufacturing Engineering, Gene retired to Rocklin in 1996 with his wife, Marg. Gene and Marg were married in 1964, they now live in the family farmhouse at the corner of Rocklin Road and 5^th St. Both are active in the historical society–Marg as a museum docent and Gene as Mr. Fix-it.

A little background for the presentation:

The Big Gun Quarry, as it is now known, was also called the Capitol Quarry in the 1860’s when Rocklin granite was used to build the State Capitol in Sacramento. During the 1970’s, the quarry, which is right behind the city administration building that houses the council chambers, processed 6,000 tons of Bear River Quartz used to build the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. The large rock crusher used for the quartz still resides on the property.

Ice Cream Social!

After the meeting, we will be holding our annual ice cream social to welcome the summer, come on out and enjoy!

Regards,

Danielle Loebs

External Publicity

(Gene Johnson pictured above sitting in Old St. Mary's Chapel courtesy of Ronna Davis. Ice Cream photo courtesy of google images.)

Team up to Clean up

2011-05-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

Rocklin Historical Society, Rocklin Kiwanis and Scout Troop 349 Pitch in for April 30th Day of Service

Eagle Scout candidate Mitchell Ryan’s crew helped the Rocklin Historical Society move tons of granite rock to clean up Heritage Park on Front Street in Rocklin on Saturday, April 30th. Nearby resident Mike Clark, owner of M.S. Clark Roofing and Bucks Barbeques, brought heavy equipment to move the largest rocks. Two containers of debris were removed – the remaining rock will be stored near the back edge of the Park for future use. Members of the Kiwanis Club of Rocklin coordinated the project with Ryan, who is a member of Scout Troop 349.

(Photo courtesy of Kathy Ryan, and includes Mitchell Ryan, Mitchell Lopez, Duncan Lopez, William Dowden, Wyatt Dolan, Nathan Dolan, and Mike Clark.)

Rocklin Reunion in Today's Placer Herald

2011-04-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

A short update for you lovely blog viewers: The Placer Herald printed this article titled "City Supports Rocklin Reunion One Last Time" written by correspondent Jon Brines. Please read this and pass it along. If you are interested in starting or contributing to a fund raising effort for this long-established Rocklin event, join the Cause Page on the left and bring along others!

You don't need to give money to join, sometimes spreading awareness is more valuable! Partnering organizations with the Causes website also will donate money to the Rocklin Historical Society on your behalf if you "Give a Minute" to watch an advertisement. Every little bit helps, but spreading the word will help more!

Sincerely,
Danielle Loebs
External Publicity Coordinator
Rocklin Historical Society

In Case You Missed it... Here's What Happened at the April Monthly Meeting

2011-04-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

A big crowd gathered in Old St. Mary's Chapel for the Rocklin Historical Society's monthly meeting at 7pm on Monday April 18th. The public was eager to hear Professor Scott Lankford discuss a fascinating history of Placer County' Lake Tahoe. First, President Skip Gebel called the meeting to order and made the necessary introductions. Then, Gary Noy of the Sierra College Press took the podium to introduce our speaker:

"Scott Lankford was raised in Colorado and got lost en-route to Stanford University and spent much of the next ten years as a maintenance man, musician and mountaineering guide at Lake Tahoe. After joining the 1985 American Everest West Ridge Expedition, he completed a Ph.D. in modern thought and literature with a dissertation on John Muir. His doctoral dissertation is entitled John Muir and the Nature of the West: An Ecology of American Life, 1864-1914. Currently a Professor of English at Foothill College in California’s Silicon Valley, he has served as Foothill’s Dean of Language Arts and Co-director of the Foothill College Cultural Diversity Center."

Lankford took the crowd on an eloquent and fascinating tour of Lake Tahoe's history beginning with the first evidence of man, 9,600 years ago, to the 20th century Rat Pack. All of the stories are available Lankford's book, Tahoe Beneath the Surface, which he sold and autographed for interested residents at the end of the meeting. The book was published in collaboration with the Sierra College Press and is also available for purchase on-line. For more details on the book, including audio interviews with Lankford and a video promo, visit The Sierra College Press and scroll down a bit!

Events Coordinator, Ronna Davis, decorated the Chapel Annex with festive Easter accents and set some delicious treats aside for enjoyment during the break following Lankford's presentation. After some scrumptious nibbles, the crowd reconvened for official business.

It was announced that member Barbara Corral has been ill, but is recuperating at home and is in good spirits---get well soon, Barbara!

The April edition of the Quarry Quarterly is out and has undergone a makeover thanks to the efforts of Gary Day. This edition has been expanded to six pages and includes color photos. Everyone liked the improvements and the consensus was that the new additions should continue.

Additionally, a questionnaire was included in the letter by President Gebel. All members are encouraged to answer the questionnaire so that the Rocklin Historical Society can continue to serve you best. If you lost your copy of the Quarry Quarterly, here is the questionnaire, please feel free to respond to President Gebel by pony express or email him at gebel@earthlink.net

Click on the questionnaire to enlarge:

Mark your calendars for the following special events:

Roy Ruhkala is organizing the Rocklin Reunion at Finn Hall on May 29th. All are invited and the museum and chapel will be open that day.

The Placer County Heritage Trail Days are occurring August 6th and 7th, with Barbara Chapman heading the program coordination at the Rocklin History Museum.
The Rocklin Historical Society is working on an outdoor legacy event on Front Street to take place October 8th. The committee is still deciding the details and suggestions are still welcome.

DON'T FORGET: Our next meeting is the last before a three month summer break! Gene Johnson will be speaking on May 16th to present "Big Gun Quarry: Past, Present and Future," followed by the traditional ice cream social.

Danielle Loebs

External Publicity Coordinator

Rocklin Historical Society

Video promo courtesy HeydayBooks on Youtube, Easter decor photo courtesy Ronna Davis, President's Survey courtesy of Skip Gebel and rocklinhistory.org.

The Rocklin History Museum Needs Docents

2011-04-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Would you like to give back to your community and contribute to its rich cultural heritage? Volunteer as a docent for the Rocklin History Museum and you will have the opportunity to do just that!

Docents perform essential tasks for the Rocklin Historical Society and serve as some of our best representatives to the community. We value the volunteers who take the time to help us with this essential service to the community and recognize them regularly in our publications.

Prospective docents will be trained by experienced Rocklin Historians and will learn how to use the museum's equipment and how to handle precious historical artifacts. During this brief training period, volunteers will be able to shadow existing docents to learn the duties of the job. The skills you learn as a docent are both valuable to add to a resume and a lot of fun!

The time commitment for docents is variable but we request a minimum commitment of three hours per month (one museum shift/month) for a twelve month period. Available shifts are from 1-4pm every Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Spread the word!

The following are more details, provided by the head of the docent program, Barbara Chapman:

DOCENT NEEDS

We do have a need for more docents.

The time commitment would be once a month for one year, to begin after three months of “shadowing” with current docents. You would be expected to fulfill three hours once a month. Promptness and reliability are expected and appreciated. The Museum is now open three days a week – Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

High standards of personal grooming and cleanliness are expected. Clothing must be neat, clean and suitable for the performance of duties consistent with safety and interpretive needs. A pleasant and professional attitude is all-important. Each visitor is a guest. It is your responsibility to see that their visit is pleasant, educational, and safe. Sincere concern and friendly interest must characterize your dealings with visitors. Prejudicial statements, actions or sexual harassment is not accepted or tolerated.

As a Museum docent you are an interpreter, not a disciplinarian. Two docents are scheduled to work together on each day we are open. We do not solicit visitors for gifts or accept money except for free donations to our Museum. All docents are trained in use of equipment, and how to use or handle artifacts. Use of alcohol or the abuse of any drug while performing volunteer duties is prohibited. Smoking is not permitted in our Museum and only outside in a designated area.

Training could be available through four or five members of the Rocklin Historical Society; namely, Gay Morgan, Susan Brooking, Roy Ruhkala, Ruth Williams. Individual speakers can supplement this experience with focuses on video presentations and individuals who speak on one particular historic figure or event. The length of time needed depends on these trainers and their schedules. I would imagine at least three meetings of two or so hours each. The optimum schedule would be once or twice a year (and offered as time would allow).

Once you start, don’t be embarrassed to ask questions. Volunteering is challenging and emotional. Be aware of your energy level, and take your time to learn. You should be willing to learn and share historic and cultural information and to continuously improve presentations to our visitors.

Please contact Barbara Chapman if you are interested in volunteering: bchapman1234@sbcglobal.net.

Danielle Loebs

External Publicity Coordinator

Rocklin Historical Society

April Meeting Preview!

2011-04-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Happy April everyone!

The Rocklin Historical Society is proud to announce a wonderful public event. Join us Monday April 18th, 7pm at Old St. Mary's Chapel in Rocklin for an historic presentation about one of Placer County's greatest jewels: Lake Tahoe.

Professor Scott Lankford will be giving a presentation about the history of Lake Tahoe based on the research in his book Tahoe Beneath the Surface: The Hidden Stories of America's Largest Mountain Lake. As always, we invite the entire public to attend and enjoy. Light refreshments will be served after the presentation.

About the Speaker:

Scott Lankford was raised in Colorado and got lost en-route to Stanford University and spent much of the next ten years as a maintenance man, musician and mountaineering guide at Lake Tahoe. After joining the 1985 American Everest West Ridge Expedition, he completed a Ph.D. in modern thought and literature with a dissertation on John Muir. His doctoral dissertation is entitled John Muir and the Nature of the West: An Ecology of American Life, 1864-1914. Currently a Professor of English at Foothill College in California’s Silicon Valley, he has served as Foothill’s Dean of Language Arts and Co-director of the Foothill College Cultural Diversity Center.

About the Presentation:

Lake Tahoe transformed America, and not just once but many times over--from the earliest Ice Age civilization to the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe. It even played a hidden role in the American conquest of California, the launch of the Republican Party, and the birth of John Steinbeck’s first novel. Along the way, Lake Tahoe found the time to invent the ski industry, spark the sexual revolution, and win countless Academy Awards.

Tahoe Beneath the Surface brings this hidden history of America’s largest mountain lake to life through the stories of its most celebrated residents and visitors over the last ten thousand years. It mixes local Washoe Indian legends with tales of murderous Mafia dons, and Rat Pack tunes with Steinbeck novels. It establishes Tahoe as one of America’s literary hot spots by tracing the steps of more than a dozen authors including Bertrand Russell, Maxine Hong Kingston and Michael Ondaatje. Tahoe Beneath the Surface reveals how the lake transformed the lives of conservationists like John Muir, humorists like Mark Twain, and Hollywood icons like Frank Sinatra. It even touches upon some of the darker aspects of American history, including anti-Chinese racism and the Kennedy assassination.

Despite the impact Lake Tahoe has had on America, environmental threats loom large, and Tahoe Blue--a term that Lankford uses to encompass the whole range of life, beauty, and meaning the lake represents--grows increasingly vulnerable. In Tahoe Beneath the Surface , human history and natural history combine in a most engaging way, one that will both inform and inspire all who would keep Tahoe blue.

(Summary provided by Jean Sippola)

Sincerely,
Danielle Loebs
External Publicity Coordinator
Rocklin Historical Society

Inside the RHS Monthly Meeting: March Edition!

2011-03-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

March 21st 2011:
After a day of tumultuous weather, the thunder and lightning died down just in time for the 7pm meeting at Old St. Mary's Chapel. The room was cozy when President Gebel started off the meeting and, after a brief interruption from a nearby train whistle which was met with good-nature by all, things got rolling!

The President welcomed four non-members in attendance and reminded everyone that the RHS monthly meetings are open to the public. He spoke of a recent memorial for Keith Huseby, the son of one of our members, who contributed his handiwork to the chapel restoration. Gebel noted that Keith's work could be seen all around us in the woodwork, floors and painting of the chapel. The memorial was held on March 13th and a very large amount of people attended to pay their respects, including many of our members. The President said it was a wonderful event.

In museum news, it was announced that we have a shortage of docents! You do not have to be a member of the Rocklin Historical Society to be a docent, and training is minimal. Please contact Barbara Chapman if you are interested in volunteering: bchapman1234@sbcglobal.net.

President Gebel also gave an overview of 2011 plans for RHS including participating in the Placer County Heritage Trail Days again on August 6th and 7th this year, working with the city of Rocklin on plans for Big Gun Quarry and building a replica of Rocklin's first Fire House as well as a children's playground on the Heritage Park site.

Jean Sippola then took the podium to introduce our speaker for the evening, Roy Ruhkala. The following is an excerpt of Jean's speech:

"Roy is one of five brothers and five sisters. He is the middle child. All eleven Ruhkala children were born in Rocklin and all went to college. Roy graduated Oregon State University in Corvallis in1942 with a BA in Forestry.

After graduating he went straight into the Army and was an Artillery Instructor at Ft Sill, OK, for two and one-half years. He was being prepared to ship out to Japan when WWII ended, but his unit was still shipped to Japan for six months to make sure all the people were disarmed and weren’t hiding swords or guns.

Roy worked for his father-in-law in construction in Klamath Falls, Oregon until he decided California weather was better and he and his wife, Peggy, moved back to Rocklin. Roy worked at the quarry for many years all the while starting a Monument business in Sacramento ,serving on the Rocklin City Council for 10 years, first Chairman of the Placer County Water Agency, School Board, emetery Board, Historical Meetings, Old Timer’s Reunion, and first President of the Rocklin Historical Society. Marie Husan came on board in 1988 and the RHS became official. The RHS Society had a picnic every summer--many hosted in Roy’s backyard.

Many old-timers moved away from Rocklin, but returned to be buried in the Rocklin Cemetery. Ernie and Mamie Willard started hosting all the old-timers at their house when they returned on Memorial Day. Soon the crowd became too large and the returnees started meeting at Finn Hall. Roy took over as Chairman of the Old-Timers in 1958 and just turned over the chairmanship to the City of Rocklin three or four years ago Roy told all the old-timers to save their old pictures and he had so many that he had to store them under his bed. He brought them out and put them on display at every Old-Timers meeting. I’ve heard from several ladies that they crawled under Roy's bed to retrieve the boxes of photos."

Jean noted that "if it weren't for Roy, we would not have a Rocklin Historical Society nor would we have a Rocklin History Museum."

Rocklin: The Granite City of the West

In the program that followed, Roy spoke about the history of Rocklin's quarries and of his experiences growing up around them. According to Roy and some 1920's old timer accounts, quarrying began around 1855 in Rocklin. It should be noted that this is almost ten years before tracks from the railroad were laid down in Rocklin; this meant that all of the granite had to be hauled to the nearest rail (at first in Sacramento, and later Folsom) by oxen and mule.

In March of 1864 the tracks expanding eastward from Sacramento finally reached Rocklin. It was at that point that the high quality of Rocklin's granite began to catch the eye of legislators in Sacramento who were planning on using granite in the construction of the State Capitol Building. After starting construction with Folsom granite, which was spotty in quality, the legislators decided to be rid of it and redo the State Capitol's east landing, steps and cornerstone with the superior Rocklin granite. Other notable structures containing Rocklin granite include the San Francisco Palace Hotel (built in 1874) and the courthouses in Auburn, Reno, and Sacramento.

For more great history of Rocklin's granite industry, check out Gary Day's article, "A Town Built on Granite," in the Rocklin Historical Society's History Series.

Roy gave everyone a map drawn by Uno J. Hebuck in 1957 that details the locations of sixty-one Rocklin quarries. He then treated the crowd to a fascinating personal account of his experiences with and knowledge of many of the quarries listed. Audience members followed along and enjoyed finding the quarries Roy discussed on their maps. Click on the picture of the map (at left) and see if you can find the following sites:

#10 Commonly known as "Brady's Quarry" this is thought to be the very first quarry in Rocklin. Roy explained that we don't know too much about its early history, but he does remember that "people were always dumping their cars in it for the insurance." He also noted that a 1960 Lion's Club project included further dumping of abandoned cars into the quarry as a way to clean up the streets and that nearby mills dumped their sawdust into the hole. However, "the water [in the quarry hole] always looked pretty clear!"

#1 and #2 These make up what is now known as Big Gun Quarry (which is visible behind the City Council chambers). The reason the quarry is split up into two parts on the map is because the hole produced two different types of granite: Sierra White and Sierra Grey.

#24 and 25 were what Roy and his family called the "Home Quarries" because they were so near to his house on Ruhkala Road.

#26 and 27 were known by Roy as the "Black Bass Quarries" because they were filled with that type of fish! Roy noted that his brother Ruben fished out the big bass to keep them from eating all other fish supported in the quarry's eco-system. As Roy put it "if you ddin't get rid of the big bass, in a few years the hole would be empty."

#50 was filled with perch (another type of fish) and now is the site of a trailer park.

#49 was filled with minnows which Roy would sell as bait (for $0.25/dozen) to the fishermen in Roseville, where bass fishing was a big deal.

#3 was once the site of a city dump but was cleaned up and now is the site of the Rocklin Police Station.

#29 was the Deleno Quarry, first started by Griffith Griffith (of Penryn notoriety) and was also converted to a city dump. This site was covered but not cleaned out, so occasionally residents notice a faint smell.

Many of the quarries on the map are visible on google maps and resemble small ponds (since most of the remaining quarry sites are filled with water). One of the most recognizable water-filled quarries is #28, located right outside the new Rocklin library.

See if you can match the quarry sites on the Hubeck map to the google satellite view of Rocklin (at right, click to enlarge). Happy quarry hunting!

Photos of Roy Ruhkala (top) and Hebuck quarry map courtesy of Ronna Davis.
Sincerely,
Danielle Loebs
External Publicity Coordinator
Rocklin Historical Society

Old St. Mary’s Chapel hosts “Wedding of a Lifetime”

2011-03-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, March 12^th, Old St. Mary’s Chapel will host the wedding for Trevor Longman and Lindsay Sasaki, winners of Sunset Whitney Country Club’s Classic Wedding of a Lifetime Contest. Along with some of the Sacramento area’s premier wedding vendors, the Rocklin Historical Society has contributed the use of the historic building for this $30,000 wedding-giveaway package.

According to Cynthia Higgerson, the Sunset Whitney Country Club’s Event Planner and coordinator for the contest, the wedding-giveaway package includes contributions from at least twenty area businesses. Adding extra excitement to the prize, the wedding will be featured in the Summer/Fall 2011 issue of Real Weddings Magazine.

The happy couple met on the UC Davis football field and both were engineering students. Trevor proposed after climbing nearly 9,000 feet with Lindsay to the top of Yosemite’s Half Dome. Festivities will be held from 1-5pm this Saturday at Old St. Mary’s Chapel.

Sincerely,
Danielle Loebs
External Publicity Coordinator
Rocklin Historical Society

RHS March Meeting Preview: Remembering the Quarries with Roy Ruhkala

2011-03-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

The Rocklin Historical Society will be hosting its second monthly meeting of the year on Monday March 21st in Old St. Mary's Chapel. As a special treat, Rocklin legend Roy Ruhkala will be giving a presentation on the quarries of Rocklin.

About the Speaker:
Roy Ruhkala was born in Rocklin to Finnish Emigrant parents and was the middle child of eleven children. The Ruhkala family owned several quarries in Rocklin and took over what is now known as Big Gun Quarry in 1933 and managed it until 1977-78. While still a young boy, Roy worked for the quarry (running errands, etc.) and grew up learning all of the ins and outs of quarry operations.

After college, a tour in the Army and a short time working in Klamath Falls, Oregon, Roy moved back to his native Rocklin with his wife Peggy. He worked in the quarry business for many years while starting a monument business in Sacramento but also had an active record of civic service. Some of Roy's many accomplishments include serving on the Rocklin City Council for ten years, as the first Chairman of the Placer County Water Agency, on the Rocklin School Board, on the Rocklin Cemetery Board and as the first President of the Rocklin Historical Society.

As you can see, the legacy that Roy has generated in his many years of service to the city is vast (and I didn't even mention the half of it). It is an incredibly special treat to have him speak at our March meeting, and the discussion of the quarries is particularly relevant to the recent developments the City and Society have had with Big Gun.

So join us at 7pm Monday March 21st at Old St. Mary's Chapel on Front Street to learn from a living Rocklin treasure.

About the pictures:
(Top) Roy Ruhkala smiles for the camera at the January 2011 Rocklin Historical Society Installation Dinner.
(Right) Roy stands to the right of John Whitney, the grandson of Joel Parker Whitney, to discuss the Whitney Mansion doors. The article details Rocklin's 75th anniversary as an incorporated city and is from 1968.

Photos courtesy of Ronna Davis and Jean Day, respectively.

Sincerely,
Danielle Loebs
External Publicity Coordinator
Rocklin Historical Society

Big Gun Quarry- Notes from the Rocklin Redevelopment Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting

2011-02-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

The following notes have been provided by Rocklin Historical Society Secretary Gene Johnson:

"Dean Bender, acting Chairman, opened the Rocklin Redevelopment Citizens Advisory Committee meeting at the ungodly hour of 7am Friday morning on February 25, 2011. The single item of business was the "Big Gun Quarry: Discussion of the Contract Status and Disposition of a Historical Property and Salvage Property.

Incoming City Manager, Rick Horst, was introduced and shared a bit about his family background. There were no other introductions. Members of the public attending the meeting included 6 representatives of the Rocklin Historical Society (President Skip Gebel, Dr. Jim Carlson, Kent Dazey, John Chase, Gary Day and Gene Johnson) and Councilman Scott Yuill.

Assistant City Manager, Mark Riemer, provided a review of the Historic and Salvage material.

A handout was provided with images of items identified by Mr. Epperson and the City as either “Historic” (to remain on the property) or, “Salvage” (to be sold by Mr. Epperson, or the City, with proceeds to benefit Mr. Epperson’s corporation, SONCO).

Public comment was invited; Gene Johnson and Kent Dazey spoke in behalf of the Rocklin Historical Society.

Mr. Johnson introduced the concept of a heritage based “Hard Rock Mining Interpretive Center” as a visitor destination point in the heart of Rocklin. Johnson stated the interpretive center would address both very early Quarry operations, for example, prior to 1922, and later representative operations ranging through the time of Big Gun Quarry inactivity circa 1990. For this reason the Center would incorporate some items and buildings now identified as Salvage to be sold and removed from the Quarry Site. He said 25 of the 50 items identified as Salvage would be valuable for the heritage interpretive Center.

It was not clear from the listing and images that the large overhead Gantry crane in the Monument Shed is being considered Historic or part of the salvageable Monument Shed. The City (Mark Riemer) will verify that the crane is to remain on the property.

City Manager Horst cited that at this point no funds are available to purchase materials included on the Salvage List; funds would need to come from the community. Mr. Horst also stated that a mutually agreed upon moratorium on sales of salvage items would not be pursued by the City.

Kent Dazey provided a quick synopsis of other projects spearheaded by Historical Society members for the betterment of the Community: Finn Hall, Rocklin History Museum, Heritage Park and Old St. Mary’s Chapel, Undergrounding of Power Transmission Lines in Central Rocklin.

Big Gun will be included on the March agenda. Chairman Bender asked that the Historical Society return with a written proposal related to the Quarry materials, their proposed use and expected cost."

The above picture is the preliminary concept of Big Gun parcels superimposed on a 1996 sketch of the property. In blue is the proposed commercial parcel, in cream is a .6 acre parcel proposed for the development of a heritage site and in grey is the quarry itself.

With no city funds to purchase the twenty-five historic artifacts on the salvage list, it appears we now have cause for a community fund raiser. Please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and ideas in the comments section of this blog!

Sincerely,
Danielle Loebs
External Publicity Coordinator
Rocklin Historical Society

*Added February 26, 2011 at 11:16pm

Here is a picture of the proposed zoning from the perspective of Google Maps:

Inside the RHS Monthly Meeting (Part Two of Two)

2011-02-22T17:50:00.000-08:00

"It takes an Historical Society to raise a city." -President "Skip" Gebel

Official business discussed at Monday's meeting included our current situation with regards to the City of Rocklin's purchase of the Big Gun Quarry site. President Gebel explained that Big Gun is probably the second deepest quarry in the state of California at about 80 feet in depth. Because the quarry is located so close to the train tracks and the granite was shipped by train, Gebel continued that the historical relevance of the site could be linked to the transcontinental railroad.

The Placer Herald featured an article about the city's purchase which outlines a few of our concerns. The city finished the purchase deal on December 10th 2010, but offered up some of the site's historic equipment for the profit of the previous owner without consulting us to assess the artifacts' historic value. Gene Johnson spoke to the council, and the Historical Society has now been invited to attend the Redevelopment Advisory Committee on February 25th at 7am in the Council Chambers.

In other news, we discussed the fact that the Installation and Recognition Dinner lost money and addressed a similar concern for the continuance of the Legacy Dinner in its traditional form. Dr. Jim Carlson stood up with a point about how the problem with the costs were a result of the expensive food service that was chosen for these events. He advocated for the Legacy Dinner to continue with a more affordable meal option that would not lose us money.

President Gebel proposed the idea that the Legacy event take the shape of the Front Street Block Party, an event that is currently in the works by RHS member Kent Dazey. Gay Morgan added that October would be a good date for that event and Dee Owens suggested we consider a Cajun or Zydeco band to attract a bigger dance community.

Also brought up was the possibility of hosting a historic tour of San Francisco. A suggested itinerary of this tour includes visiting SF landmarks that incorporate Rocklin granite such as Fort Point and Montgomery Street. Alan Stone is the contact person for this program, and will be addressed at the weekly project planning meeting held Tuesdays at noon in the Oracle cafeteria.

Additionally, President Gebel announced that we have the support of Rocklin's fire chief for building a replica of Rocklin's original firehouse on Front Street. This may be a project for the very near future and an exciting addition to Heritage Park.

That's all for the February Monthly Meeting Report!

The next monthly meeting is scheduled for 7pm at St. Mary's Chapel on March 21st and will feature a presentation about Rocklin's quarries from Roy Ruhkala. Quite the appropriate topic with respect to our recent publicity!

Sincerely,
Danielle Loebs
External Publicity Coordinator
Rocklin Historical Society

Inside the RHS Monthly Meeting (Part One of Two)

2011-02-22T16:00:00.001-08:00

St. Mary’s Chapel cast a warm glow onto the otherwise dark and frigid February evening as members and guests of the Rocklin Historical Society convened for the first monthly meeting of 2011. Friends met inside with warm greetings and good humor as all readied themselves for a special President’s Day program about Abraham Lincoln.

Newly installed President Gebel murmured that he’d been up since 3 o’clock (though whether he meant in the am or pm is uncertain) and was waiting for the arrival of Gene Johnson, the Historical Society Secretary, before taking his place at the podium. As guests took their seats in the chapel pews, Johnson arrived on cue with handouts detailing the program ahead. Speaking to a captive audience, President Gebel decided to forgo the banging of the gavel and “launch the adventures for 2011” at what he announced to be the first meeting since December of 2010. He welcomed regular members as well as new guests and started things off with a few announcements:

• Over fifty members and friends attended the Installation and Recognition Dinner at the Springfield community center. The Whitney room and the food provided by Granite Rock Grill were both excellent and the multimedia program based on the life of J.P. Whitney was enjoyed by all. Springfield residents complimented us on the effort.
• We’re happy to announce the appointment of Miss Dani Loebs as Publicity Committee Chairman. Dani will focus on external publicity including social media, while Christy Barros will continue on internal publicity through e-mails and Carol Peterson will remain in charge of physical mailings.

• The Heritage planning committee meets Tuesdays for lunch at Oracle; board meetings are held in the Chapel Annex at 6pm on the second Monday of every month. All interested parties are invited to attend the meetings.

President Gebel then introduced Jean Sippola to discuss the evening’s distinguished speaker, Arnold Kunst. Jean informed us that Kunst has been a lifelong student of President Lincoln and gave his first speech about the president when he was in high school. The members gave Kunst a warm welcome as he took the stage and what followed was an enthralling speech that had everyone in the room hanging on every word. Kunst began with a point of recognition for the Rocklin Historical Society and all historical societies in general. He stated that as Americans, we generally do not think much of history, yet it is so integral to the human experience. After seamlessly linking history to democracy, Kunst regaled us with an anecdote about seeing political bumper stickers while driving on I-80:

“I won’t say which party the bumper sticker promoted, but I will say it was the wrong one. And as I drove alongside the car fuming about the problems caused by that party and working myself up into a rage, I glanced through my passenger’s side window at the driver of the vehicle. I was shocked. The motorist, beyond all of my belief, looked completely normal. It was then that I realized that the driver wasn’t the one with the problem after all. It was me.”

Kunst noted that the prejudice we build against each other with regard to politics is “corrosive of Democracy itself.” To illustrate his point, he compared the modest credentials of Abraham Lincoln (circa 1860) with the impressive resume of Jefferson Davis and then asked us who we would have voted for if the two had run against one another in an election. This drew a somewhat sheepish response for Davis.

While continuing with an entertaining and educational history of Lincoln, Kunst wielded his talents for public speaking to highlight how Lincoln’s triumphs stemmed from his humanity, his humility and a heart large enough to quell the hatred of a divided populace into a reconciliation “with malice toward none [and] charity for all.” Those final lines of Lincoln's second inaugural address, Kunst concluded, showed us a way out of hatred and prejudice. Though intended to apply to the very large divide caused by the civil war, they hold just as true for the tiny rifts caused by bumper stickers on I-80.

After clamorous applause from the audience, Kunst took his seat and President Gebel announced a short break for members to stretch and mingle. A crowd gathered around Kunst to congratulate him on a job well done and to buy copies of his book. The speaker was generous to sign and dedicate copies to all who requested them.

A peek into the Chapel Annex showed specially baked cookies provided by Jean Sippola and Jean Day. Some were labeled with a President’s Day theme including the “Lincoln Fruit Cookies” and “Reagan Vienna Bars.” Conversations echoed throughout the chapel in English and Finnish with an air of laughter and delight before President Gebel called the meeting back to order.

In official business, Gene Johnson read a summary of the February 14th 2011 Board Meeting Minutes and Kathie Nippert gave the Treasurer’s report (both of these are available upon request). President Gebel then opened the floor to general discussion which I will write about in part two!

Sincerely,
Danielle Loebs
External Publicity Coordinator
Rocklin Historical Society

Above image of President Gebel courtesy of Ronna Davis.